1@section File formats 2A format is a BFD concept of high level file contents type. The 3formats supported by BFD are: 4 5@itemize @bullet 6 7@item 8@code{bfd_object} 9@end itemize 10The BFD may contain data, symbols, relocations and debug info. 11 12@itemize @bullet 13 14@item 15@code{bfd_archive} 16@end itemize 17The BFD contains other BFDs and an optional index. 18 19@itemize @bullet 20 21@item 22@code{bfd_core} 23@end itemize 24The BFD contains the result of an executable core dump. 25 26@findex bfd_check_format 27@subsubsection @code{bfd_check_format} 28@strong{Synopsis} 29@example 30bfd_boolean bfd_check_format (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format); 31@end example 32@strong{Description}@* 33Verify if the file attached to the BFD @var{abfd} is compatible 34with the format @var{format} (i.e., one of @code{bfd_object}, 35@code{bfd_archive} or @code{bfd_core}). 36 37If the BFD has been set to a specific target before the 38call, only the named target and format combination is 39checked. If the target has not been set, or has been set to 40@code{default}, then all the known target backends is 41interrogated to determine a match. If the default target 42matches, it is used. If not, exactly one target must recognize 43the file, or an error results. 44 45The function returns @code{TRUE} on success, otherwise @code{FALSE} 46with one of the following error codes: 47 48@itemize @bullet 49 50@item 51@code{bfd_error_invalid_operation} - 52if @code{format} is not one of @code{bfd_object}, @code{bfd_archive} or 53@code{bfd_core}. 54 55@item 56@code{bfd_error_system_call} - 57if an error occured during a read - even some file mismatches 58can cause bfd_error_system_calls. 59 60@item 61@code{file_not_recognised} - 62none of the backends recognised the file format. 63 64@item 65@code{bfd_error_file_ambiguously_recognized} - 66more than one backend recognised the file format. 67@end itemize 68 69@findex bfd_check_format_matches 70@subsubsection @code{bfd_check_format_matches} 71@strong{Synopsis} 72@example 73bfd_boolean bfd_check_format_matches 74 (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching); 75@end example 76@strong{Description}@* 77Like @code{bfd_check_format}, except when it returns FALSE with 78@code{bfd_errno} set to @code{bfd_error_file_ambiguously_recognized}. In that 79case, if @var{matching} is not NULL, it will be filled in with 80a NULL-terminated list of the names of the formats that matched, 81allocated with @code{malloc}. 82Then the user may choose a format and try again. 83 84When done with the list that @var{matching} points to, the caller 85should free it. 86 87@findex bfd_set_format 88@subsubsection @code{bfd_set_format} 89@strong{Synopsis} 90@example 91bfd_boolean bfd_set_format (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format); 92@end example 93@strong{Description}@* 94This function sets the file format of the BFD @var{abfd} to the 95format @var{format}. If the target set in the BFD does not 96support the format requested, the format is invalid, or the BFD 97is not open for writing, then an error occurs. 98 99@findex bfd_format_string 100@subsubsection @code{bfd_format_string} 101@strong{Synopsis} 102@example 103const char *bfd_format_string (bfd_format format); 104@end example 105@strong{Description}@* 106Return a pointer to a const string 107@code{invalid}, @code{object}, @code{archive}, @code{core}, or @code{unknown}, 108depending upon the value of @var{format}. 109 110