EDUCBA

EDUCBA

MENUMENU
  • Free Tutorials
  • Free Courses
  • Certification Courses
  • 600+ Courses All in One Bundle
  • Login
Home Software Development Software Development Tutorials Software Development Basics What is Linker?
Secondary Sidebar
Software Development Basics
  • Basics
    • Microsoft Expression Web
    • IDE
    • Microsoft Flow
    • Unity Dashboard
    • Servlet Dispatcher
    • Types of Algorithms
    • Vue.js? nextTick
    • Vue.js Transition
    • Page Replacement Algorithms
    • What is CLI
    • Open Source Software
    • Solve Problems With Technology (Simple)
    • What is Application Software & Types
    • Microsoft Word Alternative
    • ADDIE Model
    • V-model advantages and disadvantages
    • Gatsby Plugins
    • Putty version
    • Xampp versions
    • Avro converter
    • Avro Data Types
    • Avro Schema Evolution
    • Avro Serialization
    • Cloudera Impala
    • Cloudera Careers
    • Entity Framework Core
    • Gulp File Include
    • Gulp Autoprefixer
    • Gulp File
    • Gulp Terser
    • System Software Tools
    • System Software Components
    • Typography App
    • Software as a Service (Saas)
    • Icon Font Pack
    • Interpret Results Using ANOVA Test
    • Blogging Insights Your Analytics
    • Increase Productivity Technology
    • Free Multimedia Software
    • Information Technology Benefits
    • What is SPSS and How Does It Work
    • Learn to Code For Beginners (Advance)
    • Uses of Coding
    • Uses Of Raspberry Pi
    • What Is System Design
    • Introduction to NLP
    • What is MapReduce
    • What is SoapUI
    • What is MVC
    • What is Multithreading
    • What is Neural Networks
    • What is Swift
    • What is PLC
    • What is Open Cart
    • What is Mainframe
    • What is JMS
    • What is Cognos
    • What is Open Source
    • What is Bot
    • What is SOAP
    • What is COBOL
    • What is GraphQL
    • What is Microcontroller
    • What is Open-Source License
    • What is Visual Studio Code
    • What is Pandas
    • What is Hypervisor
    • What is Common Gateway Interface
    • What is IDE?
    • What is MVC Design Pattern
    • What is Application Server
    • What is GPS
    • What is Botnet
    • What is Assembly Language
    • System Analysis And Design
    • HTTP Caching
    • What is Buffer Overflow
    • What is Ajax
    • What is Appium
    • What is SVN
    • What is SPSS
    • What is WCF
    • What is Groovy
    • What is Clickbait
    • What is SOA
    • What is GUI
    • What is FreeBSD
    • What is WebSocket
    • What is WordPress
    • What is OSPF
    • What is Coding
    • What is Raspberry Pi
    • HTTP Cookies
    • What is Hub?
    • What is Bridge
    • What is Switch
    • What is Internet Application
    • What is Sensors
    • What is Proximity Sensors
    • What is Full Stack
    • System Design Interview Questions
    • What is Salesforce technology
    • What is Salesforce Sales Cloud
    • What is OOP
    • What is CMD
    • What is React
    • React Redux Typescript
    • What is DSS
    • What is SVG
    • SVG File
    • Bash Sleep Command
    • What is MTU
    • What is Apex
    • What is Desktop Software
    • Tor Browser, Anonymity and Other Browsers
    • Avoid Pitfalls of Shadow IT
    • Freelance Web Graphic Designer
    • What is Storage Virtualization
    • What is Web Services?
    • What is Social Networking?
    • What is Microservices Architecture?
    • Microservices Tools
    • Advantages of Microservices
    • Uses of Internet
    • Software Platforms
    • Uses of Internet for Business
    • Architecture of Web Services
    • Web Application Testing
    • Advantages of Web Service
    • CPU Virtualization
    • Types of Web Services
    • Web Services Testing
    • What is RabbitMQ?
    • RabbitMQ Architecture
    • Advantages of Bitcoin
    • LINQ foreach
    • Penetration Testing Services
    • Puppet Alternatives
    • What is Memcached?
    • What is Browser?
    • Types of Satellites
    • Model Driven Architecture
    • Types of Variables in Statistics
    • Integration Architecture
    • What is API Integration?
    • What is Grid Computing?
    • Asus File Manager
    • What is GPRS?
    • What is Gradle?
    • What is Basecamp?
    • Software System Architecture
    • GSM Architecture
    • What is Nagios?
    • AppDynamics Tool
    • Logical Architecture
    • What is Microsoft Planner
    • What is Circuit Switching
    • What is ARM?
    • Embedded Control Systems
    • Embedded System Programming
    • Embedded System Development
    • Embedded Systems Software
    • Embedded System Project
    • Types of Embedded Systems
    • Requirement Engineering
    • Types of Engineering
    • What is WAP
    • What is Registry?
    • What is Dynatrace?
    • What is Digital Forensics?
    • Hardware Virtualization
    • AppDynamics Careers
    • Bandwidth Monitoring Tools
    • Ping Monitor Tools
    • Dynatrace Tools
    • What is Trello?
    • What is AppDynamics?
    • What is Remote Desktop?
    • What is Extranet?
    • What is LTE Network?
    • What is Firebase?
    • Website Monitoring Tool
    • Number Systems
    • Service Desk Manager
    • Static Website
    • Dynamic Website
    • What is Email?
    • What is URL Link?
    • What is Program?
    • What is Lock Screen?
    • What is Grafana
    • Unguided Media Transmission
    • IT Governance
    • IT Governance Framework
    • Remote Support Softwares
    • What is Unification?
    • Topological Map
    • What is LAMP?
    • USB Flash Drive
