Microsoft Windows library files: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:52, 10 April 2025

Revision as of 21:18, 13 April 2025

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The Windows operating system contains [[Compiler|compiled]] versions of these libraries known as [[dynamic-link libraries|dynamically-linked libraries]] ([[.dll]]), which are [[Portable Executable|executable]] libraries that can be used by multiple [[Computer program|programs]] while only one copy of the library is loaded into [[computer memory|memory]]. These are canonically referred to as [[system libraries]] and all programs installed on the system can utilize them.

The Windows SDK additionally distributes compiled versions of these libraries knowknown as [[Statically linked library|statically-linked libraries]] ([[.lib]]), which are non-executable libraries that, in whole or in part, can be embedded into a program when it is compiled. The most common Windows compilers being [[Visual Studio|Microsoft Visual Studio]] and [[Mingw-w64|MinGW]].

== Internal components ==