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  • What are the details of the Acorn Object Format?

    From Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson@21:1/5 to All on Thu Jan 21 17:25:04 2021
    Dear c.s.a.p,

    I am getting slightly interested in the internal object format
    in RISC OS. As I understand, this is called AOF or Acorn Object
    Format [1].

    Is this format documented somewhere online? Isn't this what the
    DDE compilers generate, or am I mistaken about something?

    I have previously found this AIF description, but it does not say
    if the object format is the same, or different.


    https://paolozaino.wordpress.com/2020/08/07/risc-os-introduction-to-the-arm-aif-object-file-format/

    To be clear, I'm asking about what the compilers typically put in the
    .o directory, before linking takes place.

    [1] Referenced several times in,


    http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/docs/Acorn/Manuals/Acorn_CambridgeCoProUG.pdf

    and indexed as Acorn Object Format.

    Thanks,
    --
    Johann | email: invalid -> com | www.myrkraverk.com/blog/
    I'm not from the Internet, I just work there. | twitter: @myrkraverk

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  • From Martin@21:1/5 to Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson on Thu Jan 21 17:57:10 2021
    In article <RNiOH.1800611$ckra.1357210@fx37.ams4>,
    Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> wrote:
    Dear c.s.a.p,

    I am getting slightly interested in the internal object format
    in RISC OS. As I understand, this is called AOF or Acorn Object
    Format [1].

    Is this format documented somewhere online? Isn't this what the
    DDE compilers generate, or am I mistaken about something?

    It is documented the the Programmers Reference Manual volume 4, in
    Appendix D. If you have the Desktop Development Environment (DDE)
    which contains the C compiler and more, you should have pdf copies of
    that manual in Documents.Manuals.

    ROOL did have paper copies of the PRM printed, but I do not think any
    are currently available.

    --
    Martin Avison
    Note that unfortunately this email address will become invalid
    without notice if (when) any spam is received.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson@21:1/5 to Martin on Thu Jan 21 19:24:50 2021
    On 21/01/2021 5:57 pm, Martin wrote:
    In article <RNiOH.1800611$ckra.1357210@fx37.ams4>,
    Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> wrote:
    Dear c.s.a.p,

    I am getting slightly interested in the internal object format
    in RISC OS. As I understand, this is called AOF or Acorn Object
    Format [1].

    Is this format documented somewhere online? Isn't this what the
    DDE compilers generate, or am I mistaken about something?

    It is documented the the Programmers Reference Manual volume 4, in
    Appendix D. If you have the Desktop Development Environment (DDE)
    which contains the C compiler and more, you should have pdf copies of
    that manual in Documents.Manuals.

    ROOL did have paper copies of the PRM printed, but I do not think any
    are currently available.

    Thank you, I have the DDE and PRM, but did not look at volume 4 yet.


    --
    Johann | email: invalid -> com | www.myrkraverk.com/blog/
    I'm not from the Internet, I just work there. | twitter: @myrkraverk

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From druck@21:1/5 to Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson on Thu Jan 21 20:44:39 2021
    On 21/01/2021 17:25, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:
    Dear c.s.a.p,

    I am getting slightly interested in the internal object format
    in RISC OS.  As I understand, this is called AOF or Acorn Object
    Format [1].

    Is this format documented somewhere online?  Isn't this what the
    DDE compilers generate, or am I mistaken about something?

    It's all in the Acorn C/C++ DDE documentation.

    I have previously found this AIF description, but it does not say
    if the object format is the same, or different.

    It is different.

    Get my !ARMalyser from http://www.armclub.org.uk/free as that will
    disassemble AOF files and annotate their structure. I recommend using ARMalysers 'assembler' output (rather than 'disassembler') as this will closely match the assembler listings you can get the compiler to output.

    ---druck

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