Patent ID: 7127711

Claim:
A linking method for forming an executable program from a plurality of object code modules, each object code module comprising section data and an ordered sequence of relaxation instructions including a first type defining relocation operations and a second type controlling linker operations, each relaxation instruction having associated therewith a unique instruction count of a sequence of instruction counts determining the ordered sequence of relaxation instructions, wherein the second type includes a jump relaxation instruction which specifies the instruction count of a relaxation instruction to be subsequently read, the linking method comprising: (a) reading each relaxation instruction in the ordered sequence defined by the sequence of instruction counts; and (b) where said relaxation instruction is of the first type defining a relocation operation, executing that relocation operation on section data to which it relates, and where said relaxation instruction is a jump relaxation instruction, a next relaxation instruction which is read is that of the instruction count specified in the jump relaxation instruction, wherein the formed executable program comprises section data from the plurality of object code modules, relocated in accordance with the executed relaxation instructions.