DLL Creation and Linking Issue

[Dave1024]

Hi,

I am using VS 2005. First I create .lib project and prepare one application project. Both are running fine.

Then i change the .lib project in to .dll project. It compiles fine but when i compile the application project it shows one issue [fatal error LNK1104 :: can not open the lib file]. My question is how i will link to .dll file correctly. Please give me the settings change for application project.

Thanks
Dave

[Alex F]

You still need .lib file for linking - add it to the list of linker dependencies. .lib file in this case is used as "proxy" which helps to open dll at runtime.
Without .lib file, you can use LoadLibrary/GetProcAddress.

[Dave1024]

Thanks for the replay, but it does not solve my problem.

I have a dll project. Successfully creates the dll.

I would like to create one application project using this dll.

But i face the error as follows

"fatal error LNK1104: cannot open file abc.lib"

In this context i don't want .lib but why the application asks for .lib.

So my question is what change i imposed in to my application project

Thanks
Dave

[Alex F]

If you don't want .lib, exclude it from the linker list, and use LoadLibrary/GetProcAddress.
If you want .lib, add it to the linker list and ensure that linker can find it (by providing full path, or adding .lib path to the list of linker directories, or by placing .lib file to the project directory.

See Project - Properties - Configuration Properties - Linker.
General - Additional Library Directories. Here you can add the path where abc.libfile is placed.
Input - Additional Dependencies. Type abc.lib here.

[Dave1024]

Hi,

I am ok with .lib settings and my project is working in static library.

But i want to create my application project using .dll.[Only the main and caller function in wrapper]

I am preparing one dll

Application project is also ready.

I have .dll file and application project. Now i face an issue when the functions which def:: is present in dll is called then error has come.

It means that my application does not read the .dll

So how i achieve the .dll read from my win32 console application project

what are the settings change needs in the VS 2005 editor

Thanks
Dave

[Richard.J]

Even if you want to use a DLL at runtime, the linker still has to know where to find the functions in the DLL. Thus the corresponding .lib file is needed. That does not mean your app is statically linked with the .lib, the app is just "prepared" to use the DLL.

HTH,
Richard

[Dave1024]

Still I have problem

In My DLL project i build the function using the following way

extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) double AddNumbers(double a, double b)
{
    return a + b;
}

DLL created successfully.
Then close the project.

I am creating an Application project. and the code is in this way

#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
 
// Import function that adds two numbers
extern "C" __declspec(dllimport) double AddNumbers(double a, double b);
 
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    double result = AddNumbers(1, 2);
    printf("The result was: %f\n", result);
    return 0;
}

but it showing the following errors

1. error C2059: syntax error : 'string'
2. error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _AddNumbers referenced in function _main

I placed my created dll in the Debug Folder [where the .exe is generated]

Please help me to solve the issue.

I am not using any MFC classes.

Thanks
Dave

[Richard.J]

As Alex F already stated, add the .lib to the additional libraries in the Linker settings.