home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- .th ARCHIVE V 9/10/73
- .sh NAME
- ar \*- archive (library) file format
- .sh DESCRIPTION
- The archive command
- .it ar
- is used to combine several files into
- one.
- Archives are used mainly as libraries to be searched
- by the link-editor
- .it ld.
- .s3
- A file produced by
- .it ar
- has a magic number at the start,
- followed by the constituent files, each preceded by a file header.
- The magic number is
- 177555(8)
- (it was chosen to be unlikely to occur anywhere else).
- The header of each file is 16 bytes long:
- .s3
- .lp +13 8
- 0-7 file
- name, null padded on the right
- .lp +13 8
- 8-11 modification
- time of the file
- .lp +13 8
- 12 user ID of file owner
- .lp +13 8
- 13 file mode
- .lp +13 8
- 14-15 file size
- .s3
- .i0
- Each file begins on a word boundary;
- a null byte is inserted between files if necessary.
- Nevertheless the size give reflects the
- actual size of the file exclusive of padding.
- .s3
- Notice there is no provision for empty areas in an archive
- file.
- .sh "SEE ALSO"
- ar (I), ld (I)
- .sh BUGS
- Names are only 8 characters, not 14.
- More important, there isn't enough room to
- store the proper mode,
- so
- .it ar
- always extracts in mode 666.
-