<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="8">
<tr>
<th>Issue</th>
<td>
<a href=https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/issues/70569>70569</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Summary</th>
<td>
Confusing "module file out of date" errors with C++20 modules
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Labels</th>
<td>
new issue
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Assignees</th>
<td>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Reporter</th>
<td>
rnikander
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<pre>
I will attach a zipped up project, with some source code and a Makefile. At the top of the Makefile, there are some variables that point to my build of clang. Those need to be changed, but then I hope you can reproduce this.
[files.tgz](https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/files/13196637/files.tgz)
The commands in the Makefile are my attempt to follow the docs [here]( https://clang.llvm.org/docs/StandardCPlusPlusModules.html).
### Steps to demonstrate the issue
1. Change this top part of the Makefile to fit your build of clang. I'm building on a Mac so I need that `macos_sdk` setting.
```make
CXX = /Users/rob/Dev/llvm-project/build_phase1/bin/clang++
macos_sdk = /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX14.0.sdk
flags = -isysroot $(macos_sdk) -std=c++2b
```
2. Run `make`, and you should see this output.
```console
% make
Precompiling interface_part1.ccm -> interface_part1.pcm
Precompiling interface_part2.ccm -> interface_part2.pcm
Precompiling foo.ccm -> foo.pcm
Compiling main.cc -> main.o
Compiling foo.pcm -> foo.o
Compiling interface_part1.pcm -> interface_part1.o
Compiling interface_part2.pcm -> interface_part2.o
Linking program
```
3. You can run the `program` to confirm that it compiled.
```console
% ./program
Starting main()
hello from foo:interface_part1
hello from foo:interface_part2
```
4. Now, change the variable name in the `other()` function in `interface_part1.ccm`. For example change `int a` to `int aa`.
```c++
void other() {
int aa = 1;
}
```
5. Run `make` again. I see this:
```console
% make
Precompiling interface_part1.ccm -> interface_part1.pcm
Precompiling foo.ccm -> foo.pcm
foo.ccm:5:8: fatal error: module file 'interface_part1.pcm' is out of date and needs to be rebuilt: module file out of date
5 | export import :interface_part2;
| ^
foo.ccm:5:8: note: imported by module 'foo:interface_part2' in 'interface_part2.pcm'
```
This seems like a problem to me, for a couple reasons:
1. The error is misleading. It says `interface_part1.pcm` is out of date and "needs to be rebuilt", but I just rebuilt it.
2. If `interface_part2.pcm` needs to be rebuilt, because it depends on part1, that seems like these modules are worse than headers at hiding implementation details. I changed a private non-exported function `other()`, and I changed an implementation detail - the name of the local variable. The exposed interface of `interface_part1` should not change in this case. And I don't think it should trigger the need to recompile things that depend on it.
It's interesting that if I only change the _value_ of `int a` in `other()`, say `int a = 1` to `int a = 2`, then then `make` rebuilds things as expected without a problem.
</pre>
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