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<h3 class="section">1.1 Controlling <span class="command">ar</span> on the Command Line</h3>
<pre class="smallexample"> <!-- man begin SYNOPSIS ar -->
ar [<span class="option">-X32_64</span>] [<span class="option">-</span>]<var>p</var>[<var>mod</var> [<var>relpos</var>] [<var>count</var>]] <var>archive</var> [<var>member</var>...]
<!-- man end -->
</pre>
<p><a name="index-Unix-compatibility_002c-_0040command_007bar_007d-11"></a>When you use <span class="command">ar</span> in the Unix style, <span class="command">ar</span> insists on at least two
arguments to execute: one keyletter specifying the <em>operation</em>
(optionally accompanied by other keyletters specifying
<em>modifiers</em>), and the archive name to act on.
<p>Most operations can also accept further <var>member</var> arguments,
specifying particular files to operate on.
<!-- man begin OPTIONS ar -->
<p><span class="sc">gnu</span> <span class="command">ar</span> allows you to mix the operation code <var>p</var> and modifier
flags <var>mod</var> in any order, within the first command-line argument.
<p>If you wish, you may begin the first command-line argument with a
dash.
<p><a name="index-operations-on-archive-12"></a>The <var>p</var> keyletter specifies what operation to execute; it may be
any of the following, but you must specify only one of them:
<dl>
<dt><span class="samp">d</span><dd><a name="index-deleting-from-archive-13"></a><em>Delete</em> modules from the archive. Specify the names of modules to
be deleted as <var>member</var><small class="dots">...</small>; the archive is untouched if you
specify no files to delete.
<p>If you specify the <span class="samp">v</span> modifier, <span class="command">ar</span> lists each module
as it is deleted.
<br><dt><span class="samp">m</span><dd><a name="index-moving-in-archive-14"></a>Use this operation to <em>move</em> members in an archive.
<p>The ordering of members in an archive can make a difference in how
programs are linked using the library, if a symbol is defined in more
than one member.
<p>If no modifiers are used with <code>m</code>, any members you name in the
<var>member</var> arguments are moved to the <em>end</em> of the archive;
you can use the <span class="samp">a</span>, <span class="samp">b</span>, or <span class="samp">i</span> modifiers to move them to a
specified place instead.
<br><dt><span class="samp">p</span><dd><a name="index-printing-from-archive-15"></a><em>Print</em> the specified members of the archive, to the standard
output file. If the <span class="samp">v</span> modifier is specified, show the member
name before copying its contents to standard output.
<p>If you specify no <var>member</var> arguments, all the files in the archive are
printed.
<br><dt><span class="samp">q</span><dd><a name="index-quick-append-to-archive-16"></a><em>Quick append</em>; Historically, add the files <var>member</var><small class="dots">...</small> to the end of
<var>archive</var>, without checking for replacement.
<p>The modifiers <span class="samp">a</span>, <span class="samp">b</span>, and <span class="samp">i</span> do <em>not</em> affect this
operation; new members are always placed at the end of the archive.
<p>The modifier <span class="samp">v</span> makes <span class="command">ar</span> list each file as it is appended.
<p>Since the point of this operation is speed, the archive's symbol table
index is not updated, even if it already existed; you can use <span class="samp">ar s</span> or
<span class="command">ranlib</span> explicitly to update the symbol table index.
<p>However, too many different systems assume quick append rebuilds the
index, so <span class="sc">gnu</span> <span class="command">ar</span> implements <span class="samp">q</span> as a synonym for <span class="samp">r</span>.
<br><dt><span class="samp">r</span><dd><a name="index-replacement-in-archive-17"></a>Insert the files <var>member</var><small class="dots">...</small> into <var>archive</var> (with
<em>replacement</em>). This operation differs from <span class="samp">q</span> in that any
previously existing members are deleted if their names match those being
added.
<p>If one of the files named in <var>member</var><small class="dots">...</small> does not exist, <span class="command">ar</span>
displays an error message, and leaves undisturbed any existing members
of the archive matching that name.
<p>By default, new members are added at the end of the file; but you may
use one of the modifiers <span class="samp">a</span>, <span class="samp">b</span>, or <span class="samp">i</span> to request
placement relative to some existing member.
<p>The modifier <span class="samp">v</span> used with this operation elicits a line of
output for each file inserted, along with one of the letters <span class="samp">a</span> or
<span class="samp">r</span> to indicate whether the file was appended (no old member
deleted) or replaced.
<br><dt><span class="samp">t</span><dd><a name="index-contents-of-archive-18"></a>Display a <em>table</em> listing the contents of <var>archive</var>, or those
of the files listed in <var>member</var><small class="dots">...</small> that are present in the
archive. Normally only the member name is shown; if you also want to
see the modes (permissions), timestamp, owner, group, and size, you can
request that by also specifying the <span class="samp">v</span> modifier.
<p>If you do not specify a <var>member</var>, all files in the archive
are listed.
<p><a name="index-repeated-names-in-archive-19"></a><a name="index-name-duplication-in-archive-20"></a>If there is more than one file with the same name (say, <span class="samp">fie</span>) in
an archive (say <span class="samp">b.a</span>), <span class="samp">ar t b.a fie</span> lists only the
first instance; to see them all, you must ask for a complete
listing—in our example, <span class="samp">ar t b.a</span>.
