@kindex .o
Every time you run @code{@value{AS}} it produces an output file, which is
your assembly language program translated into numbers. This file
-is the object file, named
+is the object file. Its default name is
+@ifclear BOUT
+@code{a.out}.
+@end ifclear
@ifset BOUT
-@code{b.out},
@ifset GENERIC
-if @code{@value{AS}} is configured for the Intel 80960, or
+@code{a.out}, or
@end ifset
+@code{b.out} when @code{@value{AS}} is configured for the Intel 80960.
@end ifset
-@ifclear BOUT
-@code{a.out},
-@end ifclear
-unless you tell @code{@value{AS}} to
-give it another name by using the @code{-o} option. Conventionally,
-object file names end with @file{.o}. The default name of
-@file{a.out} is used for historical reasons: older assemblers were
-capable of assembling self-contained programs directly into a
-runnable program.
-(For some formats, this isn't currently possible, but it can be done for
-@code{a.out} format.)
+You can give it another name by using the @code{-o} option. Conventionally,
+object file names end with @file{.o}. The default name is used for historical
+reasons: older assemblers were capable of assembling self-contained programs
+directly into a runnable program. (For some formats, this isn't currently
+possible, but it can be done for the @code{a.out} format.)
@cindex linker
@kindex ld
(@var{section}) + (@var{offset into section})
@end display
@noindent
-Further, every expression @code{@value{AS}} computes is of this section-relative
-nature. @dfn{Absolute expression} means an expression with section
+Further, most expressions @code{@value{AS}} computes have this section-relative
+nature.
+@ifset SOM
+(For some object formats, such as SOM for the HPPA, some expressions are
+symbol-relative instead.)
+@end ifset
+@dfn{Absolute expression} means an expression with section
``absolute'' (@pxref{Ld Sections}). A @dfn{pass1 expression} means
an expression with section ``pass1'' (@pxref{As Sections,,@value{AS}
Internal Sections}). In this manual we use the notation @{@var{secname}
@ifset GENERIC
@ifset A29K
@emph{Warning:} In the AMD29K configuration of @value{AS}, this command is
-only available with the name @code{.ln}, rather than as either
-@code{.line} or @code{.ln}.
+not available; use the synonym @code{.ln} in that context.
@end ifset
@end ifset
@end ifset