3.3 File Names and XSB

Three files are associated with Prolog source code in XSB ^3.2.

• A single source file, whose name is the base file name plus the an extension suffix ``.P'' or if a .P file cannot be found , .pl.
• An object (byte-code) file, whose name consists of the base file name plus the suffix ``.xwam''.
• An optional header file, whose name is the base file name plus the suffix ``.H''. When used, the header file normally contains file-level declarations and directives while the source file usually contains the actual definitions of the predicates defined in that module.

Most of the XSB system predicates, such as consult/[1,2], compile/[1,2] and others are somewhat flexible in how they allow file designation. A file may be designated by a file designator which can be a base file name, a source file name; or the relative or absolute paths to a base or source file name. Unfortunately, the exact semantics of a file designator differs among system predicates in Version 3.0, as well as among platforms.