System and method for dynamically loading object modules

A method comprising:

• compiling a source code module into an executable object module that includes an unresolved reference to a separately compiled object module;
• loading the executable object module, wherein the loading includes replacing the unresolved reference with a reference to a system module without loading instructions of the system module, the system module separate from the executable object module, and wherein neither the compiling nor the loading include determining whether the unresolved reference refers to a defined external symbol;
• and
• executing the executable object module, wherein the executing includes calling the system module for loading the separately compiled object module as needed at runtime such that the separately compiled object module is loaded without being loaded when loading the executable object module and executing the separately compiled object module.

A method comprising:

• creating an executable object module that includes symbolic references to addresses in ones of a set of one or more separately compiled object modules, wherein the executable object module includes a page-aligned code segment and a page-aligned data segment, and wherein the object module includes resolved internal code-to-data offsets;
• replacing, in the executable object module, the symbolic references with addresses to a loader subroutine without instructions of the loader subroutine in the executable object module;
• and
• executing the executable object module, wherein executing includes executing the loader subroutine to load one of the separately compiled object modules as needed at runtime such that the one separately compiled object module is loaded without being loaded when loading the executable object module and executing the one of the separately compiled object modules.

An apparatus comprising:

• a compiler unit to create an executable object module based on a source code module, wherein the executable object module includes an unresolved reference to a separately compiled object module;
• a storage unit to store the executable object module;
• an execution unit to receive the executable object module;
• and
• a loader unit to find the executable object module in the storage unit and present the executable object module to the execution unit, wherein the loader unit is configured to replace the unresolved reference with a reference to a system module without loading instructions of the system module, the system module separate from the executable object module, the loader unit separate from the executable object module and configured to load the separately compiled object module as needed at runtime such that the separately compiled object module is loaded without being loaded when loading the executable object module, and wherein the loader unit is not to determine whether the unresolved reference refers to a defined external object module.

A system comprising:

• a memory unit, the memory unit including, a compiler unit to create an executable object module based on a source code module, wherein the executable object module includes a symbolic reference to a separately compiled object module;
• a loader unit to present the executable object module for execution, wherein the loader unit is configured to replace the symbolic reference with an address to a system module to link the executable object module and the separately compiled object module such that instructions of the loader unit are separate from the executable object module and the separately compiled object module, the loader unit configured to load the separately compiled object module as needed at runtime such that the separately compiled object module is loaded without being loaded when loading the executable object module, and wherein the loader unit is not to determine whether the symbolic reference refers to a defined external object module;
• and
• a processor to receive the executable object module from the loader unit of the memory unit.

A machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

• loading a first set of instructions into an execution unit, wherein the first set of instructions includes an unresolved reference to a second set of instructions, wherein the loading includes replacing the unresolved reference with an address of a third set of instructions without loading the third set of instructions into the execution unit and without loading the second set of instructions into the execution unit when loading the first set of instructions;
• executing instructions of the first set;
• and
• executing instructions of the third set, wherein executing instructions of the third set includes loading instructions of the second set into the execution unit and executing instructions of the second set.

A machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

• compiling a source code module into an executable object module that includes an unresolved reference to a separately compiled object module;
• loading the executable object module, wherein the loading includes replacing the unresolved reference with a reference to a system module without loading instructions of the system module, and wherein neither the compiling nor the loading include determining whether the unresolved reference refers to a defined external symbol;
• and
• executing the executable object module, wherein the executing includes calling the system module for loading the separately compiled object module as needed at runtime such that the separately compiled object module is loaded without being loaded when loading the executable object module and executing the separately compiled object module.

A machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

• creating an executable object module that includes unresolved references to a set of one or more separately compiled object modules, wherein the executable object module includes a page-aligned code segment and a page-aligned data segment, and wherein the object module includes resolved internal code-to-data offsets;
• replacing, in the executable object module, the unresolved references with references to a loader subroutine without instructions of the loader subroutine in the executable object module;
• and
• executing the executable object module, wherein executing includes, executing the loader subroutine to load one of the separately compiled object modules and as needed at runtime such that the one separately compiled object module is loaded without being loaded when loading the executable object module executing the one of the separately compiled object modules.