elf_rawfile(3E)elf_rawfile(3E)NAMEelf_rawfile - retrieve uninterpreted file contents
SYNOPSIS
[flag... ] file... [library] ...
DESCRIPTION
returns a pointer to an uninterpreted byte image of the file. This
function should be used only to retrieve a file being read. For exam‐
ple, a program might use to retrieve the bytes for an archive member.
A program may not close or disable (see elf_cntl(3E)) the file descrip‐
tor associated with elf before the initial call to because might have
to read the data from the file if it does not already have the original
bytes in memory. Generally, this function is more efficient for
unknown file types than for object files. The library implicitly
translates object files in memory, while it leaves unknown files unmod‐
ified. Thus asking for the uninterpreted image of an object file may
create a duplicate copy in memory.
(see elf_getdata(3E)) is a related function, providing access to sec‐
tions within a file.
If ptr is non-null, the library also stores the file's size, in bytes,
in the location to which ptr points. If no data is present, elf is
null, or an error occurs, the return value is a null pointer, with zero
optionally stored through ptr.
Note
A program that uses and that also interprets the same file as an object
file potentially has two copies of the bytes in memory. If such a pro‐
gram requests the raw image first, before it asks for translated infor‐
mation (through such functions as and so on), the library ``freezes''
its original memory copy for the raw image. It then uses this frozen
copy as the source for creating translated objects, without reading the
file again. Consequently, the application should view the raw file
image returned by as a read-only buffer, unless it wants to alter its
own view of data subsequently translated. In any case, the application
may alter the translated objects without changing bytes visible in the
raw image.
Multiple calls to with the same ELF descriptor return the same value;
the library does not create duplicate copies of the file.
SEE ALSOelf(3E), elf_begin(3E), elf_cntl(3E), elf_getdata(3E), elf_getehdr(3E),
elf_getident(3E), elf_kind(3E).
elf_rawfile(3E)