---
name: "elftc_bfd_find_target"
section: "3"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/elftc_bfd_find_target"
---

# elftc\_bfd\_find\_target(3)

binary object descriptor handling

## NAME

**elftc\_bfd\_find\_target**, **elftc\_bfd\_target\_byteorder**, **elftc\_bfd\_target\_class**, **elftc\_bfd\_target\_flavor**, **elftc\_bfd\_target\_machine** – binary object descriptor handling

## LIBRARY

library “libelftc”

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<libelftc.h\>**

*struct* *Elftc\_Bfd\_Target;*

*Elftc\_Bfd\_Target \**\

**elftc\_bfd\_find\_target**(*const char \*target\_name*);

*unsigned int*\

**elftc\_bfd\_target\_class**(*Elftc\_Bfd\_Target \*target*);

*unsigned int*\

**elftc\_bfd\_target\_byteorder**(*Elftc\_Bfd\_Target \*target*);

*Elftc\_Bfd\_Target\_Flavor*\

**elftc\_bfd\_target\_flavor**(*Elftc\_Bfd\_Target \*target*);

*unsigned int*\

**elftc\_bfd\_target\_machine**(*Elftc\_Bfd\_Target \*target*);

*unsigned int*\

**elftc\_bfd\_target\_osabi**(*Elftc\_Bfd\_Target \*target*);

## DESCRIPTION

Function **elftc\_bfd\_find\_target**() locates a binary object descriptor corresponding to the descriptor name in argument *target\_name*. Binary object descriptors encapsulate properties of an object format such as its file representation, ELF class, and byte endianness.

Known descriptor names and their properties include:

| | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| *Name* | *Object Format* | *Byte Order* | *Bit Width* |
| binary | Binary | - | - |
| efi-app-ia32 | PE | LSB | 32 |
| efi-app-x86\_64 | PE | LSB | 64 |
| elf32-avr | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf32-big | ELF | MSB | 32 |
| elf32-bigarm | ELF | MSB | 32 |
| elf32-bigmips | ELF | MSB | 32 |
| elf32-i386 | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf32-i386-freebsd | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf32-ia64-big | ELF | MSB | 32 |
| elf32-little | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf32-littlearm | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf32-littlemips | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf32-powerpc | ELF | MSB | 32 |
| elf32-powerpc-freebsd | ELF | MSB | 32 |
| elf32-powerpcle | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf32-riscv | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf64-riscv | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-riscv-freebsd | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf32-sh | ELF | MSB | 32 |
| elf32-shl | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf32-sh-nbsd | ELF | MSB | 32 |
| elf32-shl-nbsd | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf32-shbig-linux | ELF | MSB | 32 |
| elf32-shl-linux | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf32-sparc | ELF | MSB | 32 |
| elf32-tradbigmips | ELF | MSB | 32 |
| elf32-tradlittlemips | ELF | LSB | 32 |
| elf64-alpha | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-alpha-freebsd | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-big | ELF | MSB | 64 |
| elf64-bigmips | ELF | MSB | 64 |
| elf64-ia64-big | ELF | MSB | 64 |
| elf64-ia64-little | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-little | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-littleaarch64 | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-littlemips | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-powerpc | ELF | MSB | 64 |
| elf64-powerpc-freebsd | ELF | MSB | 64 |
| elf64-powerpcle | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-sh64 | ELF | MSB | 64 |
| elf64-sh64l | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-sh64-nbsd | ELF | MSB | 64 |
| elf64-sh64l-nbsd | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-sh64big-linux | ELF | MSB | 64 |
| elf64-sh64-linux | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-sparc | ELF | MSB | 64 |
| elf64-sparc-freebsd | ELF | MSB | 64 |
| elf64-tradbigmips | ELF | MSB | 64 |
| elf64-tradlittlemips | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-x86-64 | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| elf64-x86-64-freebsd | ELF | LSB | 64 |
| ihex | IHEX | - | - |
| pei-i386 | PE | LSB | 32 |
| pei-x86-64 | PE | LSB | 64 |
| srec | SREC | - | - |
| symbolsrec | SREC | - | - |

Function **elftc\_bfd\_target\_byteorder**() returns the ELF byte order associated with target descriptor *target*.

Function **elftc\_bfd\_target\_class**() returns the ELF class associated with target descriptor *target*.

Function **elftc\_bfd\_target\_flavor**() returns the object format associated with target descriptor *target*. The known object formats are:

- ETF\_ELF

  An ELF object.

- ETF\_BINARY

  Raw binary.

- ETF\_IHEX

  An object encoded in Intel hex format.

- ETF\_NONE

  An unknown object format.

- ETF\_SREC

  An object encoded as S-records.

## RETURN VALUES

Function **elftc\_bfd\_find\_target**() returns a valid pointer to an opaque binary target descriptor if successful, or NULL in case of an error.

Function **elftc\_bfd\_target\_byteorder**() returns the ELF byte order associated with the target descriptor; one of ELFDATA2MSB or ELFDATA2LSB.

Function **elftc\_bfd\_target\_class**() returns the ELF class associated with the target descriptor; one of ELFCLASS32 or ELFCLASS64.

Function **elftc\_bfd\_target\_machine**() returns the ELF architecture associated with the target descriptor.

Function **elftc\_bfd\_target\_flavor**() returns one of ETF\_BINARY, ETF\_ELF, ETF\_IHEX or ETF\_SREC if successful or ETF\_NONE in case of error.

## EXAMPLES

To return descriptor information associated with target name “elf64-big” use:

```
struct Elftc_Bfd_Target *t;
if ((t = elftc_bfd_find_target("elf64-big")) == NULL)
	errx(EXIT_FAILURE, "Cannot find target descriptor");
printf("Class: %s\n", elftc_bfd_target_class(t) == ELFCLASS32 ?
    "ELFCLASS32" : "ELFCLASS64");
printf("Byteorder: %s\n",
    elftc_bfd_target_byteorder(t) == ELFDATA2LSB ? "LSB" : "MSB");
printf("Flavor: %d\n", elftc_bfd_target_flavor(t));
```

## SEE ALSO

[elf(3)](/elf/3.md)