GETEND(3) GETEND(3)

NAME
       getend,  getetext, getedata - get values of UNIX link editor defined
       symbols

SYNOPSIS
       #include 

       unsigned long ggeetteenndd(());
       unsigned long ggeetteetteexxtt(());
       unsigned long ggeetteeddaattaa(());

DESCRIPTION
       These routines provide a stopgap measure to programs that use the  UNIX
       link-editor  defined  symbols.   Use of these routines is very strongly
       discouraged.  The problem is that any program that is using  UNIX  link
       editor  defined  symbols (end, etext or edata) is making assumptions
       that the program has the memory layout of a UNIX program.

       This is an incorrect assumption for a program built by the Mach-O  link
       editor.   The  reason  that these routines are provided is that if very
       minimal assumptions about the layout are used and  the  default  format
       and  memory  layout of the Mach-O link editor is used to build the pro-
       gram, some things may work by using the values returned by  these  rou-
       tines  in place of the addresses of their UNIX link-editor defined sym-
       bols.  So use at your own risk, and only if you know what  your  doing.
       Or better yet, convert the program to use the appropriate Mach or Mach-
       O functions.  If you are trying to allocate memory use  vmallocate(2),
       if you are trying to find out about your address space use vmregion(2)
       and if you are trying to find out where your program is loaded use  the
       dyld(3) functions.

       The  values  of the UNIX link-editor defined symbols etext, edata and
       end are returned by the routines  getetext,  getedata,  and  getend
       respectively.   In  a  Mach-O  file  they  have  the  following values:
       getetext returns the first address after the (TEXT,text)  section,
       note  this  my  or  may  not be the only section in the TEXT segment.
       getedata returns the first address after the (DATA,data)  section,
       note this my or may not be the last non-zero fill section in the DATA
       segment.  getend returns the first address after the last  segment  in
       the executable, note a shared library may be loaded at this address.

SEE ALSO
       ld(1), dyld(3)



Apple Computer, Inc.            April 10, 1998                      GETEND(3)