ITPEC FE Morning April 2018 Question 20

Which of the following is the appropriate function of a linker?

a)Creating a load module from multiple object modules, etc. by performing operations such as cross-reference resolutionb)Loading a load module into main memory before executionc)Monitoring program execution and logging the execution result for each stepd)Registering a created program to a library

Explanation

Resolving cross references to make one load module — the linker joins separately compiled object modules into a single executable.

The compiler translates each source file into an object module that still contains unresolved references to routines and data in other modules and libraries. The linker (linkage editor) fills in those addresses and combines the modules into one load module, which the loader then places in main memory to run.

Answer (a)

Why not others:

•(b) — loading a load module into main memory before execution is the loader's job
•(c) — monitoring execution and recording the results of each step is what a tracer does, a debugging tool
•(d) — registering a finished program in a library is done by a librarian

Key rule: Compiler, then linker, then loader: object modules become one load module, which is then loaded into memory and run.

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