Linking a program

The DOS linking program LINK.EXE links the different object modules of function library routines and source program to produce an integrated executable code of the source program. The major input to the linker  is the  .OBJ  file  that  have  the object  modules of the source programs. The other useful information may be obtained from the files produced by MASM. The linker program is invoked by using the following options.

C --> A> LINK or

C --> A> LINK KMB.OBJ

The .OBJ extension is ought to be for a file to be accepted by the LINK as a applicable object file. The first option may produced a display asking for the list file, object file and libraries as inputs and an expected name of the.EXE file to be produced. The other choice also generates the same display, but it will not ask for the .OBJ filename, as it is already declare at the command line. If any filenames are not entered for these files, by default, the source filename is referred with the different extensions. The process of entering the filenames in LINK is also similar to that in MASM. The LINK command display is as indicate in given Figure

The option input 'Libraries' in the display of given Figure expects any special library name of which the functions were used by the source program. Output of the LINK program is an executable file with the entered .EXE extension and filename. This executable filename can be entered further at the DOS prompt to execute the file.

In the advanced versions of MASM, the total procedure of assembling and linking is Joint under a single menu invokable compile function. The new versions of MASM have much more user-friendly and sophisticated facilities and choice that cannot be detailed here for the clear reasons. For further details users can refer to "Users' Manual-MASM, Version 5" and the Technical reference.