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+@section Sections
+The raw data contained within a BFD is maintained through the
+section abstraction. A single BFD may have any number of
+sections. It keeps hold of them by pointing to the first;
+each one points to the next in the list.
+
+Sections are supported in BFD in @code{section.c}.
+
+@menu
+* Section Input::
+* Section Output::
+* typedef asection::
+* section prototypes::
+@end menu
+@*
+@node Section Input, Section Output, Sections, Sections
+@subsection Section input
+When a BFD is opened for reading, the section structures are
+created and attached to the BFD.
+
+Each section has a name which describes the section in the
+outside world---for example, @code{a.out} would contain at least
+three sections, called @code{.text}, @code{.data} and @code{.bss}.
+
+Names need not be unique; for example a COFF file may have several
+sections named @code{.data}.
+
+Sometimes a BFD will contain more than the ``natural'' number of
+sections. A back end may attach other sections containing
+constructor data, or an application may add a section (using
+@code{bfd_make_section}) to the sections attached to an already open
+BFD. For example, the linker creates an extra section
+@code{COMMON} for each input file's BFD to hold information about
+common storage.
+
+The raw data is not necessarily read in when
+the section descriptor is created. Some targets may leave the
+data in place until a @code{bfd_get_section_contents} call is
+made. Other back ends may read in all the data at once. For
+example, an S-record file has to be read once to determine the
+size of the data. An IEEE-695 file doesn't contain raw data in
+sections, but data and relocation expressions intermixed, so
+the data area has to be parsed to get out the data and
+relocations.
+@*
+@node Section Output, typedef asection, Section Input, Sections
+@subsection Section output
+To write a new object style BFD, the various sections to be
+written have to be created. They are attached to the BFD in
+the same way as input sections; data is written to the
+sections using @code{bfd_set_section_contents}.
+
+Any program that creates or combines sections (e.g., the assembler
+and linker) must use the @code{asection} fields @code{output_section} and
+@code{output_offset} to indicate the file sections to which each
+section must be written. (If the section is being created from
+scratch, @code{output_section} should probably point to the section
+itself and @code{output_offset} should probably be zero.)
+
+The data to be written comes from input sections attached
+(via @code{output_section} pointers) to
+the output sections. The output section structure can be
+considered a filter for the input section: the output section
+determines the vma of the output data and the name, but the
+input section determines the offset into the output section of
+the data to be written.
+
+E.g., to create a section "O", starting at 0x100, 0x123 long,
+containing two subsections, "A" at offset 0x0 (i.e., at vma
+0x100) and "B" at offset 0x20 (i.e., at vma 0x120) the @code{asection}
+structures would look like:
+
+@example
+ section name "A"
+ output_offset 0x00
+ size 0x20
+ output_section -----------> section name "O"
+ | vma 0x100
+ section name "B" | size 0x123
+ output_offset 0x20 |
+ size 0x103 |
+ output_section --------|
+@end example
+@*
+@subsection Link orders
+The data within a section is stored in a @dfn{link_order}.
+These are much like the fixups in @code{gas}. The link_order
+abstraction allows a section to grow and shrink within itself.
+
+A link_order knows how big it is, and which is the next
+link_order and where the raw data for it is; it also points to
+a list of relocations which apply to it.
+
+The link_order is used by the linker to perform relaxing on
+final code. The compiler creates code which is as big as
+necessary to make it work without relaxing, and the user can
+select whether to relax. Sometimes relaxing takes a lot of
+time. The linker runs around the relocations to see if any
+are attached to data which can be shrunk, if so it does it on
+a link_order by link_order basis.
+@*
+
+@node typedef asection, section prototypes, Section Output, Sections
+@subsection typedef asection
+Here is the section structure:
+@*
+.
+@example
+typedef struct sec
+@{
+ /* The name of the section; the name isn't a copy, the pointer is
+ the same as that passed to bfd_make_section. */
+
+ CONST char *name;
+
+ /* Which section is it; 0..nth. */
+
+ int index;
+
+ /* The next section in the list belonging to the BFD, or NULL. */
+
+ struct sec *next;
+
+ /* The field flags contains attributes of the section. Some
+ flags are read in from the object file, and some are
+ synthesized from other information. */
+
+ flagword flags;
+
+#define SEC_NO_FLAGS 0x000
+
+ /* Tells the OS to allocate space for this section when loading.
+ This is clear for a section containing debug information
+ only. */
+#define SEC_ALLOC 0x001
+
+ /* Tells the OS to load the section from the file when loading.
