Message-Id: <199809240014.AAA143658@out4.ibm.net>
From: "Mark E." <snowball3 AT usa DOT net>
To: djgpp-workers AT delorie DOT com
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 20:14:34 +0000
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Subject: Has PE-COFF switch been considered?
CC: dj AT delorie DOT com
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Since I brought up a well-worn topic, I thought I'd at least throw out 
an idea I found no discussion of in the archives:

Mumit Khan let me know that mingw32 uses Win32's PE-COFF 
and not ELF as I had said before. Since PE-COFF is an extension 
of COFF, would it possibly be more feasible to switch to that 
format if a switch is contemplated again? I found lots of 
discussion of switching to ELF but none about PE-COFF.

Some possible advantages:
1) After updating the headers to add the additional fields used by 
PE-COFF, you may only need to tweak the appropriate code and 
not have to wholesale rewrite it. Of course binutils and everything 
else would have to reconfigured to generate PE-COFF instead of 
COFF.

2) Would allow for the adding of the occasionally requested .DLL 
support.

3) Would allow for an easier package for writing Win32 programs 
with DJGPP (another frequent request) since DJGPP and Win32 
would share the same file format.

4) From what Mumit Khan told me, PE-COFF is just as good with 
template instantiation as ELF.

If ever it's decided to switch to a new format, please consider this 
possibility.

Mark

-- 
Mark E. snowball3 AT usa DOT net
http://members.xoom.com/snowball3/