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

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + + +

makedef

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

+ + +

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.

+ + +

epocrc

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

+ + +

rcomp

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

+ + +

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.

+ + + +

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:

+ + + +

bld.inf

component description file, input to bldmake

+ + +

.mmp

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

+ + +

.<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.

+ + +

.make

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

+ + +

.cpp

C++ source file

+ + +

header file, for inclusion in C++ file

+ + +

.rss

resource source file, for input to rcomp

+ + +

.rh

resource header, for inclusion in resource file

+ + +

.hrh

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

+ + +

.rsg

generated resource header file, output from rcomp

+ + +

.rsc

generated resource file, output from rcomp

+ + +

.bmp

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

+ + +

.mbm

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

+ + +

.def

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

+ + +

.lib

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

+ + +

.map

map of entities in an executable, output by linker

+ + +

.exe

executable that can be loaded and run as a process

+ + +

.dll

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

+ + +

.dso

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

+ + + +