Link editor command language

This section gives information on the command language for the COFF linker. The command language enables you to:

• specify the memory configuration of the target machine

• direct how ld combines the sections of an object file

• bind sections to specific addresses or within specific portions of memory

• define or redefine global symbols

Under normal circumstances there is no need for such tight control over object files and their memory locations. When you do need to have precise control over link editor output, you do it with the command language. You must be very careful when using the command language, because it is easy to create an excecutable that will not run, or will crash the system.

The link editor is called using the command:

ld [options] filename1 filename2 ...

Link editor command language directives are passed in a file named on the command line. Such a file is often called an ifile or mapfile. Any file named on the command line that is not identifiable (from the magic number) as an object module or an archive library is assumed to contain link editor directives. However, to use such an ifile, you must link the object files statically.