4.3BSD-UWisc/man/cat1/ar.1

AR(1)               UNIX Programmer's Manual                AR(1)



NAME
     ar - archive and library maintainer

SYNOPSIS
     ar key [ posname ] afile name ...

DESCRIPTION
     _A_r maintains groups of files combined into a single archive
     file.  Its main use is to create and update library files as
     used by the loader.  It can be used, though, for any similar
     purpose.  N.B: This version of _a_r uses a ASCII-format
     archive which is portable among the various machines running
     UNIX.  Programs for dealing with older formats are avail-
     able: see _a_r_c_v(8).

     _K_e_y is one character from the set drqtpmx, optionally con-
     catenated with one or more of vuaibclo. _A_f_i_l_e is the archive
     file.  The _n_a_m_e_s are constituent files in the archive file.
     The meanings of the _k_e_y characters are:

     d    Delete the named files from the archive file.

     r    Replace the named files in the archive file.  If the
          optional character u is used with r, then only those
          files with `last-modified' dates later than the archive
          files are replaced.  If an optional positioning charac-
          ter from the set abi is used, then the _p_o_s_n_a_m_e argument
          must be present and specifies that new files are to be
          placed after (a) or before (b or i) _p_o_s_n_a_m_e.  Otherwise
          new files are placed at the end.

     q    Quickly append the named files to the end of the
          archive file.  Optional positioning characters are
          invalid.  The command does not check whether the added
          members are already in the archive.  Useful only to
          avoid quadratic behavior when creating a large archive
          piece-by-piece.

     t    Print a table of contents of the archive file.  If no
          names are given, all files in the archive are tabled.
          If names are given, only those files are tabled.

     p    Print the named files in the archive.

     m    Move the named files to the end of the archive.  If a
          positioning character is present, then the _p_o_s_n_a_m_e
          argument must be present and, as in r, specifies where
          the files are to be moved.

     x    Extract the named files.  If no names are given, all
          files in the archive are extracted.  In neither case
          does x alter the archive file. Normally the `last-



Printed 12/27/86         April 29, 1985                         1






AR(1)               UNIX Programmer's Manual                AR(1)



          modified' date of each extracted file is the date when
          it is extracted. However, if o is used, the `last-
          modified' date is reset to the date recorded in the
          archive.

     v    Verbose.  Under the verbose option, _a_r gives a file-
          by-file description of the making of a new archive file
          from the old archive and the constituent files.  When
          used with t, it gives a long listing of all information
          about the files.  When used with p, it precedes each
          file with a name.

     c    Create.  Normally _a_r will create _a_f_i_l_e when it needs
          to.  The create option suppresses the normal message
          that is produced when _a_f_i_l_e is created.

     l    Local.  Normally _a_r places its temporary files in the
          directory /tmp.  This option causes them to be placed
          in the local directory.

FILES
     /tmp/v*   temporaries

SEE ALSO
     lorder(1), ld(1), ranlib(1), ar(5), arcv(8)

BUGS
     If the same file is mentioned twice in an argument list, it
     may be put in the archive twice.

     The `last-modified' date of a file will not be altered by
     the o option if the user is not the owner of the extracted
     file, or the super-user.






















Printed 12/27/86         April 29, 1985                         2