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October 8th, 2025, 04:38 AM
#1
A name I can't remember
It's quite common to find DLL's which provide some functionality in a "totally enclosed" format (i.e. you don't need to know anything about their internal operation). A good example is audio processors where a DLL might provide some reverb functionality, along with a GUI. The DLL is pre-built and apart from routing the audio to it, programmers don't need to interface to it internally.
OTOH if a programmer does need to interface to the DLL it's common to be able to download the source code so you can build it yourself. But there used to be a third option...
Back in the day it was commonplace to be able to download pre-built DLL's along with just their header files - so if you needed to interface with the DLL you could do so very easily, without needing to build it from source.
Does anyone else remember this? I've a feeling they had a special name - "something" modules or "something" packages or whatever but I've asked in various places and no-one seems to know what I'm talking about 
"A problem well stated is a problem half solved.” - Charles F. Kettering
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October 9th, 2025, 03:22 AM
#2
Re: A name I can't remember
Back in the day it was commonplace to be able to download pre-built DLL's along with just their header files - so if you needed to interface with the DLL you could do so very easily, without needing to build it from source.
Yes - it was common. The .h files and the .lib files (you need both to interface to a .dll from a program), if available, were able to be downloaded from the site that hosted the .dlls if source wasn't provided. The issue, of course, was that the built .exe and the used .dll had to be the same 32/64 bit build and if anything other than POTs were used as .dll function parameters pretty much the same compiler version.
What are you looking for?
All advice is offered in good faith only. All my code is tested (unless stated explicitly otherwise) with the latest version of Microsoft Visual Studio (using the supported features of the latest standard) and is offered as examples only - not as production quality. I cannot offer advice regarding any other c/c++ compiler/IDE or incompatibilities with VS. You are ultimately responsible for the effects of your programs and the integrity of the machines they run on. Anything I post, code snippets, advice, etc is licensed as Public Domain https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ and can be used without reference or acknowledgement. Also note that I only provide advice and guidance via the forums - and not via private messages!
C++23 Compiler: Microsoft VS2022 (17.6.5)
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October 9th, 2025, 04:15 AM
#3
Re: A name I can't remember
They had a specific name but I can't remember what they were called. Was it something like "dev versions" maybe?
"A problem well stated is a problem half solved.” - Charles F. Kettering
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November 5th, 2025, 02:22 PM
#4
Re: A name I can't remember
 Originally Posted by John E
They had a specific name but I can't remember what they were called. Was it something like "dev versions" maybe?
Are you thinking of a delay load library?
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November 7th, 2025, 03:34 AM
#5
Re: A name I can't remember
I don't think so. I think they were called dev libraries or dev builds or something like that.
"A problem well stated is a problem half solved.” - Charles F. Kettering
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