Directives Reference

7.7.15KEEP

The KEEP directive instructs the assembler to retain local symbols in the symbol table in the object file.

Syntax

KEEP {symbol}

where:

 

symbol

is the name of the local symbol to keep. If symbol is not specified, all local

 

symbols are kept except register-relative symbols.

Usage

By default, the only symbols that the assembler describes in its output object file are:

exported symbols

symbols that are relocated against.

Use KEEP to preserve local symbols that can be used to help debugging. Kept symbols appear in the ARM debuggers and in linker map files.

KEEP cannot preserve register-relative symbols (see MAP on page 7-15).

Example

label

ADC

r2,r3,r4

 

 

KEEP

label

; makes label available to debuggers

 

ADD

r2,r2,r5

 

7-64

Copyright © 2000, 2001 ARM Limited. All rights reserved.

ARM DUI 0068B

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ARM VERSION 1.2 manual Keep, Symbols are kept except register-relative symbols