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(as.info)MIPS Object

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MIPS ECOFF object code
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   Assembling for a MIPS ECOFF target supports some additional sections
besides the usual `.text', `.data' and `.bss'.  The additional sections
are `.rdata', used for read-only data, `.sdata', used for small data,
and `.sbss', used for small common objects.

   When assembling for ECOFF, the assembler uses the `$gp' (`$28')
register to form the address of a "small object".  Any object in the
`.sdata' or `.sbss' sections is considered "small" in this sense.  For
external objects, or for objects in the `.bss' section, you can use the
`gcc' `-G' option to control the size of objects addressed via `$gp';
the default value is 8, meaning that a reference to any object eight
bytes or smaller uses `$gp'.  Passing `-G 0' to `as' prevents it from
using the `$gp' register on the basis of object size (but the assembler
uses `$gp' for objects in `.sdata' or `sbss' in any case).  The size of
an object in the `.bss' section is set by the `.comm' or `.lcomm'
directive that defines it.  The size of an external object may be set
with the `.extern' directive.  For example, `.extern sym,4' declares
that the object at `sym' is 4 bytes in length, whie leaving `sym'
otherwise undefined.

   Using small ECOFF objects requires linker support, and assumes that
the `$gp' register is correctly initialized (normally done
automatically by the startup code).  MIPS ECOFF assembly code must not
modify the `$gp' register.