<!-- WRS only; per Gumby, this is implementation-dependent, and in a more -->
<!-- recent case in fact works the other way. -->
<br><dt><span class="samp">x</span><dd><a name="index-extract-from-archive-21"></a><em>Extract</em> members (named <var>member</var>) from the archive. You can
use the <span class="samp">v</span> modifier with this operation, to request that
<span class="command">ar</span> list each name as it extracts it.
<p>If you do not specify a <var>member</var>, all files in the archive
are extracted.
<p>Files cannot be extracted from a thin archive.
</dl>
<p>A number of modifiers (<var>mod</var>) may immediately follow the <var>p</var>
keyletter, to specify variations on an operation's behavior:
<dl>
<dt><span class="samp">a</span><dd><a name="index-relative-placement-in-archive-22"></a>Add new files <em>after</em> an existing member of the
archive. If you use the modifier <span class="samp">a</span>, the name of an existing archive
member must be present as the <var>relpos</var> argument, before the
<var>archive</var> specification.
<br><dt><span class="samp">b</span><dd>Add new files <em>before</em> an existing member of the
archive. If you use the modifier <span class="samp">b</span>, the name of an existing archive
member must be present as the <var>relpos</var> argument, before the
<var>archive</var> specification. (same as <span class="samp">i</span>).
<br><dt><span class="samp">c</span><dd><a name="index-creating-archives-23"></a><em>Create</em> the archive. The specified <var>archive</var> is always
created if it did not exist, when you request an update. But a warning is
issued unless you specify in advance that you expect to create it, by
using this modifier.
<br><dt><span class="samp">f</span><dd>Truncate names in the archive. <span class="sc">gnu</span> <span class="command">ar</span> will normally permit file
names of any length. This will cause it to create archives which are
not compatible with the native <span class="command">ar</span> program on some systems. If
this is a concern, the <span class="samp">f</span> modifier may be used to truncate file
names when putting them in the archive.
<br><dt><span class="samp">i</span><dd>Insert new files <em>before</em> an existing member of the
archive. If you use the modifier <span class="samp">i</span>, the name of an existing archive
member must be present as the <var>relpos</var> argument, before the
<var>archive</var> specification. (same as <span class="samp">b</span>).
<br><dt><span class="samp">l</span><dd>This modifier is accepted but not used.
<!-- whaffor ar l modifier??? presumably compat; with -->
<!-- what???-doc@@cygnus.com, 25jan91 -->
<br><dt><span class="samp">N</span><dd>Uses the <var>count</var> parameter. This is used if there are multiple
entries in the archive with the same name. Extract or delete instance
<var>count</var> of the given name from the archive.
<br><dt><span class="samp">o</span><dd><a name="index-dates-in-archive-24"></a>Preserve the <em>original</em> dates of members when extracting them. If
you do not specify this modifier, files extracted from the archive
are stamped with the time of extraction.
<br><dt><span class="samp">P</span><dd>Use the full path name when matching names in the archive. <span class="sc">gnu</span>
<span class="command">ar</span> can not create an archive with a full path name (such archives
are not POSIX complaint), but other archive creators can. This option
will cause <span class="sc">gnu</span> <span class="command">ar</span> to match file names using a complete path
name, which can be convenient when extracting a single file from an
archive created by another tool.
<br><dt><span class="samp">s</span><dd><a name="index-writing-archive-index-25"></a>Write an object-file index into the archive, or update an existing one,
even if no other change is made to the archive. You may use this modifier
flag either with any operation, or alone. Running <span class="samp">ar s</span> on an
archive is equivalent to running <span class="samp">ranlib</span> on it.
<br><dt><span class="samp">S</span><dd><a name="index-not-writing-archive-index-26"></a>Do not generate an archive symbol table. This can speed up building a
large library in several steps. The resulting archive can not be used
with the linker. In order to build a symbol table, you must omit the
<span class="samp">S</span> modifier on the last execution of <span class="samp">ar</span>, or you must run
<span class="samp">ranlib</span> on the archive.
<br><dt><span class="samp">T</span><dd><a name="index-creating-thin-archive-27"></a>Make the specified <var>archive</var> a <em>thin</em> archive. If it already
exists and is a regular archive, the existing members must be present
in the same directory as <var>archive</var>.
<br><dt><span class="samp">u</span><dd><a name="index-updating-an-archive-28"></a>Normally, <span class="samp">ar r</span><small class="dots">...</small> inserts all files
listed into the archive. If you would like to insert <em>only</em> those
of the files you list that are newer than existing members of the same
names, use this modifier. The <span class="samp">u</span> modifier is allowed only for the
operation <span class="samp">r</span> (replace). In particular, the combination <span class="samp">qu</span> is
not allowed, since checking the timestamps would lose any speed
advantage from the operation <span class="samp">q</span>.
<br><dt><span class="samp">v</span><dd>This modifier requests the <em>verbose</em> version of an operation. Many
operations display additional information, such as filenames processed,
when the modifier <span class="samp">v</span> is appended.
<br><dt><span class="samp">V</span><dd>This modifier shows the version number of <span class="command">ar</span>.
</dl>
<p><span class="command">ar</span> ignores an initial option spelt <span class="samp">-X32_64</span>, for
compatibility with AIX. The behaviour produced by this option is the
default for <span class="sc">gnu</span> <span class="command">ar</span>. <span class="command">ar</span> does not support any of the other
<span class="samp">-X</span> options; in particular, it does not support <span class="option">-X32</span>
which is the default for AIX <span class="command">ar</span>.
<!-- man end -->
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