Need Help in C++ Disasm

Question

I do some C++ disassembling with IDA Pro. But I often see lines likes these.

call    __ZStlsISt11char_traitsIcEERSt13basic_ostreamIcT_ES5_PKc ;std::operator<<<std::char_traits<char>>(std::basic_ostream<char,std::char_traits<char>> &,char  const*)

What are these glyphs about? Why does the C++ function look so complex? And how can I simplify my ASM. Thanks in advance.

The symbol name contains information about the return type and parameter count and types of a function. This is done to allow for, among other things, function overloading. — , May 09 '14 at 23:25
possible duplicate of [Why does the function name in .o file different from the one in .cc file after compiling?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/18243578/why-does-the-function-name-in-o-file-different-from-the-one-in-cc-file-after-c) and/or [What is name mangling, and how does it work?](http://stackoverflow.com/q/1314743) — Cody Gray - on strike, May 10 '14 at 00:24
`Options -> Demangled names -> [x] Names` This should make it a bit easier to read. — athre0z, May 14 '14 at 15:15

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered May 09 '14 at 23:27

4

C++ ensures that overloaded functions can be distinguished by the linker by mangling their names. What you are seeing is type information encoded in the mangled function name.

answered May 09 '14 at 23:27

thus spake a.k.

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score 2 · Answer 2 · answered May 09 '14 at 23:34

That is the output function for (for example)

cout << "something";

std::operator<< is the name of the function. It takes a std::basic_ostream<char, std::char_traits<char>>& argument - in other words, std::ostream The second argument is a char const *, in other words, a classic C style string that isn't supposoed to change.

Since operator<< also returns a std::ostream&, this is encoded before the name

It's "complicated" because it's easier to define one, templated, basic_ostream since there are various types of streams, such as owstream that takes "wide chars", it's useful to have a templated basic_ostream that can be instantiated to form a std::ostream, than to have to implement several different, essentially the same, stream classes.

Need Help in C++ Disasm

2 Answers2