9 Link: A Linker
In this chapter you'll learn:
• How
to
create executable files
with
link
• How
to
use
link
command
option~
• How
link
creates programs
Introduction
The Microsoft® 8086 Object Linker
(link)
creates executable pro-
grams from object files generated by
the
Microsoft Macro Assem-
bler
(MASM)
or
by compilers for high-level languages, such as C
or
Pascal.
The
linker copies
the
resulting program
to
an executable
(.exe)
output
file.
You
can
then
run
the
program by typing
the
file's name
on
the
MS·DOS
command line.
To use
link,
you must create
one
or
more
object files,
then
sub-
mit these files, along with any required library files,
to
the
linker
for processing. Link combines
code
and data in
the
object files
and searches the named libraries
to
resolve external references
to
routines and variables.
It
then copies a relocatable execution
image and
the
relocation information
to
the executable file. Using
the
relocation information,
MS·
DOS can load
the
executable image
at any convenient memory location and then run it. Link can pro-
cess programs that contain
up
to
one
megabyte
of
code
and data.
This chapter explains
how
to
use
the
linker
to
cr.eate executable
programs. It also defines each
of
the
options you
can
use in a
link
command line
to
control
the
linking process. Finally, it explains
how
link
creates programs.
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