ar(4)							     Kernel Interfaces Manual							     ar(4)

NAME

       ar - common archive file format

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

       The command is used to concatenate several files into an archive file (see ar(1)).  Archives are used mainly as libraries to be searched by
       the link editor (see ld(1)).

       Each archive begins with the archive magic string.

       Following the archive magic string are the archive file members.  Each file member is preceded by a file member header which is of the fol-
       lowing format:

       All  information  in  the file member headers is in printable ASCII.  The numeric information contained in the headers is stored as decimal
       numbers (except for which is in octal).	Thus, if the archive contains printable files, the archive itself is printable.

       The contents of the field are slash terminated and blank-padded.  The field is the modification date of the file at the time of its  inser-
       tion  into  the	archive.  Common format archives can be moved from system to system as long as the portable archive command is used.  Note
       that older versions of did not use the common archive format, and those archives cannot be read or written by the common archiver.

       Each archive file member begins on an even byte boundary; a new-line character is inserted between files if necessary.	Nevertheless,  the
       size given reflects the actual size of the file exclusive of padding.

       Notice  there  is no provision for empty areas in an archive file.  If the archive symbol table exists, the first file in the archive has a
       zero-length name (i.e., and The contents of this archive member are machine-dependent.  Refer to the appropriate a.out(4) manual entry  for
       more information.

       Each  archive which contains object files (see a.out(4)) may include an archive symbol table.  This symbol table is used by the link editor
       (see ld(1)) to determine which archive members must be loaded during the link edit process.  The archive symbol table  (if  it  exists)	is
       always the first member in the archive (but is never listed) and is automatically created and/or updated by

       If a member with a file name greater than 15 bytes exists within the archive, then the archive will also contain an additional special mem-
       ber to store the long file name string table. The special string table member has a zero length name where and

       If a special string table exists, it will precede all non-special archive members. If both a symbol table member and a string table  member
       exist then the symbol table member will always precede the string table member.

       Each  entry in the string table is followed by a slash and a new-line character. The offset of the table begins at zero. If an archive mem-
       ber name exceeds 15 bytes, then the entry in the member's header does not contain a name, instead it contains the offset  into  the  string
       table preceded by a slash.

       For  example,  the member name contains in the field.  This value represents the offset into the string table.  The member name contains in
       the field.  The long name string table would have the following format:

						  +0   +1    +2    +3	 +4    +5    +6    +7	 +8    +9
						+----------------------------------------------------------
					       0| t  |	h  |  i  |  s  |  i  |	s  |  a  |  v  |  e  |	r |
						+----------------------------------------------------------
					      10| y  |	l  |  o  |  n  |  g  |	f  |  i  |  l  |  e  |	n |
						+----------------------------------------------------------
					      20| a  |	m  |  e  |  .  |  o  |	/  | 
  |  y  |  e  |	t |
						+----------------------------------------------------------
					      30| a  |	n  |  o  |  t  |  h  |	e  |  r  |  l  |  o  |	n |
						+----------------------------------------------------------
					      40| g  |	f  |  i  |  l  |  e  |	n  |  a  |  m  |  e  |	. |
						+----------------------------------------------------------
					      50| o  |	/  | 
  |
						+----------------

SEE ALSO

   System Tools:
       ar(1)		 create archived libraries
       ld(1)		 invoke the link editor

   Miscellaneous:
       a.out(4) 	 assembler, compiler, and linker output
       magic(4) 	 magic number for HP-UX implementations
       ranlib(1)	 regenerate an archive symbol table
       strip(1) 	 strip symbol and line number information from an object file

CAVEATS

       removes the archive symbol table member from the archive (see strip(1)).  The archive symbol table must be restored by using the option	of
       the command or the ranlib(1) command before the archive can be used with the link editor.

																	     ar(4)