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bfd: Formats

 
 2.9 File formats
 ================
 
 A format is a BFD concept of high level file contents type.  The formats
 supported by BFD are:
 
    * 'bfd_object'
    The BFD may contain data, symbols, relocations and debug info.
 
    * 'bfd_archive'
    The BFD contains other BFDs and an optional index.
 
    * 'bfd_core'
    The BFD contains the result of an executable core dump.
 
 2.9.1 File format functions
 ---------------------------
 
 2.9.1.1 'bfd_check_format'
 ..........................
 
 *Synopsis*
      bfd_boolean bfd_check_format (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format);
    *Description*
 Verify if the file attached to the BFD ABFD is compatible with the
 format FORMAT (i.e., one of 'bfd_object', 'bfd_archive' or 'bfd_core').
 
    If the BFD has been set to a specific target before the call, only
 the named target and format combination is checked.  If the target has
 not been set, or has been set to 'default', then all the known target
 backends is interrogated to determine a match.  If the default target
 matches, it is used.  If not, exactly one target must recognize the
 file, or an error results.
 
    The function returns 'TRUE' on success, otherwise 'FALSE' with one of
 the following error codes:
 
    * 'bfd_error_invalid_operation' - if 'format' is not one of
      'bfd_object', 'bfd_archive' or 'bfd_core'.
 
    * 'bfd_error_system_call' - if an error occured during a read - even
      some file mismatches can cause bfd_error_system_calls.
 
    * 'file_not_recognised' - none of the backends recognised the file
      format.
 
    * 'bfd_error_file_ambiguously_recognized' - more than one backend
      recognised the file format.
 
 2.9.1.2 'bfd_check_format_matches'
 ..................................
 
 *Synopsis*
      bfd_boolean bfd_check_format_matches
         (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format, char ***matching);
    *Description*
 Like 'bfd_check_format', except when it returns FALSE with 'bfd_errno'
 set to 'bfd_error_file_ambiguously_recognized'.  In that case, if
 MATCHING is not NULL, it will be filled in with a NULL-terminated list
 of the names of the formats that matched, allocated with 'malloc'.  Then
 the user may choose a format and try again.
 
    When done with the list that MATCHING points to, the caller should
 free it.
 
 2.9.1.3 'bfd_set_format'
 ........................
 
 *Synopsis*
      bfd_boolean bfd_set_format (bfd *abfd, bfd_format format);
    *Description*
 This function sets the file format of the BFD ABFD to the format FORMAT.
 If the target set in the BFD does not support the format requested, the
 format is invalid, or the BFD is not open for writing, then an error
 occurs.
 
 2.9.1.4 'bfd_format_string'
 ...........................
 
 *Synopsis*
      const char *bfd_format_string (bfd_format format);
    *Description*
 Return a pointer to a const string 'invalid', 'object', 'archive',
 'core', or 'unknown', depending upon the value of FORMAT.
 

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