@ -11,23 +11,23 @@ both kernel and usermode projects. Since Theo inherits HMDM (highly modular driv
Since Theo is a jit linker, unexported symbols can be jit linked. Resolving such symbols is open ended and allows the programmer of this framework to handle how they want to resolve symbols. More on this later (check out example projects).
# Linking - Dynamic And Static
### Linking - Dynamic And Static
### What Is A Linker
#### Object Files
A linker is a program which takes object files produces by a compiler and generates a final executable native to the operating system. A linker interfaces with not only object files but also static libraries, "lib" files. What is a "lib" file? Well a lib file is just an archive of obj's. You can invision it as a zip/rar without any compression, just concatination of said object files.
If you define a c++ file called "main.cpp" the compiler will generate an object file by the name of "main.obj". When you refer to data or code defined in another c/c++ file, the linker uses a symbol table to resolve the address of said code/data. In this situation I am the linker and I resolve all of your symbols :).
Theo is a jit linker, which means it will link objs together and map them into memory all at once. For usability however, instead of handling object files, Theo can parse entire lib files and extract the objects out of the lib.
#### What Is A Linker
### Object Files
A linker is a program which takes object files produces by a compiler and generates a final executable native to the operating system. A linker interfaces with not only object files but also static libraries, "lib" files. What is a "lib" file? Well a lib file is just an archive of obj's. You can invision it as a zip/rar without any compression, just concatination of said object files.
If you define a c++ file called "main.cpp" the compiler will generate an object file by the name of "main.obj". When you refer to data or code defined in another c/c++ file, the linker uses a symbol table to resolve the address of said code/data. In this situation I am the linker and I resolve all of your symbols :).
Theo is a jit linker, which means it will link objs together and map them into memory all at once. For usability however, instead of handling object files, Theo can parse entire lib files and extract the objects out of the lib.
### Static Linking
#### Static Linking
Static linking is when the linker links entire routines not created by you, into your code. Say `memcpy` (if its not inlined), will be staticlly linked with the CRT. Static linking also allows for your code to be more independant as all the code you need you bring with you. However, with Theo, you cannot link static libraries which are not compiled with `mcmodel=large`. Theo supports actual static linking, in other words, using multiple static libraries at the same time.