+ This is clear for a .bss section. */
+#define SEC_LOAD 0x002
+
+ /* The section contains data still to be relocated, so there is
+ some relocation information too. */
+#define SEC_RELOC 0x004
+
+#if 0 /* Obsolete ? */
+#define SEC_BALIGN 0x008
+#endif
+
+ /* A signal to the OS that the section contains read only
+ data. */
+#define SEC_READONLY 0x010
+
+ /* The section contains code only. */
+#define SEC_CODE 0x020
+
+ /* The section contains data only. */
+#define SEC_DATA 0x040
+
+ /* The section will reside in ROM. */
+#define SEC_ROM 0x080
+
+ /* The section contains constructor information. This section
+ type is used by the linker to create lists of constructors and
+ destructors used by @code{g++}. When a back end sees a symbol
+ which should be used in a constructor list, it creates a new
+ section for the type of name (e.g., @code{__CTOR_LIST__}), attaches
+ the symbol to it, and builds a relocation. To build the lists
+ of constructors, all the linker has to do is catenate all the
+ sections called @code{__CTOR_LIST__} and relocate the data
+ contained within - exactly the operations it would peform on
+ standard data. */
+#define SEC_CONSTRUCTOR 0x100
+
+ /* The section is a constuctor, and should be placed at the
+ end of the text, data, or bss section(?). */
+#define SEC_CONSTRUCTOR_TEXT 0x1100
+#define SEC_CONSTRUCTOR_DATA 0x2100
+#define SEC_CONSTRUCTOR_BSS 0x3100
+
+ /* The section has contents - a data section could be
+ @code{SEC_ALLOC} | @code{SEC_HAS_CONTENTS}; a debug section could be
+ @code{SEC_HAS_CONTENTS} */
+#define SEC_HAS_CONTENTS 0x200
+
+ /* An instruction to the linker to not output the section
+ even if it has information which would normally be written. */
+#define SEC_NEVER_LOAD 0x400
+
+ /* The section is a COFF shared library section. This flag is
+ only for the linker. If this type of section appears in
+ the input file, the linker must copy it to the output file
+ without changing the vma or size. FIXME: Although this
+ was originally intended to be general, it really is COFF
+ specific (and the flag was renamed to indicate this). It
+ might be cleaner to have some more general mechanism to
+ allow the back end to control what the linker does with
+ sections. */
+#define SEC_COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY 0x800
+
+ /* The section contains common symbols (symbols may be defined
+ multiple times, the value of a symbol is the amount of
+ space it requires, and the largest symbol value is the one
+ used). Most targets have exactly one of these (which we
+ translate to bfd_com_section_ptr), but ECOFF has two. */
+#define SEC_IS_COMMON 0x8000
+
+ /* The section contains only debugging information. For
+ example, this is set for ELF .debug and .stab sections.
+ strip tests this flag to see if a section can be
+ discarded. */
+#define SEC_DEBUGGING 0x10000
+
+ /* The contents of this section are held in memory pointed to
+ by the contents field. This is checked by
+ bfd_get_section_contents, and the data is retrieved from
+ memory if appropriate. */
+#define SEC_IN_MEMORY 0x20000
+
+ /* The contents of this section are to be excluded by the
+ linker for executable and shared objects unless those
+ objects are to be further relocated. */
+#define SEC_EXCLUDE 0x40000
+
+ /* The contents of this section are to be sorted by the
+ based on the address specified in the associated symbol
+ table. */
+#define SEC_SORT_ENTRIES 0x80000
+
+ /* When linking, duplicate sections of the same name should be
+ discarded, rather than being combined into a single section as
+ is usually done. This is similar to how common symbols are
+ handled. See SEC_LINK_DUPLICATES below. */
+#define SEC_LINK_ONCE 0x100000
+
+ /* If SEC_LINK_ONCE is set, this bitfield describes how the linker
+ should handle duplicate sections. */
+#define SEC_LINK_DUPLICATES 0x600000
+
+ /* This value for SEC_LINK_DUPLICATES means that duplicate
+ sections with the same name should simply be discarded. */
+#define SEC_LINK_DUPLICATES_DISCARD 0x0
+
+ /* This value for SEC_LINK_DUPLICATES means that the linker
+ should warn if there are any duplicate sections, although
+ it should still only link one copy. */
+#define SEC_LINK_DUPLICATES_ONE_ONLY 0x200000
+
+ /* This value for SEC_LINK_DUPLICATES means that the linker
