write/macho: ensure Mach-O subsections are not zero size

crates/examples/src/bin/simple_write.rs

@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
     main_data.extend_from_slice(&[0xc3]);
 
     // Add the main function in its own subsection (equivalent to -ffunction-sections).
-    let (main_section, main_offset) =
-        obj.add_subsection(StandardSection::Text, b"main", &main_data, 1);
+    let main_section = obj.add_subsection(StandardSection::Text, b"main");
+    let main_offset = obj.append_section_data(main_section, &main_data, 1);
     // Add a globally visible symbol for the main function.
     obj.add_symbol(Symbol {
         name: b"main".into(),

src/write/macho.rs

@@ -66,16 +66,6 @@ impl<'a> Object<'a> {
 
 // Private methods.
 impl<'a> Object<'a> {
-    pub(crate) fn macho_set_subsections_via_symbols(&mut self) {
-        let flags = match self.flags {
-            FileFlags::MachO { flags } => flags,
-            _ => 0,
-        };
-        self.flags = FileFlags::MachO {
-            flags: flags | macho::MH_SUBSECTIONS_VIA_SYMBOLS,
-        };
-    }
-
     pub(crate) fn macho_segment_name(&self, segment: StandardSegment) -> &'static [u8] {
         match segment {
             StandardSegment::Text => &b"__TEXT"[..],
@@ -570,10 +560,13 @@ impl<'a> Object<'a> {
             cpusubtype = cpu_subtype;
         }
 
-        let flags = match self.flags {
+        let mut flags = match self.flags {
             FileFlags::MachO { flags } => flags,
             _ => 0,
         };
+        if self.macho_subsections_via_symbols {
+            flags |= macho::MH_SUBSECTIONS_VIA_SYMBOLS;
+        }
         macho.write_mach_header(
             buffer,
             MachHeader {

src/write/mod.rs

@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ pub struct Object<'a> {
     macho_cpu_subtype: Option<u32>,
     #[cfg(feature = "macho")]
     macho_build_version: Option<MachOBuildVersion>,
+    /// Mach-O MH_SUBSECTIONS_VIA_SYMBOLS flag. Only ever set if format is Mach-O.
+    #[cfg(feature = "macho")]
+    macho_subsections_via_symbols: bool,
 }
 
 impl<'a> Object<'a> {
@@ -115,6 +118,8 @@ impl<'a> Object<'a> {
             macho_cpu_subtype: None,
             #[cfg(feature = "macho")]
             macho_build_version: None,
+            #[cfg(feature = "macho")]
+            macho_subsections_via_symbols: false,
         }
     }
 
@@ -273,41 +278,34 @@ impl<'a> Object<'a> {
 
     /// Add a subsection. Returns the `SectionId` and section offset of the data.
     ///
-    /// Must not be called for sections that contain uninitialized data.
-    /// `align` must be a power of two.
-    pub fn add_subsection(
-        &mut self,
-        section: StandardSection,
-        name: &[u8],
-        data: &[u8],
-        align: u64,
-    ) -> (SectionId, u64) {
-        let section_id = if self.has_subsections_via_symbols() {
-            self.set_subsections_via_symbols();
+    /// For Mach-O, this does not create a subsection, and instead uses the
+    /// section from [`Self::section_id`]. Use [`Self::set_subsections_via_symbols`]
+    /// to enable subsections via symbols.
+    pub fn add_subsection(&mut self, section: StandardSection, name: &[u8]) -> SectionId {
+        if self.has_subsections_via_symbols() {
             self.section_id(section)
         } else {
             let (segment, name, kind, flags) = self.subsection_info(section, name);
             let id = self.add_section(segment.to_vec(), name, kind);
             self.section_mut(id).flags = flags;
             id
-        };
-        let offset = self.append_section_data(section_id, data, align);
-        (section_id, offset)
+        }
     }
 
     fn has_subsections_via_symbols(&self) -> bool {
-        match self.format {
-            BinaryFormat::Coff | BinaryFormat::Elf | BinaryFormat::Xcoff => false,
-            BinaryFormat::MachO => true,
-            _ => unimplemented!(),
-        }
+        self.format == BinaryFormat::MachO
     }
 
-    fn set_subsections_via_symbols(&mut self) {
-        match self.format {
-            #[cfg(feature = "macho")]
-            BinaryFormat::MachO => self.macho_set_subsections_via_symbols(),
-            _ => unimplemented!(),
+    /// Enable subsections via symbols if supported.
+    ///
+    /// This should be called before adding any subsections or symbols.
+    ///
+    /// For Mach-O, this sets the `MH_SUBSECTIONS_VIA_SYMBOLS` flag.
+    /// For other formats, this does nothing.
+    pub fn set_subsections_via_symbols(&mut self) {
+        #[cfg(feature = "macho")]
+        if self.format == BinaryFormat::MachO {
+            self.macho_subsections_via_symbols = true;
         }
     }
 
