Q: What is an ".xSYM" file? All of my symbolic files are ".SYM" files, without an "x". I can't find any explanation of what the "x" represents.

A: The lower-case "x" relates to "XCOFF". xSYM files are derived from .XCOFF files, which are produced when you compile and link PowerPC source code. For example, for a PowerPC source file named "MyPowerSource.c", you perform the following steps to generate the .xSYM files:

1. Compile MyPowerSource.c with PPCC to create MyPowerSource.o (with -sym ON to generate symbols).

2. Link MyPowerSource.o with PPCLink (with -sym ON) to create "MyPowerSource.xcoff". (XCOFF, which is based on UNIX's Common Object File Format, is IBM's format for objects, executables, and shared libraries.)

3. Use MakeSYM to extract debugging information from the XCOFF file and the debugging information for the Macintosh Debugger for PowerPC.

For more information about XCOFF and xSYM files and about building native Power Macintosh applications, please refer to Building Programs for Macintosh with PowerPC on ETO.

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