+ should warn if any duplicate sections are a different size. */
+#define SEC_LINK_DUPLICATES_SAME_SIZE 0x400000
+
+ /* This value for SEC_LINK_DUPLICATES means that the linker
+ should warn if any duplicate sections contain different
+ contents. */
+#define SEC_LINK_DUPLICATES_SAME_CONTENTS 0x600000
+
+ /* This section was created by the linker as part of dynamic
+ relocation or other arcane processing. It is skipped when
+ going through the first-pass output, trusting that someone
+ else up the line will take care of it later. */
+#define SEC_LINKER_CREATED 0x800000
+
+ /* End of section flags. */
+
+ /* Some internal packed boolean fields. */
+
+ /* See the vma field. */
+ unsigned int user_set_vma : 1;
+
+ /* Whether relocations have been processed. */
+ unsigned int reloc_done : 1;
+
+ /* A mark flag used by some of the linker backends. */
+ unsigned int linker_mark : 1;
+
+ /* End of internal packed boolean fields. */
+
+ /* The virtual memory address of the section - where it will be
+ at run time. The symbols are relocated against this. The
+ user_set_vma flag is maintained by bfd; if it's not set, the
+ backend can assign addresses (for example, in @code{a.out}, where
+ the default address for @code{.data} is dependent on the specific
+ target and various flags). */
+
+ bfd_vma vma;
+
+ /* The load address of the section - where it would be in a
+ rom image; really only used for writing section header
+ information. */
+
+ bfd_vma lma;
+
+ /* The size of the section in bytes, as it will be output.
+ contains a value even if the section has no contents (e.g., the
+ size of @code{.bss}). This will be filled in after relocation */
+
+ bfd_size_type _cooked_size;
+
+ /* The original size on disk of the section, in bytes. Normally this
+ value is the same as the size, but if some relaxing has
+ been done, then this value will be bigger. */
+
+ bfd_size_type _raw_size;
+
+ /* If this section is going to be output, then this value is the
+ offset into the output section of the first byte in the input
+ section. E.g., if this was going to start at the 100th byte in
+ the output section, this value would be 100. */
+
+ bfd_vma output_offset;
+
+ /* The output section through which to map on output. */
+
+ struct sec *output_section;
+
+ /* The alignment requirement of the section, as an exponent of 2 -
+ e.g., 3 aligns to 2^3 (or 8). */
+
+ unsigned int alignment_power;
+
+ /* If an input section, a pointer to a vector of relocation
+ records for the data in this section. */
+
+ struct reloc_cache_entry *relocation;
+
+ /* If an output section, a pointer to a vector of pointers to
+ relocation records for the data in this section. */
+
+ struct reloc_cache_entry **orelocation;
+
+ /* The number of relocation records in one of the above */
+
+ unsigned reloc_count;
+
+ /* Information below is back end specific - and not always used
+ or updated. */
+
+ /* File position of section data */
+
+ file_ptr filepos;
+
+ /* File position of relocation info */
+
+ file_ptr rel_filepos;
+
+ /* File position of line data */
+
+ file_ptr line_filepos;
+
+ /* Pointer to data for applications */
+
+ PTR userdata;
+
+ /* If the SEC_IN_MEMORY flag is set, this points to the actual
+ contents. */
+ unsigned char *contents;
+
+ /* Attached line number information */
+
+ alent *lineno;
+
+ /* Number of line number records */
+
+ unsigned int lineno_count;
+
+ /* When a section is being output, this value changes as more
+ linenumbers are written out */
+
+ file_ptr moving_line_filepos;
+
+ /* What the section number is in the target world */
+
+ int target_index;
+
+ PTR used_by_bfd;
+
+ /* If this is a constructor section then here is a list of the
+ relocations created to relocate items within it. */
+
+ struct relent_chain *constructor_chain;
+
+ /* The BFD which owns the section. */
+
+ bfd *owner;
+
+ /* A symbol which points at this section only */
+ struct symbol_cache_entry *symbol;
+ struct symbol_cache_entry **symbol_ptr_ptr;
+
+ struct bfd_link_order *link_order_head;
+ struct bfd_link_order *link_order_tail;
+@} asection ;
+
+ /* These sections are global, and are managed by BFD. The application
+ and target back end are not permitted to change the values in
