diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'bfd/doc/format.texi')
| -rw-r--r-- | bfd/doc/format.texi | 112 |
1 files changed, 112 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/bfd/doc/format.texi b/bfd/doc/format.texi new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..9674acff44 --- /dev/null +++ b/bfd/doc/format.texi @@ -0,0 +1,112 @@ +@section File formats +A format is a BFD concept of high level file contents type. The +formats supported by BFD are: + +@itemize @bullet + +@item +@code{bfd_object} +@end itemize +The BFD may contain data, symbols, relocations and debug info. + +@itemize @bullet + +@item +@code{bfd_archive} +@end itemize +The BFD contains other BFDs and an optional index. + +@itemize @bullet + +@item +@code{bfd_core} +@end itemize +The BFD contains the result of an executable core dump. + +@subsection File format functions + + +@findex bfd_check_format +@subsubsection @code{bfd_check_format} +@strong{Synopsis} +@example +bfd_boolean bfd_check_format (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format); +@end example +@strong{Description}@* +Verify if the file attached to the BFD @var{abfd} is compatible +with the format @var{format} (i.e., one of @code{bfd_object}, +@code{bfd_archive} or @code{bfd_core}). + +If the BFD has been set to a specific target before the +call, only the named target and format combination is +checked. If the target has not been set, or has been set to +@code{default}, then all the known target backends is +interrogated to determine a match. If the default target +matches, it is used. If not, exactly one target must recognize +the file, or an error results. + +The function returns @code{TRUE} on success, otherwise @code{FALSE} +with one of the following error codes: + +@itemize @bullet + +@item +@code{bfd_error_invalid_operation} - +if @code{format} is not one of @code{bfd_object}, @code{bfd_archive} or +@code{bfd_core}. + +@item +@code{bfd_error_system_call} - +if an error occured during a read - even some file mismatches +can cause bfd_error_system_calls. + +@item +@code{file_not_recognised} - +none of the backends recognised the file format. + +@item +@code{bfd_error_file_ambiguously_recognized} - +more than one backend recognised the file format. +@end itemize + +@findex bfd_check_format_matches +@subsubsection @code{bfd_check_format_matches} +@strong{Synopsis} +@example +bfd_boolean bfd_check_format_matches + (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching); +@end example +@strong{Description}@* +Like @code{bfd_check_format}, except when it returns FALSE with +@code{bfd_errno} set to @code{bfd_error_file_ambiguously_recognized}. In that +case, if @var{matching} is not NULL, it will be filled in with +a NULL-terminated list of the names of the formats that matched, +allocated with @code{malloc}. +Then the user may choose a format and try again. + +When done with the list that @var{matching} points to, the caller +should free it. + +@findex bfd_set_format +@subsubsection @code{bfd_set_format} +@strong{Synopsis} +@example +bfd_boolean bfd_set_format (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format); +@end example +@strong{Description}@* +This function sets the file format of the BFD @var{abfd} to the +format @var{format}. If the target set in the BFD does not +support the format requested, the format is invalid, or the BFD +is not open for writing, then an error occurs. + +@findex bfd_format_string +@subsubsection @code{bfd_format_string} +@strong{Synopsis} +@example +const char *bfd_format_string (bfd_format format); +@end example +@strong{Description}@* +Return a pointer to a const string +@code{invalid}, @code{object}, @code{archive}, @code{core}, or @code{unknown}, +depending upon the value of @var{format}. + |