ar(1) DG/UX 5.4R3.00 ar(1)
NAME
ar - archive and library maintainer for portable archives
SYNOPSIS
ar [ -V ] [-]key [ posname ] afile [ name ] ...
where:
key One of the following letters: drqtpmx. Arguments to key are
made with one of more of the following set: vuaibcls.
posname An archive member name used as a reference point in
positioning other files in the archive.
afile The name of the archive file.
name A constituent file in the archive file.
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 ar(1) 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.
Options
-V Print ar's version number on standard error.
Key Characters
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.
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
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ar(1) DG/UX 5.4R3.00 ar(1)
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 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 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.
u Act only on those files with dates of modification later than
the archive file's.
a (See the r key letter.)
b (See the r key letter.)
i (See the r key letter.)
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. In an
ELF environment, ar does not use temporary files, and this
option is ignored.
s Force the regeneration of the archive symbol table even if ar
is not invoked with a command which will modify the archive
contents. This command is useful to restore the archive
symbol table after strip(1) or (mcs(1) has been used on the
archive. This key can be used only in combination with one of
the keys [drqtpmx].
FILES
$TMPDIR/* temporary files
$TMPDIR is usually /usr/tmp but can be redefined by setting the
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ar(1) DG/UX 5.4R3.00 ar(1)
environment variable TMPDIR [see tempnam() in tmpnam(3S)]. In an ELF
environment, ar no longer uses temporary files.
SEE ALSO
ld(1), lorder(1), strip(1), mcs(1), a.out(4), ar(4).
NOTES
By convention, archives are suffixed with the characters .a.
If the same file is mentioned twice in an argument list, it may be
put in the archive twice.
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