Which of the following statement(s) regarding a linker software is/are true ?…
2017
Which of the following statement(s) regarding a linker software is/are true ?
I. A function of a linker is to combine several object modules into a single load module.
II A function of a linker is to replace absolute references in an object module by symbolic references to locations in other modules.
- A.
Only I
- B.
Only II
- C.
Both I and II
- D.
Neither I nor II
Attempted by 380 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Answer: Only I is true.
Statement I — True: A linker combines several object modules into a single loadable module. It merges code and data from different object files and resolves references between them to produce a single output module.
Statement II — False: A linker does not replace absolute references with symbolic references. Rather, linkers resolve symbolic references (names) to concrete addresses and update references accordingly; relocation adjusts addresses when the final locations are known.
Summary: The key responsibilities of a linker are module combination, symbol resolution, and relocation. The loader then places the resulting load module into memory for execution.