Creating an a.out executable from scratch

Question

I have created a programming language, from scratch with C. I have built a compiler which processes the code in the input file and converts it to tokens and checks that the tokens are in the correct order. I am on the final step of the compiler: Output/Executable. I want to create an output that can run in terminal. I want to create an a.out output but the only resource I could find was this from nasm which doesn't really help me.

So my question is, how do I create an a.out file (unix executable) that I can run in terminal?

Answer 1

well you wrote you are on the final step of the compiler ...

• are you sure ?
• what type of language is it ?
• for example non asm languages like Pascal/C/C++ require engine

as have been mentioned before in comments you can:

1. use existing assembler compiler/linker from your app

   • this is the simplest way
   • you need to create language runtime engine code in asm
   • then compile your source to asm
   • put these 2 sources together
   • and call compiler/linker
   • but you can forget about breakpoints and trace ...
   • also there are C/C++ compilers/linkers out there if you dislike asm

2. create own compiler linker

   • first you need to study executable fileformat
   • create an template for it
   • second you need to write your own asm compiler
   • do not need to be for complete instruction set
   • just to have all necessary things to translate your language to the machine code
   • then just compile your language to machine code
   • and fill the template with code and all necessary data
   • save it as a.out ...

The language runtime engine:

• it is something like OS for your program
• set of subroutines your language supports
• like interface between terminal/real OS and your program
• memory/resources management
• handles local/global/static variables
• heap/stack ...
• threads
• debugging
• and much more ...