elf_getdata(3E) MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES elf_getdata(3E)
NAME
elfgetdata, elfnewdata, elfrawdata - get section data
SYNOPSIS
cc [flag ...] file ... -lelf [library ...]
#include <libelf.h>
ElfData *elfgetdata(ElfScn *scn, ElfData *data);
ElfData *elfnewdata(ElfScn *scn);
ElfData *elfrawdata(ElfScn *scn, ElfData *data);
DESCRIPTION
These functions access and manipulate the data associated
with a section descriptor, scn. When reading an existing
file, a section will have a single data buffer associated
with it. A program may build a new section in pieces, how-
ever, composing the new data from multiple data buffers.
For this reason, ``the'' data for a section should be viewed
as a list of buffers, each of which is available through a
data descriptor. elfgetdata lets a program step through a
section's data list. If the incoming data descriptor, data,
is null, the function returns the first buffer associated
with the section. Otherwise, data should be a data descrip-
tor associated with scn, and the function gives the program
access to the next data element for the section. If scn is
null or an error occurs, elfgetdata returns a null pointer.
elfgetdata translates the data from file representations
into memory representations [see elfxlate(3E)] and presents
objects with memory data types to the program, based on the
file's class [see elf(3E)]. The working library version
[see elfversion(3E)] specifies what version of the memory
structures the program wishes elfgetdata to present.
elfnewdata creates a new data descriptor for a section,
appending it to any data elements already associated with
the section. As described below, the new data descriptor
appears empty, indicating the element holds no data. For
convenience, the descriptor's type (dtype below) is set to
ELFTBYTE, and the version (dversion below) is set to the
working version. The program is responsible for setting (or
changing) the descriptor members as needed. This function
implicitly sets the ELFFDIRTY bit for the section's data
[see elfflag(3E)]. If scn is null or an error occurs,
elfnewdata returns a null pointer. elfrawdata differs
from elfgetdata by returning only uninterpreted bytes,
regardless of the section type. This function typically
should be used only to retrieve a section image from a file
being read, and then only when a program must avoid the
automatic data translation described below. Moreover, a
program may not close or disable [see elfcntl(3E)] the file
descriptor associated with elf before the initial raw opera-
tion, because elfrawdata might read the data from the file
Last change: ELF Library 1
elf_getdata(3E) MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES elf_getdata(3E)
to ensure it doesn't interfere with elfgetdata. See
elfrawfile(3E) for a related facility that applies to the
entire file. When elfgetdata provides the right transla-
tion, its use is recommended over elfrawdata. If scn is
null or an error occurs, elfrawdata returns a null pointer.
The ElfData structure includes the following members.
void *dbuf;
ElfType dtype;
sizet dsize;
offt doff;
sizet dalign;
unsigned dversion;
These members are available for direct manipulation by the
program. Descriptions appear below.
dbuf A pointer to the data buffer resides here. A
data element with no data has a null pointer.
dtype This member's value specifies the type of the
data to which dbuf points. A section's type
determines how to interpret the section con-
tents, as summarized below.
dsize This member holds the total size, in bytes, of
the memory occupied by the data. This may
differ from the size as represented in the
file. The size will be zero if no data exist.
[See the discussion of SHTNOBITS below for
more information.]
doff This member gives the offset, within the sec-
tion, at which the buffer resides. This
offset is relative to the file's section, not
the memory object's.
dalign This member holds the buffer's required align-
ment, from the beginning of the section. That
is, doff will be a multiple of this member's
value. For example, if this member's value is
four, the beginning of the buffer will be
four-byte aligned within the section. More-
over, the entire section will be aligned to
the maximum of its constituents, thus ensuring
appropriate alignment for a buffer within the
section and within the file.
dversion This member holds the version number of the
objects in the buffer. When the library ori-
ginally read the data from the object file, it
used the working version to control the trans-
lation to memory objects.
