234:, support only an absolute object format. Programs are not relocatable; they need to be assembled or compiled to execute at specific, predefined addresses. The file contains no relocation or linkage information. These files can be loaded into read/write memory, or stored in
280:, the loader allocates various regions of memory to the program. Some of these regions correspond to sections of the object file, and thus are usually known by the same names. Others, such as the stack, only exist at run time. In some cases,
506:
368:
Segments in different object files may be combined by the linker according to rules specified when the segments are defined. Conventions exist for segments shared between object files; for instance, in
111:
A term in automatic programming for the machine language program produced by the machine by translating a source program written by the programmer in a language similar to algebraic notation.
518:
284:
is done by the loader (or linker) to specify the actual memory addresses. However, for many programs or architectures, relocation is not necessary, due to being handled by the
292:. On some systems the segments of the object file can then be copied (paged) into memory and executed, without needing further processing. On these systems, this may be done
268:
Most object file formats are structured as separate sections of data, each section containing a certain type of data. These sections are known as "segments" due to the term "
84:
The metadata that object files may include can be used for linking or debugging; it includes information to resolve symbolic cross-references between different modules,
77:. There are various formats for object files, and the same machine code can be packaged in different object file formats. An object file may also work like a
1189:
192:
format. Some formats can contain machine code for different processors, with the correct one chosen by the operating system when the program is loaded.
861:
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The design and/or choice of an object file format is a key part of overall system design. It affects the performance of the linker and thus
104:
information. Other metadata may include the date and time of compilation, the compiler name and version, and other identifying information.
553:
410:
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turnaround while a program is being developed. If the format is used for executables, the design also affects the time programs take to
813:
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There are many different object file formats; originally each type of computer had its own unique format, but with the advent of
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is used to combine the object code into one executable program or library pulling in precompiled system libraries as needed.
93:
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Some systems make a distinction between formats which are directly executable and formats which require processing by the
422:
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687:. The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Software Engineering and Programming (1 ed.). San Francisco, California, USA:
416:
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405:
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817:
779:(NB. Description of the Microsoft REL file format for relocatable objects, also used by Digital Research.)
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Montuelle, Jean; Willers, Ian (25–28 September 1979) . Written at CERN, Geneve, Switzerland.
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during the compilation or assembly process. The machine code that is generated is known as
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of debugging information may either be an integral part of the object file format, as in
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967:(1 page) (NB. Describes the history and relationship of IEEE 695 with CUFOM and MUFOM.)
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388:, or a semi-independent format which may be used with several object formats, such as
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that specify the names of special segments and whether or not they may be combined.
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IEEE 695-1990: IEEE Standard for
Microprocessor Universal Format for Object Modules
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also have different file formats for executable files and object files, such as
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for executables and COFF for object files in 32-bit and 64-bit
Windows.
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583:(1 ed.). Pune, India: Technical Publications. pp. 3–15.
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for the manipulation of object files in a variety of formats.
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Cross
Software Using a Universal Object Module Format, CUFOM
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monitor contains a routine to read an absolute object file (
146:, have been defined and used on different kinds of systems.
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165:. In this case the files have entirely different formats.
900:
Microprocessor
Universal Format for Object Modules, MUFOM
343:(uninitialized static data, both variables and constants)
107:
The term "object program" dates from at least the 1950s:
303:
Types of data supported by typical object file formats:
507:"Universal Binaries and 32-bit/64-bit PowerPC Binaries"
742:, Product Support Services. Application Note SS0288.
260:
are a more recent example of absolute object files.
840:(4). University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA:
644:
911:Montuelle, Jean; Willers, Ian (September 1982).
346:External definitions and references for linking
109:
27:File containing relocatable format machine code
1019:
451:A primer of programming for digital computers
425:(OMF for Intel 8080/8085, OBJ for Intel 8086)
188:and object files, starting with the original
8:
1000:(NB. Superseeds IEEE 695-1985 (1985-09-09)).
307:Header (descriptive and control information)
276:. When a program is loaded into memory by a
1026:
1012:
1004:
579:Godse, Deepali A.; Godse, Atul P. (2008).
941:
272:", which was previously a common form of
651:(2 ed.). New York, USA: Macmillan.
440:
886:. Euro IFIP, London, UK. CERN-DD/78/20
610:Professional Linux Kernel Architecture
561:. Motorola Semiconductor Products, Inc
533:"FatELF: Universal Binaries for Linux"
184:systems have used the same format for
511:OS X ABI Mach-O File Format Reference
7:
411:Intel hexadecimal object file format
1190:Programming language implementation
606:"Appendix E. The ELF Binary Format"
25:
918:Software: Practice and Experience
826:Software: Practice and Experience
313:("text segment", executable code)
932:(9). CERN, Geneve, Switzerland:
783:Elliott, John C. (2012-06-05) .
647:Assembly language for the IBM-PC
478:IBM OS Linkage Editor and Loader
218:(BFD library) provides a common
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867:from the original on 2023-11-28
795:from the original on 2020-01-26
770:from the original on 2023-11-25
746:from the original on 2017-09-09
230:Many early computers, or small
818:"A Machine-Independent Linker"
810:Fraser, Christopher "Chris" W.
