This is the mail archive of the cygwin@sourceware.cygnus.com mailing list for the Cygwin project.


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]

Simplifying building dlls


This message is not directly related to any bash bugs. Just a proposition
for changing the behaviour of 'ld'.

description:
-----------
I have modified lcc-win32's linker to automatically build an import library
when linking a dll.

For instance, when you link with lcc-win32

lcclnk -dll mydll.obj MyObject1.obj MyObject2.obj

lcc-win32's linker will emit:

mydll.dll (name of output file defaults to name of first object file)
mydll.lib (Import library for the dll)

Rationale:
---------
I think there is no sense in building a dll and not using it... An import
library will always be needed, so the best thing is to save the user many
obscure manipulations and build the import library 'on the fly'.

For the linker it is very easy to do this, since it has to build the export 
table for the dll anyway, and has all information available.

I send this as a proposal for GNU's 'ld', that *could* be more user friendly.

Related problem:
---------------
I am thinking too, of getting rid of the .def file and all the extra
complexities involved and use the following rule:

ALL PUBLIC SYMBOLS IN A DLL WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY EXPORTED.

What do you think? In Unix is like that, and even if I know that GNU is not 
Unix, we *could* use some ideas isn't it?


-- 
Jacob Navia	Logiciels/Informatique
41 rue Maurice Ravel			Tel 01 48.23.51.44
93430 Villetaneuse 			Fax 01 48.23.95.39
France
-
For help on using this list (especially unsubscribing), send a message to
"gnu-win32-request@cygnus.com" with one line of text: "help".


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]