Comparison of executable file formats

Comparison of executable file formats: This is a comparison of executable file formats.

Explicit processor declarations Arbitrary sections Metadata^[vague] Digital signature String table Symbol table 64-bit Fat binaries Can contain icon

a.out No No No No Yes^[1] Yes^[1] Yes No No

COFF Yes by file Yes No No Yes Yes Extension No No

ELF Yes by file Yes Yes Yes^[2] Yes Yes^[3] Yes Extension^[4] Extension^[5]

PE Yes by file Yes Yes Yes^[6] Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Mach-O^[7] Yes by section Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

SOM Unknown Unknown No No Unknown Yes No Unknown No

Hunk Unknown Unknown Yes No No Yes No Yes No

MZ No No No No No No No No No

DOS COM No No No No No No No No No

PEF^[8] Unknown No No No Yes Yes No No No

ECOFF Yes by file Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No No

XCOFF Yes by file Yes No No Yes Yes^[9] Yes No No

NE Unknown Unknown Unknown No Unknown Unknown No No Yes

LX Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown No Yes^[10] No No Yes

Among the above formats, the ones in most common use are PE (on Microsoft Windows), ELF (on Linux and most other versions of Unix) and Mach-O (on Mac OS X).

References

^ ^a ^b a.out(5) - FreeBSD Man Pages

^ http://freshmeat.net/projects/elfsign/

^ (3elf) - Elf library routines

^ FatELF: Universal Binaries for Linux

^ ElfIcon: Icons for ELF files

^ Windows Authenticode Portable Executable Signature Format

^ Mac OS X ABI Mach-O File Format Reference

^ http://developer.apple.com/tools/mpw-tools/commandref/dumppef.html^{[dead link]} archive : http://web.archive.org/web/developer.apple.com/tools/mpw-tools/commandref/dumppef.html

^ Files Reference – XCOFF Object File Format^{[dead link]}

^ Linear eXecutable Module Format

v · d · eExecutable and object files

Formats (comparison)
a.out · COFF · COM · ECOFF · ELF · Hunk · Mach-O · MZ · NE · OMF · PE · PEF · XCOFF

Related topics
Application binary interface · Decompiler · Disassembler · Executable · Library (static) · Linker · Name mangling · Position-independent code · Prebinding · Relocation · Relocation table

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Comparison of executable file formats

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	Explicit processor declarations	Arbitrary sections	Metadata^[vague]	Digital signature	String table	Symbol table	64-bit	Fat binaries	Can contain icon
a.out	No	No	No	No	Yes^[1]	Yes^[1]	Yes	No	No
COFF	Yes by file	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Extension	No	No
ELF	Yes by file	Yes	Yes	Yes^[2]	Yes	Yes^[3]	Yes	Extension^[4]	Extension^[5]
PE	Yes by file	Yes	Yes	Yes^[6]	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Mach-O^[7]	Yes by section	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
SOM	Unknown	Unknown	No	No	Unknown	Yes	No	Unknown	No
Hunk	Unknown	Unknown	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
MZ	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
DOS COM	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
PEF^[8]	Unknown	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
ECOFF	Yes by file	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
XCOFF	Yes by file	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes^[9]	Yes	No	No
NE	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	No	Unknown	Unknown	No	No	Yes
LX	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	No	Yes^[10]	No	No	Yes

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Comparison of executable file formats

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