+ these sections. New code should use the section_ptr macros rather
+ than referring directly to the const sections. The const sections
+ may eventually vanish. */
+#define BFD_ABS_SECTION_NAME "*ABS*"
+#define BFD_UND_SECTION_NAME "*UND*"
+#define BFD_COM_SECTION_NAME "*COM*"
+#define BFD_IND_SECTION_NAME "*IND*"
+
+ /* the absolute section */
+extern const asection bfd_abs_section;
+#define bfd_abs_section_ptr ((asection *) &bfd_abs_section)
+#define bfd_is_abs_section(sec) ((sec) == bfd_abs_section_ptr)
+ /* Pointer to the undefined section */
+extern const asection bfd_und_section;
+#define bfd_und_section_ptr ((asection *) &bfd_und_section)
+#define bfd_is_und_section(sec) ((sec) == bfd_und_section_ptr)
+ /* Pointer to the common section */
+extern const asection bfd_com_section;
+#define bfd_com_section_ptr ((asection *) &bfd_com_section)
+ /* Pointer to the indirect section */
+extern const asection bfd_ind_section;
+#define bfd_ind_section_ptr ((asection *) &bfd_ind_section)
+#define bfd_is_ind_section(sec) ((sec) == bfd_ind_section_ptr)
+
+extern const struct symbol_cache_entry * const bfd_abs_symbol;
+extern const struct symbol_cache_entry * const bfd_com_symbol;
+extern const struct symbol_cache_entry * const bfd_und_symbol;
+extern const struct symbol_cache_entry * const bfd_ind_symbol;
+#define bfd_get_section_size_before_reloc(section) \
+ (section->reloc_done ? (abort(),1): (section)->_raw_size)
+#define bfd_get_section_size_after_reloc(section) \
+ ((section->reloc_done) ? (section)->_cooked_size: (abort(),1))
+@end example
+
+@node section prototypes, , typedef asection, Sections
+@subsection Section prototypes
+These are the functions exported by the section handling part of BFD.
+@*
+@findex bfd_get_section_by_name
+@subsubsection @code{bfd_get_section_by_name}
+@strong{Synopsis}
+@example
+asection *bfd_get_section_by_name(bfd *abfd, CONST char *name);
+@end example
+@strong{Description}@*
+Run through @var{abfd} and return the one of the
+@code{asection}s whose name matches @var{name}, otherwise @code{NULL}.
+@xref{Sections}, for more information.
+
+This should only be used in special cases; the normal way to process
+all sections of a given name is to use @code{bfd_map_over_sections} and
+@code{strcmp} on the name (or better yet, base it on the section flags
+or something else) for each section.
+@*
+@findex bfd_make_section_old_way
+@subsubsection @code{bfd_make_section_old_way}
+@strong{Synopsis}
+@example
+asection *bfd_make_section_old_way(bfd *abfd, CONST char *name);
+@end example
+@strong{Description}@*
+Create a new empty section called @var{name}
+and attach it to the end of the chain of sections for the
+BFD @var{abfd}. An attempt to create a section with a name which
+is already in use returns its pointer without changing the
+section chain.
+
+It has the funny name since this is the way it used to be
+before it was rewritten....
+
+Possible errors are:
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+@code{bfd_error_invalid_operation} -
+If output has already started for this BFD.
+@item
+@code{bfd_error_no_memory} -
+If memory allocation fails.
+@end itemize
+@*
+@findex bfd_make_section_anyway
+@subsubsection @code{bfd_make_section_anyway}
+@strong{Synopsis}
+@example
+asection *bfd_make_section_anyway(bfd *abfd, CONST char *name);
+@end example
+@strong{Description}@*
+Create a new empty section called @var{name} and attach it to the end of
+the chain of sections for @var{abfd}. Create a new section even if there
+is already a section with that name.
+
+Return @code{NULL} and set @code{bfd_error} on error; possible errors are:
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+@code{bfd_error_invalid_operation} - If output has already started for @var{abfd}.
+@item
+@code{bfd_error_no_memory} - If memory allocation fails.
+@end itemize
+@*
+@findex bfd_make_section
+@subsubsection @code{bfd_make_section}
+@strong{Synopsis}
+@example
+asection *bfd_make_section(bfd *, CONST char *name);
+@end example
+@strong{Description}@*
+Like @code{bfd_make_section_anyway}, but return @code{NULL} (without calling
+bfd_set_error ()) without changing the section chain if there is already a
+section named @var{name}. If there is an error, return @code{NULL} and set
+@code{bfd_error}.
