15.5 Options

When you use the MPLAB XC32 archiver/librarian with command line options, the archiver insists on at least two arguments to execute: one key letter specifying the operation (optionally accompanied by other key letters specifying modifiers), and the archive name.

xc32-ar [-]P[MOD [RELPOS][COUNT]] ARCHIVE [MEMBER...]

Note: Command line options are case sensitive.

Most operations can also accept further MEMBER arguments, specifying archive members. Without specifying members, the entire archive is used.

The MPLAB XC32 archiver/librarian allows you to mix the operation code P and modifier flags MOD in any order, within the first command line argument. If you wish, you may begin the first command line argument with a dash.

The P keyletter specifies what operation to execute; it may be any of the following, but you must specify only one of them.

Table 15-1. Operation to Execute
Option	Function
`d`	Delete modules from the archive. Specify the names of modules to be deleted as `MEMBER`...; the archive is untouched if you specify no files to delete. If you specify the v modifier, the XC32 archiver/librarian lists each module as it is deleted.
`m`	Use this operation to move members in an archive. The ordering of members in an archive can make a difference in how programs are linked using the library, if a symbol is defined in more than one member. If no modifiers are used with m, any members you name in the `MEMBER` arguments are moved to the end of the archive; you can use the `a`, `b` or `i` modifiers to move them to a specified place instead.
`p`	Print the specified members of the archive, to the standard output file. If the v modifier is specified, show the member name before copying its contents to standard output. If you specify no `MEMBER` arguments, all the files in the archive are printed.
`q`	Append the files `MEMBER`... into `ARCHIVE`.
`r`	Insert the files `MEMBER`... into `ARCHIVE` (with replacement). If one of the files named in `MEMBER`... does not exist, the archiver displays an error message and leaves undisturbed any existing members of the archive matching that name. By default, new members are added at the end of the file; but you may use one of the modifiers `a`, `b` or `i` to request placement relative to some existing member. The modifier v used with this operation elicits a line of output for each file inserted, along with one of the letters a or r to indicate whether the file was appended (no old member deleted) or replaced.
`t`	Display a table listing the contents of `ARCHIVE`, or those of the files listed in `MEMBER`..., that are present in the archive. Normally only the member name is shown; if you also want to see the modes (permissions), timestamp, owner, group and size, you can request that by also specifying the v modifier. To display offsets of files in the archive, specify the O modifier. If you do not specify a `MEMBER`, all files in the archive are listed. For example, if there is more than one file with the same name (`fie`) in an archive (`b.a`), then `xc32-ar t b.a fie` lists only the first instance; to see them all, you must ask for a complete listing in `xc32-ar t b.a`.
`x`	Extract members (named `MEMBER`) from the archive. You can use the `v` modifier with this operation, to request that the archiver list each name as it extracts it. If you do not specify a `MEMBER`, all files in the archive are extracted.

A number of modifiers (MOD) may immediately follow the P keyletter to specify variations on an operation’s behavior.

Table 15-2. Modifiers
Option	Function
`@ file`	Read options from `file`.
`a`	Add new files after an existing member of the archive. If you use the modifier `a`, the name of an existing archive member must be present as the `RELPOS` argument, before the `ARCHIVE` specification.
`b`	Add new files before an existing member of the archive. If you use the modifier `b`, the name of an existing archive member must be present as the `RELPOS` argument, before the `ARCHIVE` specification (Same as `i`).
`c`	Create the archive. The specified `v` is always created if it did not exist, when you requested an update. But a warning is issued unless you specify in advance that you expect to create it, by using this modifier.
D	Create reproducable archives, also known as 'deterministic mode'. When adding files and the archive index use zero for UIDs, GIDs, timestamps, and use consistent file modes for all files. When this option is used, if xc32-ar is used with identical options and identical input files, multiple runs will create identical output files regardless of the input files' owners, groups, file modes, or modification times.
`f`	Truncate names in the archive. The XC32 archiver/librarian will normally permit file names of any length. This will cause it to create archives that are not compatible with the native archiver program on some systems. If this is a concern, the `f` modifier may be used to truncate file names when putting them in the archive.
`i`	Insert new files before an existing member of the archive. If you use the modifier `i`, the name of an existing archive member must be present as the `RELPOS` argument, before the `ARCHIVE` specification (Same as `b`).
`l`	This modifier is accepted but not used.
`N`	Uses the `COUNT` parameter. This is used if there are multiple entries in the archive with the same name. Extract or delete instance `COUNT` of the given name from the archive.
`O`	Display member offsets inside the archive. Use together with the `t` option.
`o`	Preserve the original dates of members when extracting them. If you do not specify this modifier, files extracted from the archive are stamped with the time of extraction.
`P`	Use the full path name when matching names in the archive. The XC32 archiver/librarian cannot create an archive with a full path name (such archives are not `POSIX` compliant), but other archive creators can. This option will cause the archiver to match file names using a complete path name, which can be convenient when extracting a single file from an archive created by another tool.
`s`	Write an object-file index into the archive, or update an existing one, even if no other change is made to the archive. You may use this modifier flag either with any operation, or alone. Running `xc32-ar s` on an archive is equivalent to running `xc32-ranlib` on it.
`S`	Do not generate an archive symbol table. This can speed up building a large library in several steps. The resulting archive cannot be used with the linker. In order to build a symbol table, you must omit the `S` modifier on the last execution of the archiver, or you must run ranlib on the archive.
`u`	Normally, `xc32-ar r`... inserts all files listed into the archive. If you would like to insert only those of the files you list that are newer than existing members of the same names, use this modifier. The `u` modifier is allowed only for the operation `r` (replace). In particular, the combination `qu` is not allowed, since checking the timestamps would lose any speed advantage from the operation `q`.
`v`	This modifier requests the verbose version of an operation. Many operations display additional information, such as, file names processed when the modifier `v` is appended.
`V`	This modifier shows the version number of the XC32 archiver/librarian.