ABI related question

[Vijai]

Hello,

I apologize if the following are brain-damaged.

1. Is the ABI the document that specifies how objects, methods,
functions etc are laid out in libraries?

2. If so, if there exists a standardized ABI (such as the C ABI) does
that mean that libraries compiled for a particular platform by
different compilers (such as say for Linux x86) are inter-operable i.e
can I link in LibA compiled with CompilerA with my new program B which
I am gonna compile with CompilerB?

3. If the above are true, isn't there a C++ ABI. I saw one for Itanium
C++ ABI. What about 32bit x86?

thanx,

-vijai.

 

[Ron Natalie]

functions etc are laid out in libraries?

2. If so, if there exists a standardized ABI (such as the C ABI) does
that mean that libraries compiled for a particular platform by
different compilers (such as say for Linux x86) are inter-operable i.e
can I link in LibA compiled with CompilerA with my new program B which
I am gonna compile with CompilerB?

3. If the above are true, isn't there a C++ ABI. I saw one for Itanium
C++ ABI. What about 32bit x86?

There is no standard C or C++ ABI. Some platforms, or even groups of
platforms may define such, but it's outside the realm of the standards (or this
group).

 

[Greg Comeau]

Hello,

I apologize if the following are brain-damaged.

1. Is the ABI the document that specifies how objects, methods,
functions etc are laid out in libraries?

if there was one, it would do things like that, yes.

2. If so, if there exists a standardized ABI (such as the C ABI) does

There is no "C ABI".

that mean that libraries compiled for a particular platform by
different compilers (such as say for Linux x86) are inter-operable i.e
can I link in LibA compiled with CompilerA with my new program B which
I am gonna compile with CompilerB?

3. If the above are true, isn't there a C++ ABI. I saw one for Itanium
C++ ABI. What about 32bit x86?

There is an IA-64 ABI specification for C++, and yes, the intent
is to achieve stuff like that, but there are other ABI's too,
none of which is required by Standard C++.