Including object files when compiling go - go

Say that I have an object file called test.o. It contains a reference to a function called say. Also say that I have some go code:
func main() {
say()
}
Could I pass in the object file as an argument when compiling my Golang source (go build --include=test.o), or reference it in the Go source?
So the question is: how can I access the function stored in test.o from within my Go code?

So the question is: how can I access the function stored in test.o from within my Go code?
You cannot.
Well, your question is unclear. If you have some C code compiled to some .o you can use cgo and call from go into a .so made from your .o. Read about cgo how to do it.
You can compile go code so that it can be loaded dynamically during runtime. This mechanism is called plugins. All of this is complicated. The best advice is: Stop whatever you are trying and redesign. Your question smells like an XY problem. Go is compiled from source.

So the question is: how can I access the function stored in test.o from within my Go code?
You can.
Take a look at: https://github.com/pkujhd/goloader - note that unless you're just hacking something for your own fun and entertainment, you probably shouldn't.

Related

how to implement macros in Go?

I've project done in C++ where I used #define macros to give a name of the project, which I used in several places, I don't change this name often but sometimes I may need to change this, then I change this macro and rebuild my code. Now I'm converting this code to Go. Can someone suggest me how to implement this in Go? I'm not interested in using global variables for this purpose because I've many such macros and I doubt this cause my project to occupy more cpu and effect the performance.
Luckily, Go does not support macros.
There are two venues in Go to implement what is done using macros
in other programming languages:
"Meta-programming" is done using code generation.
"Magic variables/constants" are implemented using "symbol substitutions"
at link time.
It appears, the latter is what you're after.
Unfortunately, the help on this feature is nearly undiscoverable
on itself, but it explained in the output of
$ go tool link -help
To cite the relevant bit from it:
-X definition
add string value definition of the form importpath.name=value
So you roll like this:
In any package, where it is convenient,
you define a string constant the value of which you'd like to change at build time.
Let's say, you define constant Bar in package foo.
You pass a special flag to the go build or go install invocation for the linking phase at compile time:
$ go install -ldflags='-X foo.Bar="my super cool string"'
As the result, the produced binary will have the constant foo.Bar
set to the value "my super cool string" in its "read-only data" segment,
and that value will be used by the program's code.
See also the go help build output about the -ldflags option.
Go doesn't support Macros.
but you can use a constants inside a package and refer it where ever you need.
package constant
// constants.go file
const (
ProjectName = "My Project"
Title = "Awesome Title"
)
and in your program
package main
import "<path to project>/constant" // replace the path to project with your path from GOPATH
func main() {
fmt.Println(constant.ProjectName)
}
The project structure would be
project
|- constant
| |- constants.go
|-main.go

How to compile multiple Chicken Scheme files?

I need to compile a Chicken Scheme project containing multiple source files, but I'm getting errors.
According to the manual and this SO answer, I need to put (declare)s in my sources. Why the compiler can't just see that I'm importing the other source is beyond me, but meh.
The problem is, even if I put the (declare)s in, the compiler complains about the (import)s and (use)s.
infinity.filesystem.scm:
(use bindings filepath posix)
(declare (uses infinity.general.scm))
(load-relative "infinity.general.scm")
(module infinity.filesystem (with-open-file make-absolute-path with-temporary-directory with-chdir)
(import scheme filepath posix infinity.general)
(begin-for-syntax
(use bindings chicken)
(import infinity.general))
...etc...
infinity.general.scm:
(declare (unit infinity.general.scm))
(require-extension srfi-1 srfi-13 format data-structures ansi-escape-sequences basic-sequences)
(module infinity.general (bind+ format-ansi repeat-string join-strings pop-chars! inc! dec!
take* drop* take-right* drop-right* ends-with? take-where)
(import scheme chicken srfi-1 srfi-13 data-structures ansi-escape-sequences basic-sequences bindings ports format)
...etc...
Command:
$ csc -uses bindings.o -uses infinity.general.o -c infinity.filesystem.scm -o infinity.filesystem.o
Compiler says:
Syntax error (import): cannot import from undefined module
and
unbound variable: use
If I just remove the import and use declarations for "infinity.general", the file compiles. However, I have two problems with this:
Will the resulting .o file actually work, in the absence of import and use clauses? Or will it complain about missing code at runtime?
csi requires that my code contains (import) and (use) declarations, whereas csc requires that it does not. I, however, require that my code works in both csi and csc!
How can I solve this, please?
Why the compiler can't just see that I'm importing the other source is beyond me, but meh.
Declares are used to determine dependencies: the compiler needs to know in what order (and if at all) to invoke a particular toplevel, to ensure the right code is initialized before any of the globals from that unit can be used. When everything is being compiled separately, the compiler wouldn't know when to insert calls to toplevels. The -uses switch you pass to csc is redundant: csc -uses foo is equivalent to putting (declare (uses foo)) in the source code. Passing -uses foo.o doesn't do anything with the file foo.o as far as I can tell.
In your code snippet, you're using load, which is not the correct way to include code at compile-time: load will read and evaluate the target file at run time. Instead, you should omit the load completely: the declare already takes care of the dependency; you just need to link them together.
Also, it's not very common to use filenames as module/unit names, though it should work.
If I just remove the import and use declarations for "infinity.general", the file compiles. However, I have two problems with this:
1) Will the resulting .o file actually work, in the absence of import and use clauses? Or will it complain about missing code at runtime?
You'll need to keep the import expressions, or the program shouldn't compile. If it does compile, there's something strange going on. You don't need use when you link everything together statically. If you're using dynamic linking, you will get a runtime error.
The error you get about unbound variable: use is because you're using use in a begin-for-syntax block. You'll probably just need to (import-for-syntax chicken), as per your other SO question.
2) csi requires that my code contains (import) and (use) declarations, whereas csc requires that it does not. I, however, require that my code works in both csi and csc!
It looks like you're approaching this too quickly: You are writing a complete program and at the same time trying to make it run compiled and interpreted, without first building an understanding of how the system works.
At this point, it's probably a good idea to experiment first with a tiny project consisting of two files. Then you can figure out how to compile an executable that works from code that also works in the interpreter. Then, use this knowledge to build the actual program. If at any point something breaks, you can always go back to the minimal case and figure out what you're doing differently.
This will also help in getting support, as you would be able to present a complete, but minimal set of files, and people will be able to tell you much quicker where you went wrong, or whether you've found a bug.

