Library (computing): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:48, 5 November 2004

Revision as of 08:48, 8 November 2004

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==Naming==

*[[GNU]]/[[Linux]], [[Solaris Operating Environment|Solaris]] and [[BSD]] variants: <code>libfoo.a</code> and <code>libfoo.so</code> files are placed in folders like <code>/lib</code>, <code>/usr/lib</code> or <code>/usr/local/lib</code> are dynamically linked libraries. The filenames always start with <code>lib</code>, and end with <code>.a</code> (archive, static library) or <code>.so</code> (shared object, dynamically linked library), with an optional interface number,. forFor example <code>libfoo.so.2</code> is the second major interface revision of the dynamically linked library <code>libfoo</code>. Old [[Unix]] versions would use major and minor library revision numbers (<code>libfoo.so.1.2</code>) while contemporary Unixes will only use major revision numbers (<code>libfoo.so.1</code>). Dynamically ''loaded'' libraries are placed in <code>/usr/libexec</code> and similar directories.

*[[MacOS X]] and upwards: libraries are named <code>libfoo.dylib</code>, with an optional interface number, such as <code>libfoo.2.dylib</code>.

*[[Microsoft Windows]]: <code>*.DLL</code> files are dynamically linked libraries. The interface revisions are encoded in the files, or abstracted away using [[component object model|COM-object]] interfaces.