Lesson 17 - C and C++ libraries
Libraries are an important part of programming. They contain a set of functions and structures that are closely related. In the compilation article, we said that the linker merges files and recalculates the offsets of individual calls. However, the real role of the linker is to connect our application to libraries. When a linker encounters the use of a library, it basically has only two options. It can either copy the code from the library to our application or make the necessary functions available while the application is running.
The difference between a static and a dynamic library
The static library is the result of the first approach. The compiler copies the source codes from the library and places them among the codes of our application. Static libraries usually have the file extensions .a (for Linux) or .lib (for Windows). Dynamic libraries are not added to our source file, but are attached to the application at runtime. This leads to several problems, which we'll talk about later. To use a dynamic library, we must
...End of the preview...
Continue further
You've come here and that's great! We believe that the first lessons showed you something new and useful
Do you want to continue the course? Go to the premium section.
Buy this course
This article is licensed: Premium, by buying this article, you agree with the terms of use.
- Unlimited and permanent access to individual lessons.
- High quality IT knowledge.
- Skills to help you get your dream and well-paid job.
Article description
Requested article covers this content:
We'll talk about how to generate a static and dynamic library, how to use them, and the difference between them.
You gain credits by supporting our network. This is done by sending a helpful amount of money to support the site, or by creating content for the network.
