ar(1) DG/UX 4.30 ar(1)
NAME
ar - archive and library maintainer for portable archives
SYNOPSIS
ar key [ 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 as used by the link editor. It can be used,
though, for any similar purpose. The magic string and the
file headers used by ar consist of printable ASCII
characters. If an archive is composed 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(1) 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 which is always the first
file in the archive. This file is never mentioned or
accessible to the user. Whenever the ar(1) 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.
Unlike command options, the command key is a required part
of ar's command line. The key, which may begin with a
hyphen (-), is formed with one of the following letters:
drqtpmx. Arguments to the key, alternatively, are made with
one or 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, only
those files with dates of modification later than
the archive files are replaced. If an optional
positioning character from the set abi is used,
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.
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ar(1) DG/UX 4.30 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.
Unchecked, the file may grow exponentially up to
the second degree.
-t Print a table of contents of the archive file.
If no names are given, all files in the archive
are tabled. If names are given, only those files
are tabled.
-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 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
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 Suppress the message that is produced by default when
afile is created.
-l Place temporary files in the local (current working)
directory rather than in the default temporary
directory, TMPDIR.
-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.
FILES
$TMPDIR/* temporary files
$TMPDIR is usually /usr/tmp but can be redefined by setting
the environment variable TMPDIR [see tempnam() in
tmpname(3s)].
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ar(1) DG/UX 4.30 ar(1)
SEE ALSO
ld(1), lorder(1), strip(1), tmpnam(3s), a.out(4), ar(4).
NOTES
If the same file is mentioned twice in an argument list, it
may be put in the archive twice.
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