Mapping object formats to GOFF format

Migration of current OBJ usage to GOFF style is straightforward, and is necessary only if the new GOFF facilities are needed. (The program management binder will continue to accept OBJ records.)

In general, the first step in creating a GOFF record will be to initialize the record buffer to binary zeros; most of the fields will not be needed, and zeros will provide the proper default values.

The GOFF analogs of current OBJ facilities are shown here, along with examples of the kinds of Assembler Language statements or operands that create them:

ESD records
OBJ ESD records can contain the following types of information:
- SD names, including PC elements (blank SD names): these are derived from START, CSECT, and RSECT statements.
- CM names: these are derived from COM statements.
- LD names: these are derived from ENTRY statements.
- ER names (possibly, WX): these are derived from EXTRN and WXTRN statements, and from the names in V-type address constants.
- PR names: these are derived from DXD statements, and Q-type address constants containing DSECT names.
TXT records
Current OBJ TXT records contain simply an ESDID (of the section to which the text belongs), a length, and an address. The contents of TXT records are derived from the machine language instructions and data generated during the assembly process.
RLD records
Each item on OBJ RLD records is derived from an A-type, V-type, or Q-type address constant, or from a CXD statement.
END records
Current OBJ END records can contain an optional entry point request (either as an external name, or as an ESDID/offset combination to request entry within a module), plus zero to two IDR elements. The data on the END record is created by the translator (first IDR element), or is derived from the operand(s) of the END statement (requested entry point and second IDR item).
SYM records
Current OBJ SYM records have no analog in GOFF records; they are produced when the Assembler's TEST option is specified. The information currently collected on SYM records should be produced in GOFF ADATA records, or in some other translator-defined class. No mappings are shown for SYM data, nor for other forms of symbol tables.

It is assumed that translators will not produce nonstandard forms of object module records (for example, zero-data ESD records or blank SD items).