    • Software Development Models
    • Digital Circuit
    • What is Webpack?
    • Fault Tolerance
    • What is DSL Modem?
    • What is Mozilla Firefox?
    • What is Vagrant?
    • Types of Research Methodology
    • Grafana Plugins
    • Ionic Components
    • Nginx Error_page
    • Nginx Include
    • Nginx Version
    • Nginx Force HTTPS
    • Nginx Environment Variables
    • Nginx Container
    • RabbitMQ Routing Key
    • CakePHP
    • Telegram Features
    • What is CDN
    • RethinkDB
    • Symfony Version
    • UWP
    • cPanel version
    • What is assembly?
    • Seed7
    • Switching Techniques
    • OCaml
    • Pseudocode?Algorithm
    • Quality Control Methods
    • What is OneNote?
    • Workstation Uses
    • Soft Computing Techniques
    • Remote Access Software
    • Remote Desktop Tools
    • OneNote Shortcuts
    • Software Review
    • What is Qubit?
    • Static Analysis Tools
    • Register in Microprocessor
    • What is VDI?
    • What is Svelte?
    • RabbitMQ Version
    • Groovy Version
    • Code Walkthrough
    • What is Telegram?
    • Gradle Version
    • What is Recycle Bin?
    • What is Cordova?
    • Swagger version
    • Doxygen
    • Phalcon
    • Metasploit Framework
    • Microsoft Word Shortcut Keys
    • Wordpad shortcut keys
    • Burp Suite
    • Google Docs Shortcuts
    • Install VPN
    • Frontend Challenges
    • CodeIgniter Version
    • VMware Tools
    • CDMA Advantages
    • CDMA Uses
    • Servlet Session Management
    • ServletConfig
    • Servlet Class
    • Log4j Version
    • Remote Desktop Softwares
    • Soapui Load Test
    • Scikit Learn Version
    • VMware Benefits
    • Google Slides Shortcuts
    • What is XAMPP?
    • What is PyGTK?
    • VMware Fusion
    • What is cPanel?
    • Ubuntu Version
    • Server Types
    • App Analytics Tools
    • DNS Types
    • Evernote Features
    • Restful architecture
    • GNOME Keyboard Shortcuts
    • AngelScript
    • NativeScript Layouts
    • PowerPoint Version
    • setInterval Function
    • Shopify Apps
    • TypeScript foreach loop
    • Socio Technical System
    • PowerPoint Shortcut Keys
    • Civil Engineering Tools
    • OpenLayers vs Leaflet
    • Circuit Switching Advantages and Disadvantages
    • LotusScript
    • Multiplexer
    • Multiple Access Protocol
    • Types of Broadband
    • What is Standardization
    • Methods of Development
    • Software Requirement Specification
    • CentOS restart network
    • Bouncy numbers
    • Burp suite proxy
    • Redshift window functions
    • Mesh Topology Advantages and Disadvantages
    • What is Zabbix?
    • Test Techniques
    • Test Development
    • What is PyCharm
    • What is REST
    • JDBC version
    • System software features
    • Ableton versions
    • Unreal engine version
    • RAD advantage disadvantage
    • Incremental Model Advantage and Disadvantage
    • Disadvantages of Internet
    • What is VoIP
    • WAP Architecture
    • CentOS unzip
    • Cubase Shortcuts
    • Cubase Versions
    • Libreoffice shortcut keys
    • Archiving Software
    • Layered Architecture
    • Coverage Types
    • What is Kivy?
    • Types of Methodology
    • Swift JSON
    • JSON Serialize
    • TypeScript?boolean
    • TypeScript keyof object
    • TypeScript RegEx
    • TypeScript?date
    • TypeScript object
    • CentOS Version
    • XSLT if else
    • Binary Search JavaScript
    • Binary search with recursion
    • PLSQL Replace
    • Evernote Notes
    • Rust vs Python
    • Test Scenario
    • Deadlock in Operating System
    • MVVM Architecture
    • MVVM Flutter
    • What is Keyboard
    • WordPress Hosting
    • Software requirement
    • CentOS Add User to Group
    • Backup Types
    • Firewall Rules
    • Microprocessor Features
    • Maven Versions
    • OneNote features
    • Binary search tree insertion
    • Quick sort algorithm
    • B+ tree insertion
    • What is Automation?
    • What is Digital Electronics?
    • Wireless Transmission Media
    • Border Gateway Protocol
    • Email Encryption Software
    • Endpoint Encryption
    • Outlook Alternative
    • What is Abacus
    • Encapsulation Benefits
    • FL Studio Keyboard Shortcuts
    • NordVPN Features
    • Statsmodels API
    • Statsmodels Linear Regression
    • Buzz number
    • Krishnamurthy Number
    • What is Compact Disc?
    • Bucket Sort Algorithm
    • Insertion Sort Algorithm
    • Redis Version
    • Chatbot Benefits
    • Full Stack Technologies
    • Civil Engineering Types
    • Tomcat Web Server
    • Tomcat Native
    • Tkinter Scrolledtext
    • Anaconda Navigator
    • UML Class Diagram
    • System Monitoring Tool
    • Drupal Features
    • Drupal Free Themes
    • Drupal Modules
    • Drupal 9
    • Drupal Developer
    • Drupal Webform
    • Drupal 8
    • Drupal 8 Themes
    • Drupal Views
    • System Software Functions
    • What is Linker?
    • What is K Map?
    • Website Testing Tool
    • TypeScript map
    • TypeScript enum
    • TypeScript class
    • Hill Climbing Algorithm
    • Hashmap and Hashtable
    • Nexus Plugin
    • Entity Framework Delete by ID
    • What is NumPy?
    • What is NLP?
    • Vishing Attack
    • Test Plan in Software Testing
    • Guest Mode
    • What is Mockito?
    • Advantage of the Internet
    • SVG Creator
    • Rails Logger
    • Intellij Plugins
    • Intellij Shortcuts
    • IntelliJ Maven
    • IntelliJ JavaFX
    • IntelliJ Lombok Plugin
    • IntelliJ Format Code
    • IntelliJ gitignore
    • IntelliJ Find and Replace
    • RESTEasy

