[Bug ld/4538] static initialization ignored in static archive (.a)

[ejt at andrew dot cmu dot edu]

------- Additional Comments From ejt at andrew dot cmu dot edu  2007-05-23 
16:25 -------
> You are incorrect.  The standard does not cover archive libraries, and
> so the definition of "container" you're assuming has no basis in the
> standard.
It doesn't need to cover archives, containers, or any other such wrappers!
It covers what goes *into* the wrapper.  Your wrapper changes the behavior of 
the stuff that's inside, 
thus breaking what *is* covered and expected by the spec.

I consider this a bug, unless you want to argue that it's acceptable behavior 
for the archive to change 
the runtime results of code which is produced with it.  That's a very slippery 
slope, because then *any* 
bug report is going to be brushed off with this excuse.  Maybe you'd like that 
;)  But I prefer consistent 
executables whenever possible, and this is definitely possible.  You already 
have --whole_archive, just 
add --all_init (or something like that) so we don't have to throw the baby 
(faster links, reduced size) out 
with the bathwater (skipping initialization).

> I'm positive there are people relying on the current behavior.
> Changing it would be a bad idea.
** We don't have to change the current default behavior! **
My suggested solutions wouldn't affect current code:
Just add a flag so that people who are relying on this aren't bothered, and 
those of us who expect 
proper functionality can get it without sacrificing the archive format 
altogether.


-- 


http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=4538

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