ar(1) 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
purpose. 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 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 accessible 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 argument to key,
described below, will force the symbol table to be rebuilt.
-V Cause ar to print its version number on standard
error.
-key [arg]
key is formed with one of the following characters:
drqtpmx. arg is formed with one of more of the
following letters: vucs. An additional single-
character argument to key, called the positioning
character (chosen from one of the following letters:
abi), can be used with key characters r and m. key
characters are described below.
posname Archive member name used as a reference point in
positioning other files in the archive.
afile Archive file.
name One or more constituent files in the archive file.
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ar(1) ar(1)
The meanings of the key characters are as follows:
-d Delete the named files from the archive file.
-m Move the named files to the end of the archive. 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.
-p Print the named files in the archive.
-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
creating a large archive piece-by-piece.
-r Replace the named files in the archive file. If the
optional argument u is used with r, replace only those
files with dates of modification later than the named
files already in the archive. 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.
-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.
-u Update older files. When used with the -r option, files
within the archive are replaced only if the
corresponding file has a modification time that is at
least as new as the modification time of the file within
the archive.
-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 the -t option, give a
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ar(1) ar(1)
long listing of all information about the files. When
used with x, d, or r, print the name of the file
preceding each extraction. When used with p, write the
file to standard output.
c Suppress the message that is produced by default when
afile is created.
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 the strip(1) command has
been used on the archive.
Files
/usr/lib/locale/locale/LC_MESSAGES/uxar
language-specific message file [See LANG on environ(5).]
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.
By convention, archives are suffixed with the characters .a.
Applications currently using options without the leading
hyphen must be changed to use the hyphen since non-hyphenated
options may not be supported in a future release.
Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc. Page 3