Linkers, Loaders & Libraries

When programming, we often use libraries built into programming languages to make coding solutions quicker and easier. These are linked in, by linkers, and loaded by loaders when your code runs.

Libraries

Libraries exist in most programming languages and offer shorthand ways to achieve a task.
These libraries are pre-written, compiled, tested and checked pieces of code that developers can rely on to help shorten code.
Libraries give developers shortcuts to achieve what they want without keep repeating code.
- For example, the print function in python.

Linkers

Linkers are the software responsible for linking libraries to code that uses them.
- Libraries can be statically linked or dynamically linked.
Statically linked libraries are included in the object or machine code when it is compiled.
This increases the binary footprint of the code, but the library becomes built into the code meaning an end user doesn’t need it to be installed.

Dynamically linked libraries

Dynamically linked libraries are not built into the code.
These libraries are loaded in when the object or machine code is passed to the CPU to run, just when it needs it.
Dynamically linked libraries mean your binary footprint is smaller, but the library needs to be installed on the computer.

Loaders

Loaders are a type of program that loads the program you're trying to run.
Loaders are a part of the operating system that find a good place for object or machine code to sit in memory.
For statically linked libraries all of the code and the library are loaded into memory, which takes up more room.
For dynamically linked libraries, the loader will load the library into memory when the program needs it.

1Components of a Computer

1.1Structure & Function of the Processor

1.1.1Structure of the CPU

1.1.2Fetch, Decode, Execute Cycle

1.1.3Factors Affecting CPU Performance

1.1.4CPU Architecture

1.2Types of Processors

1.2.1CISC & RISC

1.2.2Multicore & Parallel Cores

1.3Input, Output & Storage

1.3.1Computer Systems

1.3.2Magnetic Storage

1.3.3Optical Storage

1.3.4Types of Optical Storage

1.3.5Types of Memory

1.3.6Flash Memory

1.3.7Virtual Memory

2Software & Software Development

3Exchanging Data

4Data Types, Data Structures & Algorithms

4.1Data Types

4.1.1Data Types

4.1.2Arrays & Strings

4.1.3Representing Numbers

4.1.4Binary Arithmetic

4.1.5Hexadecimal

4.1.6Converting Binary Numbers

4.1.7Floating Points in Binary

4.1.8Floating Point Arithmetic

4.1.9Bitwise Manipulation

4.1.10Character Sets

4.2Data Structures

4.2.1Arrays, Linked Lists & Queues

4.2.2Graphs, Hash Tables & Stacks

4.2.3Trees

4.3Boolean Algebra

4.3.1Computational Logic

4.3.2Boolean Logic

4.3.3Karnaugh Maps

4.3.4Boolean Identities

4.3.5Flip Flops & Adder Circuits

5Legal, Moral, Cultural & Ethical Issues

5.1Computing Related Legislation

5.1.1Data Protection Act (1998)

5.1.2Computer Misuse Act (1990)

5.1.3Copyright Designs and Patents Act (1988)

5.1.4Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (2000)

5.2Moral & Ethical Issues

5.2.1Online Activity Tracking

5.2.2Censorship

5.2.3Cultural Issues

5.2.4Environmental Issues

5.2.5Layout, Colour Paradigms & Character Sets

6Elements of Computational Thinking

6.1Thinking Abstractly

6.1.1Abstraction

6.2Thinking Procedurally

6.2.1Decomposition

6.3Thinking Logically

6.3.1Pseudocode & Flow Diagrams

7Problem Solving & Programming

7.1Programming Techniques

7.1.1Programming Fundamentals

7.1.2Modularity

7.2Programming Construction

7.2.1Integrated Development Environments

7.2.2Testing

8Algorithms

8.1Algorithms

8.1.1Interpreting, Correcting & Completing Algorithm

8.1.2Sort Algorithms

8.1.3Insertion & Merge Sort

8.1.4Search Algorithms

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