Complex Resolutions

Complex resolutions occur when two symbols of the same name are found with differing attributes. In these cases, the link-editor generates a warning message, while selecting the most appropriate symbol. This message indicates the symbol, the attributes that conflict, and the identity of the file from which the symbol definition is taken. In the following example, two files with a definition of the data item array have different size requirements.

$ cat foo.c
int array[1];

$ cat bar.c
int array[2] = { 1, 2 };

$ cc -dn -r -o temp.o foo.c bar.c
ld: warning: symbol `array' has differing sizes:
        (file foo.o value=0x4; file bar.o value=0x8);
        bar.o definition taken

A similar diagnostic is produced if the symbol's alignment requirements differ. In both of these cases, the diagnostic can be suppressed by using the link-editor's -t option.

Another form of attribute difference is the symbol's type. In the following example, the symbol bar() has been defined as both a data item and a function.

$ cat foo.c
int bar()
{
        return (0);
}
$ cc -o libfoo.so -G -K pic foo.c
$ cat main.c
int     bar = 1;

int main()
{
        return (bar);
}
$ cc -o main main.c -L. -lfoo
ld: warning: symbol `bar' has differing types:
        (file main.o type=OBJT; file ./libfoo.so type=FUNC);
        main.o definition taken

Symbol types in this context are classifications that can be expressed in ELF. These symbol types are not related to the data types as employed by the programming language, except in the crudest fashion.

In cases like the previous example, the relocatable object definition is taken when the resolution occurs between a relocatable object and a shared object. Or, the first definition is taken when the resolution occurs between two shared objects. When such resolutions occur between symbols of weak or global binding, a warning is also produced.

Inconsistencies between symbol types are not suppressed by the link-editor's -t option.