Linking（连接）

Linking is the process of collecting and combining various pieces of code and data into a single file that can be loaded (copied) into memory and executed. Linking can be performed at compile time, when the source code is translated into machine code; at load time, when the program is loaded into memory and executed by the loader; and even at run time, by application programs. On early computer systems, linking was performed manually. On modern systems, linking is performed automatically by programs called linkers.

Linkers play a crucial role in software development because they enable separate compilation. Instead of organizing a large application as one monolithic source file, we can decompose it into smaller, more manageable modules that can be modified and compiled separately. When we change one of these modules, we simply recompile it and relink the application, without having to recompile the other files.

To keep things concrete and understandable, we will couch our discussion in the context of an x86 system running Linux and using the standard ELF object file format. For clarity, we will focus our discussion on linking 32-bit code, which is easier to understand than linking 64-bit code.1 However, it is important to realize that the basic concepts of linking are universal, regardless of the operating system, the ISA, or the object file format. Details may vary, but the concepts are the same.