This function returns a value identifying the kind of file associated with an ELF descriptor (elf). Defined values are below:

ELF_K_AR

The file is an archive [see ar(3HEAD)]. An ELF descriptor may also be associated with an archive member, not the archive itself, and then elf_kind() identifies the member's type.

ELF_K_COFF

The file is a COFF object file. elf_begin(3ELF) describes the library's handling for COFF files.

ELF_K_ELF

The file is an ELF file. The program may use elf_getident() to determine the class. Other functions, such as elf32_getehdr(), are available to retrieve other file information.

ELF_K_NONE

This indicates a kind of file unknown to the library.

Other values are reserved, to be assigned as needed to new kinds of files. elf should be a value previously returned by elf_begin(). A null pointer is allowed, to simplify error handling, and causes elf_kind() to return ELF_K_NONE.

See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:

ar(3HEAD), elf(3ELF), elf32_getehdr(3ELF), elf_begin(3ELF), elf_getident(3ELF), libelf(3LIB), attributes(5)