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 Load size
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 The value displayed in parentheses at link time is called the "load" size of
 the .EXE. This is the minimum amount of conventional memory needed by DOS to
 load the program image into memory. The amount of memory needed by the
 program at runtime will often exceed the figure reported at link time.

 It is difficult to translate the load size into a reliable estimate of the
 amount of memory needed to execute the program, particularly for those
 compilers which are dynamic in nature. The load size is better used as a
 relative value, to be compared from one link to the next. When the value
 increases, the program will usually need more memory; conversely, when the
 load size decreases the program will usually need less memory. There is a
 common convention for determining the load size, so this value may be used
 as a comparison between different linkers.

 None of the code associated with an overlaid object module is included in
 the load size. However, all data segments within an overlaid object module
 and all data defined in high level language modules is added to the root.
 Thus the load size will increase whenever new data is added to the program,
 regardless of whether or not this data originates from an overlaid
 procedure. Similarly, when a new overlaid object module is added, the
 inclusion of any newly called functions which reside in non-overlaid
 libraries can still increase the load size. Adding a new object module to
 the overlay section also necessitates a few new entries to Blinker's
 internal tables which will slightly increase the load size.

 An unusually large change in the load size from one link to the next should
 be investigated. Possible causes are functions duplicated among the .OBJ
 files, a change in the order of the libraries, or, in the case of
 CA-Clipper, switching incremental linking on or off.

 CA-Clipper note:

 Immediately after being loaded, CA-Clipper has additional memory
 requirements which vary from application to application. Around 200 Kb can
 be expected for average-sized CA-Clipper Summer '87 applications, including
 the memory allocated for the "R" and "V" areas and the free area. The
 CA-Clipper 5.x VMM system will use expanded memory or a swap file on disk,
 in addition to conventional memory.