The ANALYZE/OBJECT command describes the contents of one or more object modules contained in one or more files. It also performs a partial error analysis. This analysis determines whether all records in an object module conform in content, format, and sequence to the specifications of the I64, Alpha, or VAX Object Language. On OpenVMS I64 systems, the ANALYZE/OBJECT command automatically distinguishes I64, Alpha, and VAX objects by examining the format of the object modules header. ANALYZE/OBJECT is intended primarily for programmers compilers, debuggers, or other software involving the operating system's object modules. It checks that that the ELF object format (I64) or the object language records (VAX and Alpha) generated by the object modules are acceptable to the Linker utility, and it identifies certain errors in the file. It also provides a description of the records in the object file or object module library. For more information on the linker and on the Alpha and VAX object languages, refer to the HP OpenVMS Linker Utility Manual. Information on the I64 object format will be available in a future release. NOTES For I64 images and objects, the Analyze utility determines whether the file it analyzes is an image file or object file. Although Analyze allows you to specify ANALYZE/IMAGE on an ELF object file, use ANALYZE/IMAGE for ELF image files and ANALYZE/OJBECT for ELF object files. The OpenVMS VAX and OpenVMS Alpha versions of ANALYZE/OBJECT are not fully capable of analyzing non-platform objects (for example I64 objects on VAX or Alpha). The output format of ANALYZE/OBJECT for ELF objects may change. Further, the default behavior for analyzing ELF objects differs from the behavior for analyzing Alpha or VAX objects. For ELF objects, a summary of the major ELF tables is displayed. With this information, you can select specific sections for further analysis. To locate errors, the entire object should be analyzed by selecting all sections. When you analyze I64 objects on I64 platforms, ANALYZE/OBJECT accepts either VAX- or Alpha-only qualifiers, but ignores any effect of these qualifiers. The ANALYZE/OBJECT command analyzes the object modules in order, record by record, from the first to the last record in the object module. Fields in each record are analyzed in order from the first to the last field in the record. After the object module is analyzed, you should compare the content and format of each type of record to the required content and format of that record as described by the OpenVMS I64, Alpha, or OpenVMS VAX Object Language. This comparison is particularly important if the analysis output contains a diagnostic message. ANALYZE/OBJECT displays the following information for object modules: o Module architecture and type o Module name o Module version o Module creation date and time o Language processor creator Linking an object module differs from analyzing an object module. The object's contents are not interpreted; rather, only the meta information is checked for consistancy. As a result, even if the analysis is error free, the linking operation may not be. In particular, the analysis does not check the following for VAX and Alpha objects: o That data arguments in TIR commands are in the correct format o That "Store Data" TIR commands are storing within legal address limits Therefore, as a final check, you should still link an object module whose analysis is error free. If an error is found, however, the first error of the worst severity that is discovered is returned. For example, if a warning (A) and two errors (B and C) are signaled, then the first error (B) is returned as the image exit status, which is placed in the DCL symbol $STATUS at image exit. ANALYZE/OBJECT uses positional qualifiers; that is, qualifiers whose function depends on their position in the command line. When a positional qualifier precedes all of the input files in a command line, it affects all input files. For example, the following command line requests that the analysis include the global symbol directory records in files A, B, and C: $ ANALYZE/OBJECT/GSD A,B,C Conversely, when a positional qualifier is associated with only one file in the parameter list, only that file is affected. For example, the following command line requests that the analysis include the global symbol directory records in file B only: $ ANALYZE/OBJECT A,B/GSD,C For VAX and Alpha objects, typically, all records in an object module are analyzed. However, when the /DBG, /EOM, /GSD, /LNK, /MHD, /TBT, or /TIR qualifier is specified, only the record types indicated by the qualifiers are analyzed. All other record types are ignored. By default, the analysis includes all record types unless you explicitly request a limited analysis using appropriate qualifiers. NOTE For VAX and Alpha End-of-Module (EOM) records and module header (MHD) records are always analyzed, no matter which qualifiers you specify. For I64 objects the Elf header, the section header table and the note section are always analyzed, no matter which qualifiers you specify.