ar(1) MAXION/OS 1.2v9 ar(1)
NAME
ar - maintain portable archive or library
SYNOPSIS
ar [ -V ] - key [ arg ] [ posname ] afile [ name ". . ." ]
DESCRIPTION
The ar command maintains groups of files combined into a
single archive file. Its main use is to create and update
library files. However, it can be used for any similar pur-
pose. The magic string and the file headers used by ar con-
sist of printable ASCII characters. If an archive is com-
posed of printable files, the entire archive is printable.
When ar creates an archive, it creates headers in a format
that is portable across all machines. The portable archive
format and structure are described in detail in ar(4). The
archive symbol table [described in ar(4)] is used by the
link editor ld to effect multiple passes over libraries of
object files in an efficient manner. An archive symbol
table is only created and maintained by ar 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 acces-
sible to the user. Whenever the ar command is used to
create or update the contents of such an archive, the symbol
table is rebuilt. The s option described below will force
the symbol table to be rebuilt.
The -V option causes ar to print its version number on stan-
dard error.
Unlike command options, the key is a required part of the ar
command line. The key is formed with one of the following
letters: drqtpmx. Arguments to the key, alternatively, are
made with one of more of the following set: vuaibcls.
posname is an archive member name used as a reference point
in positioning other files in the archive. afile is the
archive file. The names are constituent files in the
archive file. The meanings of the key characters are as
follows:
d Delete the named files from the archive file.
r Replace the named files in the archive file. If the
optional character u is used with r, then only those
files with dates of modification later than the archive
files are replaced. If an optional positioning charac-
ter from the set abi is used, then the posname argument
must be present and specifies that new files are to be
placed after (a) or before (b or i) posname. Other-
wise, new files are placed at the end.
1
ar(1) MAXION/OS 1.2v9 ar(1)
q Quickly append the named files to the end of the
archive file. Optional positioning characters are
invalid. The command does not check whether the added
members are already in the archive. This option is
useful to avoid quadratic behavior when creating a
large archive piece-by-piece.
t Print a table of contents of the archive file. If no
names are given, all files in the archive are listed.
If names are given, only those files are listed.
p Print the named files in the archive.
m Move the named files to the end of the archive. If a
positioning character is present, then the posname
argument must be present and, as in r, specifies where
the files are to be moved.
x Extract the named files. If no names are given, all
files in the archive are extracted. In neither case
does x alter the archive file.
The meanings of the other key arguments are as follows:
v Give a verbose file-by-file description of the making
of a new archive file from the old archive and the con-
stituent files. When used with t, give a long listing
of all information about the files. When used with x,
print the filename preceding each extraction.
c Suppress the message that is produced by default when
afile is created.
l This option is obsolete. It is recognized, but ignored,
and will be removed in the next release.
s Force the regeneration of the archive symbol table even
if ar(1) is not invoked with a command which will
modify the archive contents. This command is useful to
restore the archive symbol table after the strip(1)
command has been used on the archive.
REFERENCES
a.out(4), ar(4), ld(1), lorder(1), strip(1)
NOTICES
If the same file is mentioned twice in an argument list, it
may be put in the archive twice.
Since the archiver no longer uses temporary files, the -l
option is obsolete and will be removed in the next release.
2
ar(1) MAXION/OS 1.2v9 ar(1)
By convention, archives are suffixed with the characters .a.
Modified, August 1996
3