CCSTUDIO: Output file (.out) is not same for the successive builds with no change in the code

Hello Sandesh,

While I know the contents of the file are essentially gibberish, you can do a text file comparison to see what changed. I can't say for certain if there's a timestamp in there, but when you recompile a project the .out will get replaced every single time. It won't avoid re-creating the .out just because you haven't made a change if you're doing a full re-compile. If you're just building, it may or may not remake the .out I'm not sure.

Hi Omer,

Without changing the code or any settings, I am rebuilding a project. So .out file is getting generated every time I rebuild. I don't have any confusion about this. My question is, in these 2 subsequent rebuilds why do the generated .out files differ (when compared in text compare tool). This is not the case if I generate hex files using hex utility. Now, hex file is a subset of .out file as it contains only the data to be filled in the memory whereas .out file is more versatile having other things like debug info, etc. I am wondering why .out file changes every time.

I need clarity as I am providing .out file to the testing team and sometimes I need to go back in my git history, generate .out file and check whether it matches what I had provided in past. If this problem is not solvable, I would better give them the hex file.

SandeshAtom said:

My question is, in these 2 subsequent rebuilds why do the generated .out files differ (when compared in text compare tool)

Can you please show the diffs if possible?

Sure Omer. Here are the files out_files.

Hello Sandesh,

Looking at the two .out files with fc command prompt, this was the output (line numbers for each file is listed for the differences):

***** motor_control_1.out
70667:  .debug_frame
...
70670:  u16MsgNo$1
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70667:  .debug_frame
...
70670:  u16MsgNo$1
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70694:  .text:MTR_CAN_ReadCanMsgAt1ms
...
70697:  mtr_state_request
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70694:  .text:MTR_CAN_ReadCanMsgAt1ms
...
70697:  mtr_state_request
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70698:  .text:motor_state_request_init
70699:  {88CC08E5-9270-418D-931C-5220EB6850F8}
70700:  $C$L1
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70698:  .text:motor_state_request_init
70699:  {2FFE729C-292E-4FBD-81E4-58BF41314486}
70700:  $C$L1
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70709:  .text:main
70710:  {C91F34B9-EA6C-4085-9300-FBD81003F8F1}
70711:  $C$L25
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70709:  .text:main
70710:  {C89BC635-A56A-4A45-8CF3-914EADB6827B}
70711:  $C$L25
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70713:  .text:BLCOMPAT_ChkRepgrmRqst
...
70721:  $C$L27
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70713:  .text:BLCOMPAT_ChkRepgrmRqst
...
70721:  $C$L27
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70732:  .text:DRV8353_enable
70733:  {EEFF0212-B37B-4FCD-8BCD-8B3F8D8837D1}
70734:  prvFLASHDRV_ProgramFlash
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70732:  .text:DRV8353_enable
70733:  {D3CE2459-FF73-4B1D-845E-FA367258E845}
70734:  prvFLASHDRV_ProgramFlash
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70753:  .text:FLASHDRV_Init
70754:  {9BE94782-A9C2-4F07-A802-385AB1DB2765}
70755:  $C$L49
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70753:  .text:FLASHDRV_Init
70754:  {95F9F97F-B4C5-4ABA-BB07-EBA6EEB7E211}
70755:  $C$L49
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70797:  .text:initMotor1CtrlParameters
70798:  {00CAFBAE-64B2-46AC-94E2-FD41F14ABCD9}
70799:  .text:updateGlobalVariables
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70797:  .text:initMotor1CtrlParameters
70798:  {166C9A06-6C62-44C2-B445-7424BCDF7C68}
70799:  .text:updateGlobalVariables
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70808:  .text:calcMotorOverCurrentThreshold
70809:  {20768A0E-0249-42C3-956A-0BAD14C5DB24}
70810:  .text:Device_initGPIO
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70808:  .text:calcMotorOverCurrentThreshold
70809:  {021362C0-113F-44D4-8FC2-EE8CF02BC6B7}
70810:  .text:Device_initGPIO
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70814:  wd_disable
...
70817:  .text:ANGLE_GEN_setParams
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70814:  wd_disable
...
70817:  .text:ANGLE_GEN_setParams
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70818:  .text:ANGLE_GEN_init
...
70822:  .text:CPU_TIME_reset
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70818:  .text:ANGLE_GEN_init
...
70822:  .text:CPU_TIME_reset
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70823:  .text:CPU_TIME_init
...
70832:  .text:HALL_setParams
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70823:  .text:CPU_TIME_init
...
70832:  .text:HALL_setParams
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70836:  .text:HALL_init
...
70859:  .text:VS_FREQ_setProfile
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70836:  .text:HALL_init
...
70859:  .text:VS_FREQ_setProfile
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70860:  .text:VS_FREQ_init
70861:  {22AACD30-F356-479F-BC37-F00DF412E334}
70862:  .bss:u16BLCanDataBuff
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70860:  .text:VS_FREQ_init
70861:  {5751986A-1B06-4FE5-937D-22C2CFD74F02}
70862:  .bss:u16BLCanDataBuff
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70867:  .text:CANA_Init
70868:  {45B692F2-EE6D-460C-94E2-EE016E3E3D6F}
70869:  .text:HAL_setupTimeBaseTimer
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70867:  .text:CANA_Init
70868:  {97A45EB0-0F3D-4607-89F4-D2A78B211997}
70869:  .text:HAL_setupTimeBaseTimer
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70891:  .text:HAL_MTR1_init
...
70896:  .text:CQ_IsFull
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70891:  .text:HAL_MTR1_init
...
70896:  .text:CQ_IsFull
*****

***** motor_control_1.out
70899:  .text:CQ_Get
70900:  {5BCDE15F-D048-4A50-945D-57B5E77992C8}
70901:  TI6jAJON1ok
***** MOTOR_CONTROL.OUT
70899:  .text:CQ_Get
70900:  {ED1C00F5-AC7B-440D-B048-B913AB783221}
70901:  TI6jAJON1ok
*****

I'm not exactly sure what these changes relate to, I will forward this to the compiler experts.

Got it. Thanks!
Looking forward to hearing from compiler experts then.

Having --keep-asm in the assembler option has resolved the issue. Now the .out files are generated the same every time.
Thanks a lot, George Mock!