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| Next: <a href="BFD-front-end.html#BFD-front-end" accesskey="n" rel="next">BFD front end</a>, Previous: <a href="index.html#Top" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Top</a>, Up: <a href="index.html#Top" accesskey="u" rel="up">Top</a> [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="BFD-Index.html#BFD-Index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p> |
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| <a name="Introduction"></a> |
| <h2 class="chapter">1 Introduction</h2> |
| <a name="index-BFD"></a> |
| <a name="index-what-is-it_003f"></a> |
| <p>BFD is a package which allows applications to use the |
| same routines to operate on object files whatever the object file |
| format. A new object file format can be supported simply by |
| creating a new BFD back end and adding it to the library. |
| </p> |
| <p>BFD is split into two parts: the front end, and the back ends (one for |
| each object file format). |
| </p><ul> |
| <li> The front end of BFD provides the interface to the user. It manages |
| memory and various canonical data structures. The front end also |
| decides which back end to use and when to call back end routines. |
| </li><li> The back ends provide BFD its view of the real world. Each back |
| end provides a set of calls which the BFD front end can use to maintain |
| its canonical form. The back ends also may keep around information for |
| their own use, for greater efficiency. |
| </li></ul> |
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| <tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="History.html#History" accesskey="1">History</a>:</td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">History |
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| <tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="How-It-Works.html#How-It-Works" accesskey="2">How It Works</a>:</td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">How It Works |
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| <tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="What-BFD-Version-2-Can-Do.html#What-BFD-Version-2-Can-Do" accesskey="3">What BFD Version 2 Can Do</a>:</td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">What BFD Version 2 Can Do |
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