Tools -and file types used in the build process

This page briefly lists the main Symbian-specific tools and file types -used in building components. In addition to these tools, the build process -will use compilers and linkers supplied by various third party companies.

Tools - - - -

Tool

Description

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bldmake

This tool processes a component description file (bld.inf), -which describes various aspects of the component, and generates make files -and a batch file called abld.bat. This batch file is -then used to drive the rest of the component build.

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abld

Calls the .make files generated by the bldmake tool -to build a component. The make files typically call the makmake tool -to create makefiles that specify the required build steps to build the component -for a particular target.

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makmake

Takes a .mmp project file which lists the elements -of the project, and produces a makefile for the platform specified. The GCC make utility -is then called to execute the make file.

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elf2e32

Converts the ELF representation of an executable into an E32Image -format file, the format required to run on Symbian platform. Used only for -ARMV5 (ABIv2) target.

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elftran

Transforms the ELF representation of an executable into an E32Image -format file, the format required to run on Symbian platform. Used only for -ARMV5 (ABIv1) target.

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elf2Inf

Gets a list of the symbol names of the exported definitions from -an ELF file. Its output .inf file is input to makedef. -Used only for ARMV5 (ABIv1) target.

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makedef

Maintains or creates DEF files, which record an executable's exported -symbols by ordinal.

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def2dll

Creates binary objects used to implement the Symbian platform DLL -model. These are a representation (ELF) of the export table (.exp file), -and its import library (.lib). Used only for ARMV5 (ABIv1) -target.

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epocrc

Combines the actions of passing a resource file through the C++ -preprocessor, and then compiling it with the rcomp tool.

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rcomp

Resource compiler. Compiles source rss resource -files into compiled resource data files, and a rsg resource -header file.

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bmconv

Bitmap converter. Takes one or more Microsoft Windows bitmaps .bmp and -generates a single multi-bitmap file .mbm, optimised -for efficient runtime loading by the GDI. Also a header file .h with -symbolic definitions for each bitmap in the file.

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More specialised tools are available for particular types of development, -e.g. for generating font and printer driver libraries.

File types

The following file types are involved -in the build processes:

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bld.inf

component description file, input to bldmake

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.mmp

project file: specification of a project, input to abld/makmake

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.<target>

a makefile, output from makmake, used to build -the project for the specified target. Examples are .winscw for -the WINSCW target, .armv5 for the ARMV5 target, etc.

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.make

build batch makefile, for use by abld for the -purposes of building, output from bldmake bldfiles

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.cpp

C++ source file

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header file, for inclusion in C++ file

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.rss

resource source file, for input to rcomp

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.rh

resource header, for inclusion in resource file

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.hrh

common C++ or resource header, for inclusion in either type of source -file

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.rsg

generated resource header file, output from rcomp

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.rsc

generated resource file, output from rcomp

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.bmp

bitmap file, in Microsoft Windows format, input to bmconv (can -also be output)

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.mbm

multi-bitmap file, generated by Symbian platform bitmap compiler, -output from bmconv (can also be input)

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.def

linker definition file, defining an executable's exports and their -ordinal positions.

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.lib

static library file, often containing stub functions for DLL linking.

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.map

map of entities in an executable, output by linker

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.exe

executable that can be loaded and run as a process

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.dll

dynamic link library or DLL: executable containing shared functionality -that can be loaded by other executables

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.dso

ELF format file output by compiler/linkers for ARM targets. Also -used for linking against DLLs in the ARMV5 ABIv2 target.

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