[SOLVED] .section .text

[Key-Real]

finally I got fpc to compile me an assembly output.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. .section .text.n_main,"ax"
2.  
3. .globl  main
4. .type   main,@function
5. main:
6.  
7.  .globl PASCALMAIN
8.  .type  PASCALMAIN,@function
9.  
10. PASCALMAIN:
11. .ent main
12.  
13.    ... code ...
14.  
15. .end main
16. .size   main, . - main
17.  

so question
1) what is    .n_main,"ax"   ?
and
2) as i understand we start at main, so we have .ent and .end and .size debugger directives
    I thought fpc starts at PASCALMAIN? how to understand this?

[Kays]

First of all, assembly highlighting is possible [code=asm][/code]. Secondly, the GNU Assembler has a manual explaining everything. To summarize: Normally, everything belonging to one section is gathered in textual order. The subsection extension allows mixing various texts, thus

Code: ASM  [Select][+][-]

1. .section .text.foo
2. ABC
3. .section .text.bar
4. CDE
5. .section .text.foo
6. FGH

becomes

Code: ASM  [Select][+][-]

1. .section .text
2. ; now all `foo` texts
3. ABC
4. FGH
5. ; now all `bar` texts
6. CDE

even though ABC/FGH was “interrupted” by CDE. This allows more readable source code. The string "ax" merely indicates the custom section is allocated and executable. I’m not sure about your other question, so I’ll leave it for someone else to answer.

[Key-Real]

ah, ok,
my question was wrong formulated.

I need to knew why this section is called n_main?
Is it a requerment for something?

[Kays]

[…] I need to knew why this section is called n_main? […]

Because m_main was already taken. It’s really just a name and using a pattern – something, underscore, something – ensures there are no unwanted collisions. Based on

Code: Bash  [Select][+][-]

1. strings ./myExecutableProgram | grep n_main

the subsection name does not end up in the final executable.

[nickysn]

On targets that support section based smartlinking (marked by the 'tf_smartlink_sections' flag in compiler/systems/i_*.pas), FPC puts each function in a separate section, i.e. something like that: '.text.n_NAMEOFFUNCTION'.

When linking the '--gc-sections' option is used, which causes the linker to remove ("garbage collect") unused sections and thus produce a smaller executable.

If the whole unit or program's code was put in a single section, called '.text', then unused functions won't be removed by the linker.