US 6,298,479 B1Granted

Method and system for compiling and linking source files

AssigneeSun Microsystems, Inc.

InventorsStephen Alan Chessin, Rodrick Ison Evans, Michael S. Walker

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for compiling and linking a source file and to generate a symbol table associating a global symbol with a register referenced in the source file. The symbol table enables a linker to initialize the global registers using a relocation entry which holds an initializer. The compiler also generates an object file from the source file. The object file includes the global symbol information. A linker links the object file potentially with at least one other object file or shared library to thereby generate an executable file or shared library. The linker uses the global symbol information contained in the object file to initialize the global registers and to perform relocation operations.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of compiling and linking a source file, the method comprising:

generating, using a compiler, global variable information pertaining to at least one global variable referenced in a source file;
generating, using the compiler, a first object file from the source file, where the object file includes the global variable information;
linking the first object file with a second object file to generate an executable file;
generating, during the linking process, a composite symbol table having a symbol entry for each global variable in the linked object files;
examining, during the linking process, the composite symbol table and determining if at least one variable conflict occurs;
generating, during or after the linking process, a composite relocation table having at least one relocation entry for resolving at least one variable conflict determined during examination of the composite symbol table;
and
performing, during or after the linking process, a relocation operation according to at least one relocation entry in the composite relocation table.

5 more elements

A system for compiling and linking a source file, the system comprising:

a compiler having a first compiler mechanism for generating global variable information pertaining to global variables referenced in a source file, and having a second compiler mechanism for producing a an object file, which contains the global variable information, from the source file;
and
a linker mechanism for linking the object file with another object file to generate a combined executable file, the linker mechanism further comprising:
a first mechanism for generating a composite symbol table having a symbol entry for at least one global variable in the linked object files;
a second mechanism for examining the composite symbol table and for determining if at least one variable conflict occurs;
third mechanism for generating a composite relocation table for resolving at least one global variable conflict that is detected;
and
a fourth linker mechanism for performing at least one relocation operation according to the relocation entries in the composite relocation table.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.