AR(1)                                BSD                                 AR(1)



NAME
     ar - archive and library maintainer

SYNOPSIS
     ar key [ posname ] afile name ...

DESCRIPTION
     ar maintains groups of files combined into a single archive file.
     Although its main use is to create and update library files as used by
     the link editor, you can use ar for any similar purpose.  The magic
     string and the file headers that ar uses consist of printable ASCII
     characters.  If an archive is composed of printable files, the entire
     archive is printable.

     When ar creates an archive, it produces headers in a format that is
     portable across various machines running UNIX.  The portable archive
     format and structure is described in ar(5).  The link editor uses the
     archive symbol table to effect multiple passes over libraries of object
     files efficiently.  The link editor is further described in ld(1).

     ar creates and maintains an archive symbol table and module table only
     when there is at least one object file in the archive. The archive symbol
     table is in a specially named file that is always the first file in the
     archive.  This file is never mentioned or accessible.  Whenever ar
     creates or updates the contents of such an archive, it also rebuilds the
     symbol table.  Domain/OS BSD ar builds a module name table and a long
     name table in addition to the symbol table; these tables are stored in
     files that are never mentioned or accessible.

     The command key is a required part of ar's command line. key is an
     optional dash (-) followed by one character from the drqtpmx set,
     optionally concatenated with one of more characters from the vuaibcls
     set.  The dtmx keys can be used with the BSD key argument A to act on
     module names. posname is the name of an optional positioning character.
     afile is the archive file.  The names are constituent files in the
     archive file.

KEY CHARACTERS
     d    Delete named files from the archive file.

     r    Replace named files in the archive file.  If you use the optional
          character u with r, only those files with modification dates later
          than the archive files are replaced.  If you use an optional
          positioning character from the set abi , the posname argument must
          be present and specifies that new files are to be placed after (a)
          or before (b or i) posname.  Otherwise, new files are placed at the
          end.

     q    Quickly append named files to the end of the archive file.  Optional
          positioning characters are invalid.  Do not check whether the added
          members are already in the archive.  This option is useful for
          avoiding quadratic behavior when you create a large archive piece by
          piece.  Unchecked, the file can grow exponentially up to the second
          degree.

     t    Print a table of contents of the archive file.  If you do not
          specify names, table all files.  If you specify names, table only
          those files named.

     p    Print named files in the archive.

     m    Move named files to the end of the archive.  If a positioning
          character is present, the posname argument must be present and, as
          in r, specifies where the files are to be moved.

     x    Extract named files.  If you do not specify names, all files in the
          archive are extracted.  In neither case does x alter the archive
          file.

KEY ARGUMENTS
     v    Give a file-by-file description of the making of a new archive file
          from the old archive and the constituent files.  When used with t,
          give a long listing of all information about the files.  When used
          with x, precede each file with a name.

     c    Create afile and suppress the message produced by default when afile
          is created.

     l    Place temporary files in the local (current working) directory
          rather than in the default temporary directory, /tmp.

     s    Force the regeneration of the archive symbol table even if you do
          not invoke ar(1) with a command that modifies the archive contents.
          This option is useful for restoring the archive symbol table after
          you use the strip(1) command on the archive.

     A    Can be used with the keys dtmx to respectively delete, print a table
          of contents, move, or extract by module names.

NOTES
     ranlib(1) is not necessary in Domain/OS.

BUGS
     If the same file is mentioned twice in an argument list, it may be put in
     the archive twice.

FILES
     /tmp/v*     Temporaries

SEE ALSO
     ld(1), lorder(1), ranlib(1), ar(5)