# \[design\] Queries about how the program is being compiled

**URL:** <https://chapel.discourse.group/t/design-queries-about-how-the-program-is-being-compiled/10268>\
**Category:** Developers\
**Created:** [February 4, 2022, 9:50pm UTC](https://chapel.discourse.group/t/design-queries-about-how-the-program-is-being-compiled/10268 "2022-02-04T21:50:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bradcray](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/chapel.discourse.group/bradcray/32/72_2.png) [@bradcray](https://chapel.discourse.group/u/bradcray)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 9:50pm UTC](https://chapel.discourse.group/t/design-queries-about-how-the-program-is-being-compiled/10268/1 "2022-02-04T21:50:32Z")

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Hi Chapel Developers —

As part of our effort to stabilize Chapel's standard libraries for a forthcoming 2.0 release, we are looking to reduce the degree to which programs rely on the `CHPL_*` param variables, replacing them with user-facing calls instead. Two of the most prominent queries currently are:

- Is this program being compiled for a single locale or for multiple locales? (by checking CHPL\_COMM)
- Will this program have access to network atomics? (by checking CHPL\_NETWORK\_ATOMICS or CHPL\_COMM)

If you have ideas about how to expose these queries (or other similar ones) to users, please head over to [https://github.com/chapel-lang/chapel/issues/19188](https://github.com/chapel-lang/chapel/issues/19188) with your suggestions.

Thanks!  
-Brad