TNS/E Native Application Conversion Guide

Introduction to Native Mode
TNS/E Native Application Conversion Guide—529659-003
1-8
Native C Run-Time Library
Native C Run-Time Library
The native C run-time library provides functions conforming to the ISO/ANSI C
Standard. It also contains functions conforming to the X/OPEN UNIX 95 specification
and HP extensions for NonStop systems to these standards.
The native C run-time library supports Guardian and OSS processes. The native C
run-time library is nearly identical for the Guardian and OSS environments and
therefore increases the interoperability between environments.
The native C run-time library does not have many of the nonstandard functions in the
Guardian TNS C run-time library. However, the native C library does have additional
functions from the X/OPEN UNIX 95 specification that are absent from the Guardian
and OSS TNS C libraries. The native C run-time library also provides additional local
sensitive functions and algorithmic code-set converters for use in internationalized
OSS applications. For details, see the Software Internationalization Guide .
The TNS and native C run-time libraries return the same error messages. The native C
run-time library returns additional errno return values.
Native Linker (eld Utility)
The native linker, eld, links one or more native position-independent code (PIC)
linkfiles (object files generated by the native compilers or by eld) to produce either a
loadfile or a linkable native object file. The loadfile is either a program or a dynamic-link
library (DLL) that can be loaded into memory and executed. (For more information, see
Native Object File Format on page 1-16.) eld can also modify process attributes, such
as HIGHPIN, of executable native object files and strip nonessential information from
native object files.
eld is used instead of Binder for native object files. Binder and eld have a different
syntax and operate on different object file types, but perform essentially the same
operations.
The TNS/E environment also provides a run-time loader, rld, that works with the
operating system to dynamically link and load PIC loadfiles and their requisite DLLs
into memory at execution time. You do not call rld directly (at the command prompt),
but you can access it programmatically through the rld run-time linking functions. For
more information about eld and rld, see the eld Manual and the rld Manual .
Unlike Binder, eld cannot replace individual procedures and data blocks in an object
file or build an object file from individual procedures and data blocks. eld operates on
procedures and data blocks, but only in terms of an entire object file.
eld does not support the Binder SELECT SEARCH behavior. In most cases, you can
use archive files (files created by the ar utility) to replace this behavior. For more
information on the differences between Binder and eld, see the eld Manual .
eld runs in the Guardian and OSS environments and on the PC, either at the
command prompt or as part of ETK. eld syntax and capabilities are nearly identical in
each environment.