216:Binary File Descriptor library
1:
735:The Microsoft OBJ File Format
555:MCM6830L7 MIKBUG/MINIBUG ROM
423:Object Module Format (Intel)
46:, as well as other data and
986:10.1109/IEEESTD.1990.101062
934:John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
842:John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
760:"Microsoft REL file format"
552:Wiles, Mike; Felix, Andre.
517:2009-02-04 . Archived from
448:Wrubel, Marshal H. (1959).
300:backed by the object file.
73:, and not usually directly
69:The object code is usually
1206:
604:Mauerer, Wolfgang (2010).
417:Object Module Format (ICL)
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1046:
758:Elliott, John C. (2002).
681:"Chapter 3: Object files"
406:OS/360 Object File Format
290:position-independent code
326:Read-only data segment (
157:call the first format a
138:, some formats, such as
1175:Executable file formats
643:Irvine, Kip R. (1993).
375:different memory models
943:10.1002/spe.4380120909
913:"Letter to the Editor"
906:Working Group, P695lD2
850:10.1002/spe.4380120407
616:. p. Appendix E.
286:memory management unit
113:
1180:Compiler construction
1149:Comparison of formats
614:John Wiley & Sons
382:debugging data format
155:OS/360 and successors
816:(April–May 1982) .
685:Linkers and Loaders
333:initialized static
238:. For example, the
175:Portable Executable
123:Object file formats
100:, and debugging or
1185:Computer libraries
902:(draft document),
488:. 1973. p. 16
298:memory-mapped file
161:and the second an
1162:
1161:
995:978-0-7381-3028-6
785:"PRL file format"
623:978-0-470-34343-2
590:978-81-8431-355-0
454:. New York, USA:
419:(OMF for ICL VME)
274:memory management
136:operating systems
50:, generated by a
16:(Redirected from
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691:. p. 256.
689:Morgan Kaufmann
677:Levine, John R.
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670:Further reading
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356:Dynamic linking
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153:. For example,
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90:stack unwinding
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980:. 1990-02-05.
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521:on 2014-09-04.
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205:responsiveness
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79:shared library
38:that contains
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458:. p. 222
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18:Object module
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960:. Retrieved
936:: 883–884 .
929:
916:
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895:(1+23 pages)
888:. Retrieved
882:
869:. Retrieved
837:
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797:. Retrieved
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772:. Retrieved
763:
748:. Retrieved
734:
715:. Retrieved
711:the original
684:
646:
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627:. Retrieved
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563:. Retrieved
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536:. Retrieved
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519:the original
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490:. Retrieved
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460:. Retrieved
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317:Data segment
311:Code segment
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264:Segmentation
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40:machine code
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1039:object file
921: [
844:: 351–366.
829: [
789:seasip.info
764:seasip.info
456:McGraw-Hill
364:information
358:information
352:information
341:BSS segment
247:SREC Format
212:GNU Project
207:for users.
159:load module
71:relocatable
64:object code
60:source code
32:object file
1169:Categories
1035:Executable
962:2023-11-28
890:2023-11-28
876:(16 pages)
871:2023-11-28
799:2020-01-26
774:2023-11-25
750:2017-08-21
717:2020-01-12
629:2020-08-01
565:2020-07-31
538:2020-08-02
515:Apple Inc.
492:2012-08-06
462:2020-07-31
435:References
373:there are
350:Relocation
282:relocation
251:paper tape
197:programmer
186:executable
131:and other
96:, program
86:relocation
75:executable
952:0038-0644
858:0038-0644
740:Microsoft
679:(2000) .
362:Debugging
335:constants
258:COM files
182:Unix-like
180:Unix and
102:profiling
56:assembler
956:Archived
862:Archived
793:Archived
768:Archived
744:Archived
727:Errata:
707:42413382
400:See also
133:portable
94:comments
52:compiler
48:metadata
44:bytecode
1041:formats
249:) from
171:Windows
98:symbols
1116:OS/360
1096:Mach-O
992:
950:
856:
722:Code:
705:
695:
655:
620:
587:
429:Mach-O
329:rodata
294:lazily
288:or by
278:loader
243:MIKBUG
151:linker
117:linker
1136:XCOFF
1076:ECOFF
1051:a.out
925:]
865:(PDF)
833:]
821:(PDF)
559:(PDF)
482:(PDF)
394:DWARF
390:stabs
190:a.out
58:from
34:is a
1154:.exe
1091:Hunk
1086:GOFF
1061:COFF
1037:and
990:ISBN
978:IEEE
948:ISSN
904:IEEE
854:ISSN
703:OCLC
693:ISBN
653:ISBN
618:ISBN
585:ISBN
386:COFF
380:The
210:The
169:and
144:COFF
142:and
129:Unix
36:file
1126:PEF
1111:OMF
1081:ELF
1071:COM
1066:CMD
1056:AIF
982:doi
938:doi
846:doi
392:or
371:DOS
255:DOS
220:API
214:'s
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140:ELF
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