appending data to an executable binary

Hello,


I would like to place meta data at the end of a binary executable in
order to be able to quickly scan it and verify its attributes and
associations (such as date of build, test results, etc.). Is it
possible in general to append data to the end of an existing
executable binary or will doing that corrupt the binary? I've tried a
quick test with an MS-Windows NT DLL and doing so didn't seem to cause
any adverse effects.


Would this be platform/compiler dependent? Is there
another/better/any way of tagging a binary _after_ it's been created?
I know I could easily compile in the build date, but I would like to
assure the data is at a known place in the binary for access. Also
there is information I would like to add that is only available after
the binary has been created.


The platforms I have available to me are:
Windows NT
Solaris
HP-UX
IRIX
AIX


Any information and/or pointers to good documentation are appreciated.
Thanks,
Jeff Wolkenhauer
[It's platform dependent, but most of the executable formats I can think
of don't mind extra stuff at the end of the file. -John]

Return to the comp.compilers page.
Search the comp.compilers archives again.