7.3.4 Linker Output Files

By default, the name of the linker output binary file is a.out. You can override the default name by specifying the -o option on the command line. The MPLAB X IDE project manager uses the -o option to name the output file projectname.elf, where projectname is the name of your MPLAB X IDE project.

The format of the binary file is an Executable and Linking Format (ELF) file. The Executable and Linking Format was originally developed and published by UNIX System Laboratories (USL) as part of the Application Binary Interface (ABI). The ELF specification is the result of the work of the Tool Interface Standards (TIS) Committee, an association of members of the microcomputer industry formed to work toward standardization of the software interfaces visible to development tools.

The debugging information within the ELF file is in the DWARF Debugging Information format. Also a result of the work of the TIS Committee, the DWARF format uses a series of debugging entries to define a low-level representation of a source program. A DWARF consumer, such as MPLAB X IDE, can then use the representation to create an accurate picture of the original source program.