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(binutils.info)ar scripts

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Controlling `ar' with a script
==============================

     ar -M [ <SCRIPT ]

   If you use the single command-line option `-M' with `ar', you can
control its operation with a rudimentary command language.  This form
of `ar' operates interactively if standard input is coming directly
from a terminal.  During interactive use, `ar' prompts for input (the
prompt is `AR >'), and continues executing even after errors.  If you
redirect standard input to a script file, no prompts are issued, and
`ar' abandons execution (with a nonzero exit code) on any error.

   The `ar' command language is _not_ designed to be equivalent to the
command-line options; in fact, it provides somewhat less control over
archives.  The only purpose of the command language is to ease the
transition to GNU `ar' for developers who already have scripts written
for the MRI "librarian" program.

   The syntax for the `ar' command language is straightforward:
   * commands are recognized in upper or lower case; for example, `LIST'
     is the same as `list'.  In the following descriptions, commands are
     shown in upper case for clarity.

   * a single command may appear on each line; it is the first word on
     the line.

   * empty lines are allowed, and have no effect.

   * comments are allowed; text after either of the characters `*' or
     `;' is ignored.

   * Whenever you use a list of names as part of the argument to an `ar'
     command, you can separate the individual names with either commas
     or blanks.  Commas are shown in the explanations below, for
     clarity.

   * `+' is used as a line continuation character; if `+' appears at
     the end of a line, the text on the following line is considered
     part of the current command.

   Here are the commands you can use in `ar' scripts, or when using
`ar' interactively.  Three of them have special significance:

   `OPEN' or `CREATE' specify a "current archive", which is a temporary
file required for most of the other commands.

   `SAVE' commits the changes so far specified by the script.  Prior to
`SAVE', commands affect only the temporary copy of the current archive.

`ADDLIB ARCHIVE'
`ADDLIB ARCHIVE (MODULE, MODULE, ... MODULE)'
     Add all the contents of ARCHIVE (or, if specified, each named
     MODULE from ARCHIVE) to the current archive.

     Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'.

`ADDMOD MEMBER, MEMBER, ... MEMBER'
     Add each named MEMBER as a module in the current archive.

     Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'.

`CLEAR'
     Discard the contents of the current archive, canceling the effect
     of any operations since the last `SAVE'.  May be executed (with no
     effect) even if  no current archive is specified.

`CREATE ARCHIVE'
     Creates an archive, and makes it the current archive (required for
     many other commands).  The new archive is created with a temporary
     name; it is not actually saved as ARCHIVE until you use `SAVE'.
     You can overwrite existing archives; similarly, the contents of any
     existing file named ARCHIVE will not be destroyed until `SAVE'.

`DELETE MODULE, MODULE, ... MODULE'
     Delete each listed MODULE from the current archive; equivalent to
     `ar -d ARCHIVE MODULE ... MODULE'.

     Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'.

`DIRECTORY ARCHIVE (MODULE, ... MODULE)'
`DIRECTORY ARCHIVE (MODULE, ... MODULE) OUTPUTFILE'
     List each named MODULE present in ARCHIVE.  The separate command
     `VERBOSE' specifies the form of the output: when verbose output is
     off, output is like that of `ar -t ARCHIVE MODULE...'.  When
     verbose output is on, the listing is like `ar -tv ARCHIVE
     MODULE...'.

     Output normally goes to the standard output stream; however, if you
     specify OUTPUTFILE as a final argument, `ar' directs the output to
     that file.

`END'
     Exit from `ar', with a `0' exit code to indicate successful
     completion.  This command does not save the output file; if you
     have changed the current archive since the last `SAVE' command,
     those changes are lost.

`EXTRACT MODULE, MODULE, ... MODULE'
     Extract each named MODULE from the current archive, writing them
     into the current directory as separate files.  Equivalent to `ar -x
     ARCHIVE MODULE...'.

     Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'.

`LIST'
     Display full contents of the current archive, in "verbose" style
     regardless of the state of `VERBOSE'.  The effect is like `ar tv
     ARCHIVE'.  (This single command is a GNU `ar' enhancement, rather
     than present for MRI compatibility.)

     Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'.

`OPEN ARCHIVE'
     Opens an existing archive for use as the current archive (required
     for many other commands).  Any changes as the result of subsequent
     commands will not actually affect ARCHIVE until you next use
     `SAVE'.

`REPLACE MODULE, MODULE, ... MODULE'
     In the current archive, replace each existing MODULE (named in the
     `REPLACE' arguments) from files in the current working directory.
     To execute this command without errors, both the file, and the
     module in the current archive, must exist.

     Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'.

`VERBOSE'
     Toggle an internal flag governing the output from `DIRECTORY'.
     When the flag is on, `DIRECTORY' output matches output from `ar
     -tv '....

`SAVE'
     Commit your changes to the current archive, and actually save it
     as a file with the name specified in the last `CREATE' or `OPEN'
     command.

     Requires prior use of `OPEN' or `CREATE'.