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Input Files |
We use the phrase source program, abbreviated source, to
describe the program input to one run of as
. The program may
be in one or more files; how the source is partitioned into files
doesn't change the meaning of the source.
The source program is a concatenation of the text in all the files, in the
order specified.
Each time you run as
it assembles exactly one source
program. The source program is made up of one or more files.
(The standard input is also a file.)
You give as
a command line that has zero or more input file
names. The input files are read (from left file name to right). A
command line argument (in any position) that has no special meaning
is taken to be an input file name.
If you give as
no file names it attempts to read one input file
from the as
standard input, which is normally your terminal. You
may have to type Ctrl-D
to tell as
there is no more program
to assemble.
Use --
if you need to explicitly name the standard input file
in your command line.
If the source is empty, as
produces a small, empty object
file.