Xcode error: Command /Developer/usr/bin/clang++ failed with exit code 1 due to duplicate symbol

I'm trying to write a program in C++ which runs Conway's Game of Life. I think I have everything that I need, but I'm having some trouble with compiling.
The program is composed of four files: gameoflife.h, a header file which contains my global constants and function declarations, gameoflife.cpp, which defines the functions, main.cpp, which uses the functions, and seeds.cpp, which contains a list of predefined seeds to be used.
When I go to compile the application, I seem to have a clash of duplicate symbols between main.cpp and gameoflife.cpp over an array called currGen which is declared in gameoflife.h.
Both main.cpp and gameoflife.cpp include gameoflife.h, which of course is necessary so that they have access to the global constants and function declarations.
The exact error I receive is the following:
duplicate symbol _currGen in /(same_path)/ConwaysGameOfLife.build/Objects-normal/
x86_64/gameoflife.o and
/(same_path)/ConwaysGameOfLife.build/Objects-normal/x86_64/main.o
for architecture x86_64
Command /Developer/usr/bin/clang++ failed with exit code 1
I've looked around on Stack Overflow but haven't found anything which matches my problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
You are probably defining the variable currGen in your header file, not just declaring it.
There needs to be exactly one definition, in one .cpp file. The .h file should just declare it, using extern.
This answer goes into much more detail.

Where is the source code for isnan?

Because of the layers of standards, the include files for c++ are a rats nest. I was trying to figure out what __isnan actually calls, and couldn't find anywhere with an actual definition.
So I just compiled with -S to see the assembly, and if I write:
#include <ieee754.h>
void f(double x) {
if (__isinf(x) ...
if (__isnan(x)) ...
}
Both of these routines are called. I would like to see the actual definition, and possibly refactor things like this to be inline, since it should be just a bit comparison, albeit one that is hard to achieve when the value is in a floating point register.
Anyway, whether or not it's a good idea, the question stands: WHERE is the source code for __isnan(x)?
Glibc has versions of the code in the sysdeps folder for each of the systems it supports. The one you’re looking for is in sysdeps/ieee754/dbl-64/s_isnan.c. I found this with git grep __isnan.
(While C++ headers include code for templates, functions from the C library will not, and you have to look inside glibc or whichever.)
Here, for the master head of glibc, for instance.

Is there a way to strip all functions from an object file that I am not using?

I am trying to save space in my executable and I noticed that several functions are being added into my object files, even though I never call them (the code is from a library).
Is there a way to tell gcc to remove these functions automatically or do I need to remove them manually?
If you are compiling into object files (not executables), then a compiler will never remove any non-static functions, since it's always possible you will link the object file against another object file that will call that function. So your first step should be declaring as many functions as possible static.
Secondly, the only way for a compiler to remove any unused functions would be to statically link your executable. In that case, there is at least the possibility that a program might come along and figure out what functions are used and which ones are not used.
The catch is, I don't believe that gcc actually does this type of cross-module optimization. Your best bet is the -Os flag to optimize for code size, but even then, if you have an object file abc.o which has some unused non-static functions and you link statically against some executable def.exe, I don't believe that gcc will go and strip out the code for the unused functions.
If you truly desperately need this to be done, I think you might have to actually #include the files together so that after the preprocessor pass, it results in a single .c file being compiled. With gcc compiling a single monstrous jumbo source file, you stand the best chance of unused functions being eliminated.
Have you looked into calling gcc with -Os (optimize for size.) I'm not sure if it strips unreached code, but it would be simple enough to test. You could also, after getting your executable back, 'strip' it. I'm sure there's a gcc command-line arg to do the same thing - is it --dead_strip?
In addition to -Os to optimize for size, this link may be of help.
Since I asked this question, GCC 4.5 was released which includes an option to combine all files so it looks like it is just 1 gigantic source file. Using that option, it is possible to easily strip out the unused functions.
More details here
IIRC the linker by default does what you want ins some specific cases. The short of it is that library files contain a bunch of object files and only referenced files are linked in. If you can figure out how to get GCC to emit each function into it's own object file and then build this into a library you should get what you are looking.
I only know of one compiler that can actually do this: here (look at the -lib flag)

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