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What is the ANDF technology?The Architectural Neutral Distribution Format (ANDF) is a compiler technology that is based on the ANDF intermediate format. It is a result of a request for technology (RFT) by OSF in May 1989. In June 1991, DRA's TenDRA (TDF) technology was selected by OSF to be the base technology for OSF's ANDF technology. ANDF is designed to improve portability and distribution of software as a shrink-wrapped application. In order to achieve this goal, the compilation process is divided into two strictly segregated subprocesses:
The ANDF intermediate code format is an abstraction of programming languages and builds the interface between these two phases. It is possible to halt a compilation run and to distribute programs or libraries in that representation. Compilers for different programming languages only need to translate to the ANDF intermediate code. Then, they can all use the same code generator on a given computer platform. Thus it is necessary to have an installer on each architecture and a producer for each (or most common ) programming languages. The mechanisms that are necessary to implement this concept can be used to check and to improve portability of software. It is not the ANDF intermediate code, which is often referred as yet another compiler intermediate code, but the whole ANDF technology that is the most interesting aspect of this concept, because it has an important impact on software engineering.
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