Final answer:
The '.section' directive defines memory segments in assembly language. The '.rodata' is for read-only data, '.data' for initialized variables, and '.text' contains the program's executable code.
Step-by-step explanation:
The .section directive in assembly language programming is used to define sections or segments in the code that correspond to different parts of the memory layout for a program. These sections are used to categorize different types of data and code for the linker and ultimately for the operating system to handle appropriately when the program is loaded into memory.
.rodata
The .rodata section stands for "read-only data" and contains constant values that should not be altered during program execution, such as string literals and constant variables. This section is placed in the memory part that is read-only at runtime to protect it from being modified, which can cause undefined behavior or security risks.
.data
The .data section contains initialized data with variable values that can be modified during program execution. This includes global and static variables that are initialized to a non-zero value.
.text
The .text section is also known as the code segment and contains the executable instructions of the program. This section is read-only and is where the processor looks for machine code to execute.
To summarize, .section is used to define different memory segments, .rodata is for constant data, .data is for initialized global and static variables, and .text is where the executable code of the program is stored.