Relocation format for linking
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorRichard Shann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An executable program is prepared from a plurality of object code modules, each object code module including special relocations that have a type field for identifying the nature of a function to be implemented by the special relocation. The function is selected from a plurality of arithmetic and logical functions. A method of preparing the executed program includes reading the special relocations, determining from the type field the nature of the function to be implemented, carrying out the selected arithmetic or logical function to generate a result value and using the result value in a subsequent special relocation operation. The method may be executed by a linker having a relocation module for reading the special locations and carrying out the relocation operations.
Claims17
A method of preparing an executable program from a plurality of object code modules, each module containing section data and relocation instructions, wherein the relocation instructions include special relocations which each include a type field identifying the nature of a function to be implemented by the special relocation, said function being selected from a plurality of arithmetic and logical functions, the method comprising:
- reading the section data and relocation instructions;
- determining from the type field of a special relocation the nature of the function to be implemented;
- carrying out said selected arithmetic or logical function to generate a result value;
- and
- using said result value in a subsequent relocation operation defined by another relocation instruction.
A computer system for preparing an executable program from a plurality of object code modules, each object code module containing section data and relocation instructions wherein the relocation instructions include special relocations which each include a type field identifying the nature of the function to be implemented by the special relocation, said function being selected from a plurality of arithmetic and logical functions, the computer system comprising:
- a relocation module for reading said relocation instructions and carrying out relocation operations on the section data, including determining from the type field of a special relocation the nature of the function to be implemented;
- said relocation module comprising calculating means for implementing calculations conveyed by the relocation instruction;
- a link store for holding a result value generated by carrying out said selected arithmetic or logical functions;
- and
- a program forming module for preparing the executable program using the relocated section data;
- said relocation module further comprising means for using said result value in subsequent relocation instructions defined by another relocation instructor.
A computer program product in the form of an object code module which contains sets of section data and relocation instructions, wherein the relocation instructions include special relocations which each include a type field identifying the nature of the function to be implemented by the special relocation, said function being selected from a plurality of arithmetic and logical functions, the computer program product being cooperable with a linker to cause execution of relocation operations by the linker so as to carry out said selected arithmetic or logical functions to generate a result value for use in subsequent relocation operations defined by others relocation instruction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.