What does "object" mean in "object file"?

[RealCat]

Hi.
When we compile a c file, we get an object file (usually with the
extension 'o'). The word "object" has many meanings. In Korea, people
have translated the "object" in the sense of "aim" or "target". But I
suspect "object" rather mean something the "object" in C# or Java. I
mean some "thing" or "entity".
I was trying to reference to the Japanese translation (I can
understand Japanese), but they have just transliterlated "object" as
it is.

 

[Joachim Schmitz]

Hi.
When we compile a c file, we get an object file (usually with the
extension 'o'). The word "object" has many meanings. In Korea, people
have translated the "object" in the sense of "aim" or "target".

That would be a wrong translation IMHO. I would translate 'objective' to
'aim' or 'target', but not 'object', not in this context at least.

But I
suspect "object" rather mean something the "object" in C# or Java. I
mean some "thing" or "entity".
Indeed.

I was trying to reference to the Japanese translation (I can
understand Japanese), but they have just transliterlated "object" as
it is.

Same in German...

Bye, Jojo

 

[Kenny McCormack]

That would be a wrong translation IMHO. I would translate 'objective' to
'aim' or 'target', but not 'object', not in this context at least.

The object of one's affections...

Think about this carefully, before, er, objecting. The distintcion is
subtle.

 

[Stephen Sprunk]

When we compile a c file, we get an object file (usually with the
extension 'o'). The word "object" has many meanings. In Korea, people
have translated the "object" in the sense of "aim" or "target". But I
suspect "object" rather mean something the "object" in C# or Java. I
mean some "thing" or "entity".

The problem is that we use "object" for too many (very different) things
in programming.

An "object" in C++/Java/C# is an instance of a class -- logically, a
"thing" or "entity" in English, and I would agree with that translation.

An "object" in C is a group of bytes (usually in memory), which is not
really a "thing" or "entity", though I wouldn't say "aim" or "target"
either.

An "object" for a linker is (usually) a unit of compiled functions and
variables; "target" might be appropriate for that, if there's nothing
better.

I was trying to reference to the Japanese translation (I can
understand Japanese), but they have just transliterlated "object" as
it is.

Provided they don't do the same for the other uses of "object", that
might be a decent solution -- but Japanese does that a lot for words
that have no good translation. I'd hope that the "object" in
C++/Java/C# is translated to "thing" or "entity".

S

 

[Keith Thompson]

An "object" in C++/Java/C# is an instance of a class -- logically, a
"thing" or "entity" in English, and I would agree with that
translation.

An "object" in C is a group of bytes (usually in memory), which is not
really a "thing" or "entity", though I wouldn't say "aim" or "target"
either.

[...]

An "object" in C is, by definition, a "region of data storage in the
execution environment, the contents of which can represent values"
(which is pretty much what you said). The C++ standard uses a very
similar definition ("An object is a region of storage."). But yes,
C++ programmers commonly use the term to refer to an instance of a
class.