AR(6)								   Games Manual 							     AR(6)

NAME

       ar - archive (library) file format

SYNOPSIS

       #include <ar.h>

DESCRIPTION

       The  archive  command ar(1) is used to combine several files into one.  Archives are used mainly as libraries to be searched by the loaders
       2l(1) et al.

       A file produced by ar has a magic string at the start, followed by the constituent files, each preceded by a file header.  The magic number
       and header layout as described in the include file are:

	      #define ARMAG   "!<arch>
"
	      #define SARMAG  8

	      #define ARFMAG  "`
"

	      struct ar_hdr {
		      char    name[16];
		      char    date[12];
		      char    uid[6];
		      char    gid[6];
		      char    mode[8];
		      char    size[10];
		      char    fmag[2];
	      };
	      #define SAR_HDR 60

       The name is a blank-padded string.  The field contains to help verify the presence of a header.	The other fields are left-adjusted, blank-
       padded numbers.	They are decimal except for which is octal.  The date is the modification date of the file (see stat(2)) at  the  time	of
       its insertion into the archive.	The mode is the low 9 bits of the file permission mode.  The length of the header is Because the structure
       is padded in an architecture-dependent manner, the structure should never be read or written as a unit; instead, each field should be  read
       or written independently.

       Each  file  begins  on an even (0 mod 2) boundary; a newline is inserted between files if necessary.  Nevertheless size reflects the actual
       size of the file exclusive of padding.

       When all members of an archive are object files of the same architecture, ar automatically adds an extra  file,	named  __.SYMDEF,  as  the
       first member of the archive.  This file contains an index used by the loaders to locate all externally defined text and data symbols in the
       archive.

       There is no provision for empty areas in an archive file.

SEE ALSO

       ar(1), 2l(1), nm(1), stat(2)

BUGS

       The uid and gid fields are unused in Plan 9.  They provide compatibility with Unix ar format.

																	     AR(6)