Node: Format Commands, Next: Miscellaneous Commands, Previous: File Commands, Up: Simple Commands

### Commands Dealing with Object File Formats

A couple of linker script commands deal with object file formats.

`OUTPUT_FORMAT(`bfdname`)`
`OUTPUT_FORMAT(`default`,` big`,` little`)`
  The `OUTPUT_FORMAT` command names the BFD format to use for the output file (see BFD). Using `OUTPUT_FORMAT(`bfdname`)` is exactly like using `--oformat` bfdname on the command line (see Command Line Options). If both are used, the command line option takes precedence.

  You can use `OUTPUT_FORMAT` with three arguments to use different formats based on the `-EB` and `-EL` command line options. This permits the linker script to set the output format based on the desired endianness.

  If neither `-EB` nor `-EL` are used, then the output format will be the first argument, default. If `-EB` is used, the output format will be the second argument, big. If `-EL` is used, the output format will be the third argument, little.

  For example, the default linker script for the MIPS ELF target uses this command:

                OUTPUT_FORMAT(elf32-bigmips, elf32-bigmips, elf32-littlemips)

  This says that the default format for the output file is `elf32-bigmips`, but if the user uses the `-EL` command line option, the output file will be created in the `elf32-littlemips` format.
`TARGET(`bfdname`)`
  The `TARGET` command names the BFD format to use when reading input files. It affects subsequent `INPUT` and `GROUP` commands. This command is like using `-b` bfdname on the command line (see Command Line Options). If the `TARGET` command is used but `OUTPUT_FORMAT` is not, then the last `TARGET` command is also used to set the format for the output file. See BFD.