A simple technique for controlled communication among separately compiled modules

A simple technique for communication among separately compiled modules using the existing facilities of most operating systems is proposed. The access control capabilities of existing hierarchical file systems can be used to control access to shared objects (e.g. procedures, types, data structures). Information about shared objects, such as type and date/time of compilation, is stored in description files, and access to a description file implies access to those objects. Declarations cause the appropriate information to be maintained in the description files. The advantage of this approach is that it is based on existing mechanisms with which most programmers are well acquainted.