bfd/doc/syms.texi

2 BFD tries to maintain as much symbol information as it can when
5 application requests the symbol table, BFD reads the table in
11 symbol table structure as well as the canonical structure when
13 the output symbol table so that no information is lost, even
15 understand. If a coff symbol table were read, but were written
17 would be lost. The symbol table of a BFD
23 like the linker to output a symbol as it was read, since the ``behind
30 * symbol handling functions::
35 There are two stages to reading a symbol table from a BFD:
37 excerpt from an application which reads the symbol table:
70 Writing of a symbol table is automatic when a BFD open for
73 fills in the symbol count. The close and cleanup code reads
76 ``owned'' symbol: one which has come from another BFD, or one
78 example showing the creation of a symbol table with only one element:
109 Many formats cannot represent arbitrary symbol information; for
111 arbitrary number of sections. A symbol pointing to a section
117 Mini symbols provide read-only access to the symbol table.
120 have to handle symbol tables of extremely large executables.
124 pointer to a block of memory, a symbol count, and the size of
125 each symbol.  The pointer is allocated using @code{malloc}, and
135 @node typedef asymbol, symbol handling functions, Mini Symbols, Symbols
144   /* A pointer to the BFD which owns the symbol. This information
147      with the symbol.
155   /* The text of the symbol. The name is left alone, and not copied; the
159   /* The value of the symbol.  This really should be a union of a
161      a pointer to another symbol is stored here.  */
164   /* Attributes of a symbol.  */
167   /* The symbol has local scope; @code{static} in @code{C}. The value
171   /* The symbol has global scope; initialized data in @code{C}. The
175   /* The symbol has global scope and is exported. The value is
179   /* A normal C symbol would be one of:
183   /* The symbol is a debugging record. The value has an arbitrary
187   /* The symbol denotes a function entry point.  Used in ELF,
195   /* A weak global symbol, overridable without warnings by
196      a regular global symbol of the same name.  */
199   /* This symbol was created to point to a section, e.g. ELF's
203   /* The symbol used to be a common symbol, but now it is
210   /* In some files the type of a symbol sometimes alters its
211      location in an output file - ie in coff a @code{ISFCN} symbol
212      which is also @code{C_EXT} symbol appears where it was
217   /* Signal that the symbol is the label of constructor section.  */
220   /* Signal that the symbol is a warning symbol.  The name is a
221      warning.  The name of the next symbol is the one to warn about;
222      if a reference is made to a symbol with the same name as the next
223      symbol, a warning is issued by the linker.  */
226   /* Signal that the symbol is indirect.  This symbol is an indirect
227      pointer to the symbol with the same name as the next symbol.  */
237   /* The symbol denotes a data object.  Used in ELF, and perhaps
241   /* This symbol is a debugging symbol.  The value is the offset
246   /* This symbol is thread local.  Used in ELF.  */
251   /* A pointer to the section to which this symbol is
268 @node symbol handling functions,  , typedef asymbol, Symbols
292 Return TRUE if the given symbol @var{sym} in the BFD @var{abfd} is
302 Return TRUE if a symbol with the name @var{name} in the BFD
318 Return the actual number of symbol pointers, not
342 void bfd_print_symbol_vandf (bfd *abfd, void *file, asymbol *symbol);
345 Print the value and flags of the @var{symbol} supplied to the
380 to be used as a debugging symbol.  Further details of its use have
391 Return a character corresponding to the symbol
392 class of @var{symbol}, or '?' for an unknown class.
396 int bfd_decode_symclass (asymbol *symbol);
401 Returns non-zero if the class symbol returned by
402 bfd_decode_symclass represents an undefined symbol.
412 Fill in the basic info about symbol that nm needs.
418 void bfd_symbol_info (asymbol *symbol, symbol_info *ret);
428 Copy private symbol information from @var{isym} in the BFD
429 @var{ibfd} to the symbol @var{osym} in the BFD @var{obfd}.