Last change: ELF Library 2
elf_getdata(3E) MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES elf_getdata(3E)
DATA ALIGNMENT
As mentioned above, data buffers within a section have
explicit alignment constraints. Consequently, adjacent
buffers sometimes will not abut, causing ``holes'' within a
section. Programs that create output files have two ways of
dealing with these holes. First, the program can use
elffill to tell the library how to set the intervening
bytes. When the library must generate gaps in the file, it
uses the fill byte to initialize the data there. The
library's initial fill value is zero, and elffill lets the
application change that. Second, the application can gen-
erate its own data buffers to occupy the gaps, filling the
gaps with values appropriate for the section being created.
A program might even use different fill values for different
sections. For example, it could set text sections' bytes to
no-operation instructions, while filling data section holes
with zero. Using this technique, the library finds no holes
to fill, because the application eliminated them.
SECTION AND MEMORY TYPES
elfgetdata interprets sections' data according to the sec-
tion type, as noted in the section header available through
elfgetshdr. The following table shows the section types
and how the library represents them with memory data types
for the 32-bit file class. Other classes would have similar
tables. By implication, the memory data types control
translation by elfxlate.
Section Type ElfType 32-Bit Type
_________________________________________
SHTDYNAMIC | ELFTDYN | Elf32Dyn
SHTDYNSYM | ELFTSYM | Elf32Sym
SHTHASH | ELFTWORD| Elf32Word
SHTNOBITS | ELFTBYTE| unsigned char
SHTNOTE | ELFTBYTE| unsigned char
SHTNULL | none | none
SHTPROGBITS| ELFTBYTE| unsigned char
SHTREL | ELFTREL | Elf32Rel
SHTRELA | ELFTRELA| Elf32Rela
SHTSTRTAB | ELFTBYTE| unsigned char
SHTSYMTAB | ELFTSYM | Elf32Sym
other | ELFTBYTE| unsigned char
____________|____________|_______________
elfrawdata creates a buffer with type ELFTBYTE. As men-
tioned above, the program's working version controls what
structures the library creates for the application. The
library similarly interprets section types according to the
versions. If a section type ``belongs'' to a version newer
than the application's working version, the library does not
translate the section data. Because the application cannot
know the data format in this case, the library presents an
untranslated buffer of type ELFTBYTE, just as it would for
an unrecognized section type. A section with a special
Last change: ELF Library 3
elf_getdata(3E) MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES elf_getdata(3E)
type, SHTNOBITS, occupies no space in an object file, even
when the section header indicates a non-zero size.
elfgetdata and elfrawdata ``work'' on such a section, set-
ting the data structure to have a null buffer pointer and
the type indicated above. Although no data are present, the
dsize value is set to the size from the section header.
When a program is creating a new section of type SHTNOBITS,
it should use elfnewdata to add data buffers to the sec-
tion. These ``empty'' data buffers should have the dsize
members set to the desired size and the dbuf members set to
null.
EXAMPLE
The following fragment obtains the string table that holds
section names (ignoring error checking). See elfstrptr(3E)
for a variation of string table handling.
ehdr = elf32getehdr(elf);
scn = elfgetscn(elf, (sizet)ehdr->eshstrndx);
shdr = elf32getshdr(scn);
if (shdr->shtype != SHTSTRTAB)
{
/* not a string table */
}
data = 0;
if ((data = elfgetdata(scn, data)) == 0 || data->dsize == 0)
{
/* error or no data */
}
The eshstrndx member in an ELF header holds the section
table index of the string table. The program gets a section
descriptor for that section, verifies it is a string table,
and then retrieves the data. When this fragment finishes,
data->dbuf points at the first byte of the string table,
and data->dsize holds the string table's size in bytes.
SEE ALSO
elf(3E), elfcntl(3E), elffill(3E), elfflag(3E),
elfgetehdr(3E), elfgetscn(3E), elfgetshdr(3E),
elfrawfile(3E), elfversion(3E), elfxlate(3E).
Last change: ELF Library 4