7.3 Linking Units and Creating Compound Units

The import clause determines the imports of the compound unit. Outside the compound unit, these imports behave as for a plain unit; inside the compound unit, they are propagated to some of the linked units. The export clause determines the exports of the compound unit. Again, outside the compound unit, these exports are treated the same as for a plain unit; inside the compound unit, they are drawn from the exports of the linked units. Finally, the left-hand and right-hand parts of each declaration in the link clause specify how the compound unit’s imports and exports are propagated to the linked units.

Individual elements of an imported or exported signature are not available within the compound unit. Instead, imports and exports are connected at the level of whole signatures. Each specific import or export (i.e., an instance of some signature, possibly tagged) is given a link-id name. Specifically, a link-id is bound by the import clause or the left-hand part of a declaration in the link clause. A bound link-id is referenced in the right-hand part of a declaration in the link clause or by the export clause.

The left-hand side of a link declaration gives names to each expected export of the unit produced by the corresponding unit-expr. The actual unit may export additional signatures, and it may export an extension of a specific signature instead of just the specified one. If the unit does not export one of the specified signatures (with the specified tag, if any), the exn:fail:contract exception is raised when the compound-unit form is evaluated.

The right-hand side of a link declaration specifies the imports to be supplied to the unit produced by the corresponding unit-expr. The actual unit may import fewer signatures, and it may import a signature that is extended by the specified one. If the unit imports a signature (with a particular tag) that is not included in the supplied imports, the exn:fail:contract exception is raised when the compound-unit form is evaluated. Each link-id supplied as an import must be bound either in the import clause or in some declaration within the link clause.

The order of declarations in the link clause determines the order of invocation of the linked units. When the compound unit is invoked, the unit produced by the first unit-expr is invoked first, then the second, and so on. If the order specified in the link clause is inconsistent with init-depend declarations of the actual units, then the exn:fail:contract exception is raised when the compound-unit form is evaluated.