elf_getident(3ELF) ELF Library Functions elf_getident(3ELF)
NAME
elf_getident, elf_getshnum, elf_getshstrndx - retrieve ELF header data
SYNOPSIS
cc [ flag ... ] file ... -lelf [ library ... ]
#include <libelf.h>
char * elf_getident(Elf *elf, size_t *dst);
int elf_getshnum(Elf *elf, size_t *dst);
int elf_getshstrndx(Elf *elf, size_t *dst);
DESCRIPTION
As elf(3ELF) explains, ELF provides a framework for various classes of files, where basic objects may have 32 bits, 64 bits, etc. To accom-
modate these differences, without forcing the larger sizes on smaller machines, the initial bytes in an ELF file hold identification infor-
mation common to all file classes. Every ELF header's e_ident has EI_NIDENT bytes with the following interpretation:
e_ident Index Value Purpose
EI_MAG0 ELFMAG0 File identification
EI_MAG1 ELFMAG1
EI_MAG2 ELFMAG2
EI_MAG3 ELFMAG3
EI_CLASS ELFCLASSNONE File class
ELFCLASS32
ELFCLASS64
EI_DATA ELFDATANONE Data encoding
ELFDATA2LSB
ELFDATA2MSB
EI_VERSION EV_CURRENT File version
7-15 0 Unused, set to zero
Other kinds of files (see elf_kind(3ELF)) also may have identification data, though they would not conform to e_ident.
elf_getident() returns a pointer to the file's ``initial bytes.'' If the library recognizes the file, a conversion from the file image to
the memory image may occur. In any case, the identification bytes are guaranteed not to have been modified, though the size of the unmodi-
fied area depends on the file type. If dst is non-null, the library stores the number of identification bytes in the location to which dst
points. If no data are present, elf is null, or an error occurs, the return value is a null pointer, with 0 stored through dst, if dst is
non-null.
The elf_getshnum() function obtains the number of sections recorded in the ELF file. The number of sections in a file is typically recorded
in the e_shnum field of the ELF header, though a file that requires ELF Extended Sections records the value 0 in the e_shnum field and
records the number of sections in the sh_size field of section header 0. See USAGE. dst points to the location where the number of sections
will be stored. If a call to elf_newscn(3ELF) using the same elf descriptor has been performed, then the value obtained by elf_getshnum()
is only valid after a successful call to elf_update(3ELF). If elf is NULL or an error occurs, elf_getshnum() returns -1.
The elf_getshstrndx() function obtains the section index of the string table associated with the section headers in the ELF file. The sec-
tion header string table index is typically recorded in the e_shstrndx field of the ELF header, though a file that requires ELF Extended
Sections records the value SHN_XINDEX in the e_shstrndx field and records the string table index in the sh_link field of section header 0.
See USAGE. The dst argument points to the location where the section header string table index is stored. If elf is NULL or an error
occurs, elf_getshstrndx() returns -1.
USAGE
ELF Extended Sections are employed to allow an ELF file to contain more than 0xff00 (SHN_LORESERVE) section. See the Linker and Libraries
Guide for more information.
ATTRIBUTES
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
|Interface Stability |Stable |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
|MT-Level |MT-Safe |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
SEE ALSO
elf(3ELF), elf32_getehdr(3ELF), elf_begin(3ELF), elf_kind(3ELF), elf_newscn(3ELF), elf_rawfile(3ELF), elf_update(3ELF), libelf(3LIB),
attributes(5)
Linker and Libraries Guide
SunOS 5.10 20 Jun 2002 elf_getident(3ELF)