Linker (computing): Difference between revisions

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[[File:Linker.svg|thumb|An illustration of the linking process. Object files and [[static library|static libraries]] are assembled into a new library or executable]]

In [[computing]], aA '''linker''' or '''link editor''' is a computer [[System software|systemcomputer program]] that takescombines one or moreintermediate [[objectsoftware filebuild]]s (generatedfiles bysuch aas [[compilerobject file|object]] or anand [[assemblerlibrary (computing)|assemblerlibrary]]) and combines themfiles into a single [[executable]] file, such a program or library. A linker is often part of a [[librarytoolchain]] that includes a [[compiler]] and/or [[assembler (computing)|libraryassembler]] file,that orgenerates anotherintermediate "object"files filethat the linker processes. The linker may be integrated with other toolchain [[development tool|tools]] such that the user does not interact with the linker directly.

A simpler version that writes its [[Input/output|output]] directly to [[Computer memory|memory]] is called the ''loader'', though [[loader (computing)|loading]] is typically considered a separate process.<ref name="IBM_1972"/><ref name="Barron_1978_Consolidator"/>