Determining the Default EXETYPE Value in Microsoft LINK (83230)

SUMMARY

Beginning with version 5.3, the Microsoft Segmented Executable Linker can create executable files for three different operating systems: MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, and OS/2. LINK determines the executable file type (EXETYPE) unless it is specified explicitly in the module- definition (.DEF) file. The EXETYPE defaults to a different type depending on the host operating system, the presence of the .DEF file, and the presence of imported or exported symbols. The following chart summarizes the default EXETYPE values:

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|Host Operating | No .DEF File | .DEF File |Imports/Exports in Module|
|   System      |   Present    |  Present  |and No .DEF File Present |
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
|               |              |           |                         |
|    MS-DOS     |     MS-DOS   |  Windows  |          MS-DOS         |
|               |              |           |                         |
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
|               |              |           |                         |
|     OS/2      |     OS/2     |  Windows  |           OS/2          |
|               |              |           |                         |
 --------------------------------------------------------------------

In previous versions of the Segmented Executable linker, OS/2 is the default EXETYPE when a .DEF file is present.

MORE INFORMATION

EXETYPE [<descriptor>] statement specifies the target operating system with which an application is designed to run. The <descriptor> value can be one of the following values:

   Descriptor           Meaning
   -------------------------------------------------------------------
WINDOWS [<version>]  Microsoft Windows. Default EXETYPE value. The
                        <version> parameter specifies the minimum
                        version of Windows needed to load the
                        application or dynamic-link library (DLL). The
                        syntax for <version> is as follows:

                           <number>[.[<number>]]

                        where each <number> is a decimal integer.

   DOS                  Nonsegmented executable file. LINK assumes
                        EXETYPE DOS for an overlaid MS-DOS program.

   OS/2                 OS/2 version 1.x segmented executable file.

   UNKNOWN              Other applications.