@@ -480,6 +478,9 @@ impl<'a> Object<'a> {
     /// For Mach-O, this also creates a `__thread_vars` entry for TLS symbols, and the
     /// symbol will indirectly point to the added data via the `__thread_vars` entry.
     ///
+    /// For Mach-O, if [`Self::set_subsections_via_symbols`] is enabled, this will
+    /// automatically ensure the data size is at least 1.
+    ///
     /// Returns the section offset of the data.
     ///
     /// Must not be called for sections that contain uninitialized data.
@@ -488,9 +489,13 @@ impl<'a> Object<'a> {
         &mut self,
         symbol_id: SymbolId,
         section: SectionId,
-        data: &[u8],
+        mut data: &[u8],
         align: u64,
     ) -> u64 {
+        #[cfg(feature = "macho")]
+        if data.is_empty() && self.macho_subsections_via_symbols {
+            data = &[0];
+        }
         let offset = self.append_section_data(section, data, align);
         self.set_symbol_data(symbol_id, section, offset, data.len() as u64);
         offset
@@ -501,6 +506,9 @@ impl<'a> Object<'a> {
     /// For Mach-O, this also creates a `__thread_vars` entry for TLS symbols, and the
     /// symbol will indirectly point to the added data via the `__thread_vars` entry.
     ///
+    /// For Mach-O, if [`Self::set_subsections_via_symbols`] is enabled, this will
+    /// automatically ensure the data size is at least 1.
+    ///
     /// Returns the section offset of the data.
     ///
     /// Must not be called for sections that contain initialized data.
@@ -509,9 +517,13 @@ impl<'a> Object<'a> {
         &mut self,
         symbol_id: SymbolId,
         section: SectionId,
-        size: u64,
+        mut size: u64,
         align: u64,
     ) -> u64 {
+        #[cfg(feature = "macho")]
+        if size == 0 && self.macho_subsections_via_symbols {
+            size = 1;
+        }
         let offset = self.append_section_bss(section, size, align);
         self.set_symbol_data(symbol_id, section, offset, size);
         offset

tests/round_trip/comdat.rs

@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ fn coff_x86_64_comdat() {
     let mut object =
         write::Object::new(BinaryFormat::Coff, Architecture::X86_64, Endianness::Little);
 
-    let (section1, offset) =
-        object.add_subsection(write::StandardSection::Text, b"s1", &[0, 1, 2, 3], 4);
+    let section1 = object.add_subsection(write::StandardSection::Text, b"s1");
+    let offset = object.append_section_data(section1, &[0, 1, 2, 3], 4);
     object.section_symbol(section1);
-    let (section2, _) =
-        object.add_subsection(write::StandardSection::Data, b"s1", &[0, 1, 2, 3], 4);
+    let section2 = object.add_subsection(write::StandardSection::Data, b"s1");
+    object.append_section_data(section2, &[0, 1, 2, 3], 4);
     object.section_symbol(section2);
 
     let symbol = object.add_symbol(write::Symbol {
@@ -132,10 +132,10 @@ fn elf_x86_64_comdat() {
     let mut object =
         write::Object::new(BinaryFormat::Elf, Architecture::X86_64, Endianness::Little);
 
-    let (section1, offset) =
-        object.add_subsection(write::StandardSection::Text, b"s1", &[0, 1, 2, 3], 4);
-    let (section2, _) =
-        object.add_subsection(write::StandardSection::Data, b"s1", &[0, 1, 2, 3], 4);
+    let section1 = object.add_subsection(write::StandardSection::Text, b"s1");
+    let offset = object.append_section_data(section1, &[0, 1, 2, 3], 4);
+    let section2 = object.add_subsection(write::StandardSection::Data, b"s1");
+    object.append_section_data(section2, &[0, 1, 2, 3], 4);
 
     let symbol = object.add_symbol(write::Symbol {
         name: b"s1".to_vec(),

tests/round_trip/elf.rs

@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ fn symtab_shndx() {
 
     for i in 0..0x10000 {
         let name = format!("func{}", i).into_bytes();
-        let (section, offset) =
-            object.add_subsection(write::StandardSection::Text, &name, &[0xcc], 1);
+        let section = object.add_subsection(write::StandardSection::Text, &name);
+        let offset = object.append_section_data(section, &[0xcc], 1);
         object.add_symbol(write::Symbol {
             name,
             value: offset,