Re: Problem with a DLL and a Static Library

From:
"Doug Harrison [MVP]" <dsh@mvps.org>
Newsgroups:
microsoft.public.vc.language
Date:
Mon, 12 Jun 2006 10:36:20 -0500
Message-ID:
<ri1r82leon79ua4ofcf8l2hm7hiol03k0v@4ax.com>
On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 18:14:49 +0300, Mihai Popescu <m_pop_escu@yahoo.com>
wrote:

  Well, I guess it's not defined when building the LIB so AGE_API would
become __declspec(dllimport). That's why I get that
"warning C4273: inconsistent dll linkage ".
  I've also tried also to define AGE_API as an empty macro during LIB
linkage, puting the following directives into LIB-s header files.

#ifdef DLL
#ifdef AGE_EXPORTS
#define AGE_API __declspec(dllexport)
#else
#define AGE_API __declspec(dllimport)
#endif
#else
#define AGE_API
#endif

  Then I define DLL macro in the DLL project and in the GUI (#define
DLL) before including header files (from the LIB directory).

  But now, I get linker errors and new warnings:
     "LNK2019: unresolved external symbol"
     "warning C4005: 'AGE_API' : macro redefinition"

  I guess I'll have to ignore previous warnings...even if I wonder why
this second method doesnt work.
  Of course there is a logical reason...but I don't get-it... That's
why I'm asking for help... :D


If I understand your previous messages, you're trying to get a DLL to
export functions defined in a static library. The latter isn't part of the
former, so I don't think I'd approach it that way. Instead, I'd probably
have the DLL export some forwarding functions.

The static library should not be using the __declspec. The dllexport should
be in effect when compiling the DLL, while the dllimport should be in
effect when not compiling the DLL. I always do it like this:

In some DLL header file, which the other DLL headers #include, write the
following, replacing "X" with the name of your DLL, making sure it has a
reasonable chance of being unique:

#ifdef COMPILING_X_DLL
#define X_EXPORT __declspec(dllexport)
#else
#define X_EXPORT __declspec(dllimport)
#endif

Then #define COMPILING_X_DLL only in that DLL's project. This method can be
used by multiple DLLs, and since the macro names are unique, they don't
conflict. Then you can do things like:

X_EXPORT void f();

class X_EXPORT MyClass
{
   ...
};

Look in the project's preprocessor options, and you may find the AppWizard
has already defined a suitable COMPILING_X_DLL macro for you.

--
Doug Harrison
Visual C++ MVP

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