Related Courses

Software Testing Training

Selenium Training Certification

Appium Training

JMeter Certification Training

What is Linker?

What is Linker?

What is Linker?

Suppose you are leading a project, and the project is divided into multiple parts on the basis of resources available and the expertise of each individual. Now, each of these small portions of the project is equivalent to a small project in itself, each having their own set of inputs and outputs. But for you to publish the entire project as a single product needs a way to combine all these pieces of the puzzle in such a way that we make a single product. In computing terms, this is what linking is, and the component which does that is the linker. So, combining all the multiple files to a single executable is what linking is. The program that takes the files generated by the compiler to make it into one executable is called a linker.

Why do we Use Linker?

Now, before we jump onto understanding the use of a linker, we need to be well versed with a few terminologies so that one will be able to appreciate the use of a linker. At first, we will look at terminology Symbols. In the source code, all the variables and functions are referred to by names. For example, suppose you declare a variable int x. In that case, we are essentially informing the compiler to set aside some memory for memory required by int. from here on, anywhere I reference “x,” I will be referring to the memory location where this variable is stored.  Hence, if we mention a variable or a function, it is nothing more than a symbol to program. For us, it is easy to understand symbols, but for the processor, it means nothing more than a specific command it should execute. This command should be interpreted in machine language from the programming language a user write. For example, if we use x+=8, the compiler should convert this to something like “increase the value at the memory of “x” by 8 units”.

The next term is symbol visibility. This is more often used if 2 or more function needs to share a variable. For this, we would take the help of symbols that would have specific meaning for a programming language. For example, in C, we can use the symbol extern to reference a variable in another file, and the extern symbol will make sure to reference it to the variable in another file. Hence, increasing the visibility of the variable, which is declared only in one file.

The entire linking process is carried out in two parts; the first one is collecting all the files into a single executable file, i.e., to read all the symbol definitions and note the unresolved symbols, and then in the next step, go through each of the unresolved symbols and fix them up to right places. Post this process; there should be no unresolved symbol, or else the linker will fail. And this process of inking is known as Static Linking. This is because all these checks are performed during the compilation of the source program. An advanced concept is of dynamic linking, where variables and symbols are linked at the run time. The executable image would consist of an additional file of a sharable library.

