US 5,432,937 AGranted

Method and apparatus for architecture independent executable files

AssigneeNeXT Computer, Inc.

InventorsAvadis Tevanian, Michael DeMoney, Kevin Enderby, Douglas Wiebe, Garth Snyder

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Abstract

The present invention is a method that enables single release of applications for multiple architectures and operating systems and to provide ease of use of applications in multiple architecture environments. The present invention provides a single file that contains separate object code each of multiple architectures. A special header on the file identifies each section of object code and includes pointers to its starting location. When the file is to be executed on a particular architecture, the resident operating system identifies that block of object code most suited for that particular architecture and environment. That section of code is then loaded into memory for execution. Each architecture in the file is specified by CPU-type and CPU sub-type. For each CPU type or CPU sub-type, file offset, file size and alignment is also provided. Padded bytes are provided to place each member on its specific alignment. These padded bytes are undefined and can be left as "holes" if the file system cannot support them. The appropriate architecture can be picked at compile time and compilers that can run on any architecture are provided to perform the translation.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method of opening an architecture independent executable file containing a plurality of blocks of executable code for each of a plurality of Central Processing Unit (CPU) types for use with a desired CPU type of a computer system comprising the steps of:

searching a file for an identifier header;
attempting to load from said computer system's storage and execute in said computer system said file's contents when said identifier header is not found in said file;
reading said identifier header when said identifier header is found in said file;
determining said plurality of CPU types identified in said identifier header;
comparing each of said plurality of CPU types to a desired CPU type;
terminating the opening process when none of said plurality of CPU types are identified in said identifier header that correspond to said desired CPU type;
determining CPU sub-types identified in said identifier header when one of said plurality of CPU types identified in said identifier header corresponds to said desired CPU type;
comparing said CPU sub-types identified in said identifier header to a desired CPU sub-type;
loading from said computer system's storage and executing in said computer system a block of object code corresponding to said desired CPU sub-type when one of said CPU sub-types identified in said identifier header corresponds to said desired CPU sub-type;
loading from said computer system's storage and executing in said computer system said block of object code corresponding to said desired CPU type when one of said CPU sub-types identified in said identifier header does not correspond to said desired CPU sub-type.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.