[PATCH] D142660: [AIX] supporting -X options for llvm-ranlib in AIX OS

[James Henderson via Phabricator via cfe-commits]

jhenderson added a comment.

I haven't looked again at the rest of this patch. I'll do so hopefully in the next couple of weeks.



================
Comment at: llvm/tools/llvm-ar/llvm-ar.cpp:80
+         << "  -U                    - Use actual timestamps and uids/gids\n"
+         << "  -X {32|64|32_64}      - Specifies the type of object files"
+            "llvm-ranlib should examine (AIX OS only)\n";
----------------
DiggerLin wrote:
> stephenpeckham wrote:
> > I think the AIX documentation for ranlib isn't as helpful as it could be. I actually like a variation of the original message better:
> > 
> > "-X {32|64|32_64}      - Specifies which archive symbol tables should be generated if they do not already exist (AIX OS only)\n"
> > 
> > This implies that a 32-bit (64-bit) global symbol table is generated by examining XCOFF32 (XCOFF64) members.
> > 
> > But this wording doesn't really fit with the command description: Generate an //index// for archives. Should this be "Generate an index or symbol tables for archives"? Or just "Generate symbol tables for archives"?  The usage message for llvm-ar also mixes "index" and "symbol table"
> I think the llvm-ranlib generates the global symbol table, index is to general.  if we want to change the description,  Maybe the "Generate symbol tables for archives" is better and we should create a separate patch for it.  what do you think. at jhenderson 
So a quick look at GNU ranlib shows it uses the term "index". This makes a degree of sense: the "symbol table" is simply a map between symbol name and which archive member it is in, much like at the end of a book is from topics to pages. In other words "index" and "symbol table" mean the same thing in this context and can be used interchangeably.

Given that GNU uses the "index" terminology, I don't think we should change the main llvm-ranlib description. I'm happy for "symbol table" or "index" to be used in the help text here for this option.


Repository:
  rG LLVM Github Monorepo

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https://reviews.llvm.org/D142660