Some targets might require creation of thunks. For example, MIPS targets require stubs to call PIC code from non-PIC one. The patch implements infrastructure for thunk code creation and provides support for MIPS LA25 stubs. Any MIPS PIC code function is invoked with its address in register $t9. So if we have a branch instruction from non-PIC code to the PIC one we cannot make the jump directly and need to create a small stub to save the target function address.
See page 3-38 ftp://www.linux-mips.org/pub/linux/mips/doc/ABI/mipsabi.pdf
- In relocation scanning phase we ask target about thunk creation necessity by calling TagetInfo::needsThunk method. The InputSection class maintains list of Symbols requires thunk creation.
- Reassigning offsets performed for each input sections after relocation scanning complete because position of each section might change due thunk creation.
- The patch introduces new dedicated value for DefinedSynthetic symbols DefinedSynthetic::SectionEnd. Synthetic symbol with that value always points to the end of the corresponding output section. That allows to escape updating synthetic symbols if output sections sizes changes after relocation scanning due thunk creation.
- In the InputSection::writeTo method we write thunks after corresponding input section. Each thunk is written by calling TargetInfo::writeThunk method.
- The patch supports the only type of thunk code for each target. For now, it is enough.
I feel like this is slightly more readable.