Editing Nm (Unix) (section)

{{short description|Unix command}}
{{lowercase|nm (Unix)}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = nm
| logo                   = 
| screenshot             = 
| screenshot size        = 
| caption                = 
| author                 = [[Dennis Ritchie]],<br />[[Ken Thompson]]<br />([[AT&T Bell Laboratories]])
| developer              = Various [[open-source software|open-source]] and [[commercial software|commercial]] developers
| released               = {{Start date and age|1971|11|3}}
| latest release version = 
| latest release date    = 
| programming language   = [[C (programming language)|C]]
| operating system       = [[Unix]], [[Unix-like]], [[Plan 9 from Bell Labs|Plan 9]]
| platform               = [[Cross-platform]]
| genre                  = [[Command (computing)|Command]]
| license                = Plan 9: [[MIT License]]
| website                = 
}}
<code>'''nm'''</code> is a [[Unix]] command used to dump the [[symbol table]] and their attributes from a [[binary file|binary]] [[executable]] file (including [[Library (computing)|libraries]], compiled [[Object file|object modules]], shared-object files, and standalone [[executable]]s).

The output from <code>nm</code> distinguishes between various symbol types. For example, it differentiates between a [[subroutine|function]] that is supplied by an object module and a function that is required by it. <code>nm</code> is used as an aid for [[debugging]], to help resolve problems arising from name conflicts and [[C++]] name mangling, and to validate other parts of the [[toolchain]].

This command is shipped with a number of later versions of [[Unix]] and [[Unix-like|similar]] [[operating system]]s including [[Plan 9 from Bell Labs|Plan 9]]. The [[GNU Project]] ships an implementation of <code>nm</code> as part of the [[GNU Binutils]] package.

The etymology is that in the old Version 7 Unix, <code>nm</code>'s manpage used the term ''name list'' instead of ''symbol table''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NM(1) |url=https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=nm&manpath=Unix%20Seventh%20Edition&format=ascii |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Unix Seventh Edition General Commands Manual}}</ref>