Start Your Free Software Development Course

Web development, programming languages, Software testing & others

Now let us understand the necessity of using linkers. If you are working on a huge project consisting of millions of code lines and due to customer requirements, you would have to change only a portion of a file and then compile the code again. Don’t you think, if we compile all the millions of lines of code again, it will result in unnecessary time loss. In current modern optimizing, compilers perform high code analysis and memory allocation and can take even longer. This is where linkers would come into play as most of the third-party libraries would be affected rarely, and the files which are affected by code change are less as well. Hence, when the compilation of the code is performed, the compiler creates an object file. With each file change, only the corresponding object file gets updated. Now, the job of the linker is to gather these object files and use them to generate the final executable. Here the third-party libraries are used via shared libraries.

Now, in recent times we have seen that not all OS would create a single executable. Rather it prefers to run on components that keep the functions together. For example, Windows uses DLLs for the task. This helps in reducing the size of executable, but in hand increases the dependency on the existing DLLs. DOS uses.OVL files.

Importance of Linker

In recent times, with the compiler evolving constantly, we have begun writing more optimized code every other day. Though linkers come at the very end of gluing together the object files, one would have a notion that the technology hasn’t changed much. But with recent advancements, linkers have even higher importance.

All in One Software Development Bundle(600+ Courses, 50+ projects)
Python TutorialC SharpJavaJavaScript
C Plus PlusSoftware TestingSQLKali Linux
Price
View Courses
600+ Online Courses | 50+ projects | 3000+ Hours | Verifiable Certificates | Lifetime Access
4.6 (86,452 ratings)

With Linker hardening, linkers will be able to remap non-dynamic sections of relocation to read-only. Having it read-only would improve things in running the code in an optimized way. Another importance is that linkers can use intermediate representation in the object files to identify sites where inlining may prove beneficial and thus help link-time optimization.

Advantages

With the discussions above, we have an idea of what advantages linkers bring in place for developers, and here we would formally put them in points.

  • There need not be any duplication of the library required, as the frequently used libraries will be available in one location. An example of such an advantage is having standard system libraries.
  • Change of libraries used dynamically by various other codes will easily get corrected or upgraded by the change of the library in a single space. However, the ones linked by static linking would have to manually re-link again.
  • With the use of static linking, we can avoid having “DLL hell,” which is a problem when the code is working with DLLs running on a single memory space.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the crux of the entire article of linkers is that it is an inevitable part of the process of compilation of code. And with the recent developments, we have seen the level of optimization of the code has increased multi-fold. Linkers are pieces in the chessboard, which glue the different source files into a single unified program to solve a business problem!

Recommended Articles

This is a guide to What is Linker?. Here we also discuss the introduction and why we use linker? Along with importance and advantages. You may also have a look at the following articles to learn more –

  1. What is DSL Modem?
  2. What is Social Media?
  3. What is Port
  4. What is a Microphone
Popular Course in this category
Software Testing Training (11 Courses, 2 Projects)
  11 Online Courses |  2 Hands-on Projects |  65+ Hours |  Verifiable Certificate of Completion
4.5
Price

View Course

Related Courses

Selenium Automation Testing Training (11 Courses, 4+ Projects, 4 Quizzes)4.9
Appium Training (2 Courses)4.8
JMeter Testing Training (3 Courses)4.7
0 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Primary Sidebar
Footer
About Us
  • Blog
  • Who is EDUCBA?
  • Sign Up
  • Live Classes
  • Corporate Training
  • Certificate from Top Institutions
  • Contact Us
  • Verifiable Certificate
  • Reviews
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  •  
Apps
  • iPhone & iPad
  • Android
Resources
  • Free Courses
  • Java Tutorials
  • Python Tutorials
  • All Tutorials
Certification Courses
  • All Courses
  • Software Development Course - All in One Bundle
  • Become a Python Developer
  • Java Course
  • Become a Selenium Automation Tester
  • Become an IoT Developer
  • ASP.NET Course
  • VB.NET Course
  • PHP Course

ISO 10004:2018 & ISO 9001:2015 Certified

© 2022 - EDUCBA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE CERTIFICATION NAMES ARE THE TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

EDUCBA
Free Software Development Course

C# Programming, Conditional Constructs, Loops, Arrays, OOPS Concept

*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

EDUCBA Login

Forgot Password?

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

EDUCBA
Free Software Development Course

Web development, programming languages, Software testing & others

*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

EDUCBA

*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Let’s Get Started

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. By closing this banner, scrolling this page, clicking a link or continuing to browse otherwise, you agree to our Privacy Policy

Loading . . .
Quiz
Question:

Answer:

Quiz Result
Total QuestionsCorrect AnswersWrong AnswersPercentage

Explore 1000+ varieties of Mock tests View more