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doc/man/load.l

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+.\" This is -*-nroff-*-
+.\" XXX standard disclaimer belongs here....
+.\" $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/man/Attic/load.l,v 1.1.1.1 1996/08/18 22:14:25 scrappy Exp $
+.TH LOAD SQL 01/23/93 Postgres95 Postgres95
+.SH NAME
+load \(em dynamically load an object file
+.SH SYNOPSIS
+.nf
+\fBload\fR "filename"
+.fi
+.SH DESCRIPTION
+.BR Load
+loads an object (or ".o") file into Postgres's address space.  Once a
+file is loaded, all functions in that file can be accessed.  This
+function is used in support of ADT's.
+.PP
+If a file is not loaded using the 
+.BR load
+command, the file will be loaded automatically the first time the
+function is called by Postgres.
+.BR Load
+can also be used to reload an object file if it has been edited and
+recompiled.  Only objects created from C language files are supported
+at this time.
+.SH EXAMPLE
+.nf
+--
+--Load the file /usr/postgres/demo/circle.o
+--
+load "/usr/postgres/demo/circle.o"
+.fi
+.SH CAVEATS
+Functions in loaded object files should not call functions in other
+object files loaded through the
+.BR load
+command, meaning, for example, that all functions in file A should
+call each other, functions in the standard or math libraries, or in
+Postgres itself.  They should not call functions defined in a different
+loaded file B.  This is because if B is reloaded, the Postgres loader is
+not \*(lqsmart\*(rq enough to relocate the calls from the functions in A into
+the new address space of B.  If B is not reloaded, however, there will
+not be a problem.
+.PP
+On DECstations, you must use 
+.IR /bin/cc
+with the \*(lq-G 0\*(rq option when compiling object files to be
+loaded.
+.PP
+Note that if you are porting Postgres to a new platform, the
+.BR load
+command will have to work in order to support ADTs.