+@*
+@findex bfd_set_section_flags
+@subsubsection @code{bfd_set_section_flags}
+@strong{Synopsis}
+@example
+boolean bfd_set_section_flags(bfd *abfd, asection *sec, flagword flags);
+@end example
+@strong{Description}@*
+Set the attributes of the section @var{sec} in the BFD
+@var{abfd} to the value @var{flags}. Return @code{true} on success,
+@code{false} on error. Possible error returns are:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+@code{bfd_error_invalid_operation} -
+The section cannot have one or more of the attributes
+requested. For example, a .bss section in @code{a.out} may not
+have the @code{SEC_HAS_CONTENTS} field set.
+@end itemize
+@*
+@findex bfd_map_over_sections
+@subsubsection @code{bfd_map_over_sections}
+@strong{Synopsis}
+@example
+void bfd_map_over_sections(bfd *abfd,
+ void (*func)(bfd *abfd,
+ asection *sect,
+ PTR obj),
+ PTR obj);
+@end example
+@strong{Description}@*
+Call the provided function @var{func} for each section
+attached to the BFD @var{abfd}, passing @var{obj} as an
+argument. The function will be called as if by
+
+@example
+ func(abfd, the_section, obj);
+@end example
+
+This is the prefered method for iterating over sections; an
+alternative would be to use a loop:
+
+@example
+ section *p;
+ for (p = abfd->sections; p != NULL; p = p->next)
+ func(abfd, p, ...)
+@end example
+@*
+@findex bfd_set_section_size
+@subsubsection @code{bfd_set_section_size}
+@strong{Synopsis}
+@example
+boolean bfd_set_section_size(bfd *abfd, asection *sec, bfd_size_type val);
+@end example
+@strong{Description}@*
+Set @var{sec} to the size @var{val}. If the operation is
+ok, then @code{true} is returned, else @code{false}.
+
+Possible error returns:
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+@code{bfd_error_invalid_operation} -
+Writing has started to the BFD, so setting the size is invalid.
+@end itemize
+@*
+@findex bfd_set_section_contents
+@subsubsection @code{bfd_set_section_contents}
+@strong{Synopsis}
+@example
+boolean bfd_set_section_contents
+ (bfd *abfd,
+ asection *section,
+ PTR data,
+ file_ptr offset,
+ bfd_size_type count);
+@end example
+@strong{Description}@*
+Sets the contents of the section @var{section} in BFD
+@var{abfd} to the data starting in memory at @var{data}. The
+data is written to the output section starting at offset
+@var{offset} for @var{count} bytes.
+
+Normally @code{true} is returned, else @code{false}. Possible error
+returns are:
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+@code{bfd_error_no_contents} -
+The output section does not have the @code{SEC_HAS_CONTENTS}
+attribute, so nothing can be written to it.
+@item
+and some more too
+@end itemize
+This routine is front end to the back end function
+@code{_bfd_set_section_contents}.
+@*
+@findex bfd_get_section_contents
+@subsubsection @code{bfd_get_section_contents}
+@strong{Synopsis}
+@example
+boolean bfd_get_section_contents
+ (bfd *abfd, asection *section, PTR location,
+ file_ptr offset, bfd_size_type count);
+@end example
+@strong{Description}@*
+Read data from @var{section} in BFD @var{abfd}
+into memory starting at @var{location}. The data is read at an
+offset of @var{offset} from the start of the input section,
+and is read for @var{count} bytes.
+
+If the contents of a constructor with the @code{SEC_CONSTRUCTOR}
+flag set are requested or if the section does not have the
+@code{SEC_HAS_CONTENTS} flag set, then the @var{location} is filled
+with zeroes. If no errors occur, @code{true} is returned, else
+@code{false}.
+@*
+@findex bfd_copy_private_section_data
+@subsubsection @code{bfd_copy_private_section_data}
+@strong{Synopsis}
+@example
+boolean bfd_copy_private_section_data(bfd *ibfd, asection *isec, bfd *obfd, asection *osec);
+@end example
+@strong{Description}@*
+Copy private section information from @var{isec} in the BFD
+@var{ibfd} to the section @var{osec} in the BFD @var{obfd}.
+Return @code{true} on success, @code{false} on error. Possible error
+returns are:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+@code{bfd_error_no_memory} -
+Not enough memory exists to create private data for @var{osec}.
+@end itemize
+@example
+#define bfd_copy_private_section_data(ibfd, isection, obfd, osection) \
+ BFD_SEND (obfd, _bfd_copy_private_section_data, \
+ (ibfd, isection, obfd, osection))
+@end example
+@*