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# PRB: Data Section Names Limited to Eight Characters

Article ID: 100292

Article Last Modified on 7/8/2005

APPLIES TO

- Microsoft Platform Software Development Kit-January 2000 Edition

This article was previously published under Q100292

## SYMPTOMS

You can use #pragma data_seg to name data sections. This method is commonly used so that the named data sections can be shared using the SECTIONS statement in the DEF file or with a linker switch (/SECTION:name,RWS). However, if the length of the name specified in the pragma exceeds eight characters, then the section might not be properly shared.

## CAUSE

The linker does not support sections with longer names. The longer names require use of the COFF strings table, so the rewrite is not trivial.

## MORE INFORMATION

Note that the first character of a section name may be a period so that it is consistent with compiler and linker defaults. (The period is not required.) If used, the section name (as specified in both the pragma and the DEF file) can be a maximum of a period followed by seven characters.

Keywords: kbprb KB100292