RFC: Sort input section by list

[Nick Clifton]

Hi H.J.

> I got a request for a new linker feature to sort input sections by a
> list provided at command line.

Is there a good reason for providing this list via a command line switch 
as opposed to say using a suitably customised linker script ?  (Possibly 
with an extended grammar for input section selection).

> 2. The linker script is similar to version script
> 
> .text {
>   extern "C++"
>   {
>     foo(int);
>   };
> };
> 
> where .text will be the prefix of section name. It will match .text._Z3fooi.

What is the real purpose of this feature ?  Ie do you know why it has 
been requested ?  The implication of the example you have given is that 
the user wants to put certain name-mangled functions at the start of the 
.text section, but why ?

(I suspect that the user's problem could be solved without modifying the 
linker by using gcc's "section" function attribute instead...)

> Any comments?

How do you specify that the named section is intended to go *after* the 
other sections that start with the same prefix ?

Cheers
   Nick