MULTILANGUAGE SOFTWARE INTEGRATION THROUGH PREPROCESSING

A method of assuring consistency of constants in a multilanguage software system, includes generating a first set of code written in a first language using a plurality of symbolic constants to represent a corresponding plurality of actual constants. A second set of code is written in a second language using the plurality of symbolic constants to represent the corresponding plurality of actual constants. A common header file is generated which contains information which relates the plurality of symbolic constants to the corresponding plurality of actual constants. The header is included within the first and second sets of code. The symbolic constants in the first and second sets of code are replaced with their corresponding actual constants during a preprocessing step. Any constructs which are not a part of the first language are stripped from the second set of code including the header file. Any constructs which are not a part of the second language are stripped from the first set of code including the header. The resulting files have their symbolic constants consistently replaced by constants which are defined in the header so that changes need only be made in the header file to assure consistency in the several languages.