Dynamic-link library (Windows) - Revision history

Sembiance: /* Sample files */

2023-12-28T20:57:46Z

‎Sample files

Sembiance: Added sample files

2021-01-14T21:35:01Z

Added sample files

Jsummers: /* Links */

2017-10-14T20:46:10Z

‎Links

Jsummers: Category:Windows

2017-03-29T20:48:00Z

Category:Windows

Jsummers: /* Identification */

2016-09-18T13:02:51Z

‎Identification

Jsummers at 15:54, 17 September 2016

2016-09-17T15:54:15Z

Jsummers at 15:50, 17 September 2016

2016-09-17T15:50:06Z

Jsummers: Undo revision 26411 by Felix (talk) See discussion page for reasons

2016-09-17T15:42:13Z

Undo revision 26411 by Felix (talk) See discussion page for reasons

Felix: this is not a file format

2016-09-12T15:54:03Z

this is not a file format

Jsummers: Category:Microsoft

2014-09-19T00:47:59Z

Category:Microsoft

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 == Sample files ==
-* https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/executable/dll/
+* {{DexvertSamples|executable/dll}}
 == Links ==

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 == Specifications ==
 Refer to [[New Executable]] and [[Portable Executable]].
 == Links ==

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 * [http://www.tutorialspoint.com/dll/ DLL tutorial]
 * [https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Windows_Programming/Dynamic_Link_Libraries Wikibooks: Programming Dynamic Link Libraries]
 [[Category:Microsoft]]
 [[Category:Windows]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:48, 29 March 2017
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	[[Category:Microsoft]]		[[Category:Microsoft]]
		+	[[Category:Windows]]

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 Refer to [[New Executable#Identification]] for identification of NE format.
-Note that this identification logic may not be perfect, depending on your definition of what is and is not a DLL (e.g. is a device driver a DLL?).
+Note that this identification logic may not be perfect, depending on your definition of what is and is not a DLL (e.g. is a device driver, or an [[Icon library]], a DLL?).
 === PE ===

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 |extensions={{ext|dll}}, {{ext|ocx}}, {{ext|drv}}
 }}
-A '''dynamic-link library''' ('''DLL''') is a particular kind of [[New Executable]] or [[Portable Executable|PE]] file. It is a Microsoft Windows method of having separately-compiled modular routines able to be loaded at run-time when needed by programs. The various versions of Windows include a large number of such files used by system programs and other software, and third-party software is likely to include other files of this sort, some specific to one program and some shared by multiple programs.
+A '''dynamic-link library''' ('''DLL''') is a particular kind of [[New Executable|NE]] or [[Portable Executable|PE]] file. It is a Microsoft Windows method of having separately-compiled modular routines able to be loaded at run-time when needed by programs. The various versions of Windows include a large number of such files used by system programs and other software, and third-party software is likely to include other files of this sort, some specific to one program and some shared by multiple programs.
 The normal file extension is .dll, but .ocx is also found for libraries containing [[ActiveX]] controls, and .drv for system drivers (of an old legacy format). Additionally, some other formats such as [[FON]] use similar format, but limited to particular sorts of content rather than the full range of executable program routines and resource data which can be stored in a DLL.

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 |extensions={{ext|dll}}, {{ext|ocx}}, {{ext|drv}}
 }}
-A '''dynamic-link library''' (DLL) is a Microsoft Windows method of having separately-compiled modular routines able to be loaded at run-time when needed by programs. The various versions of Windows include a large number of such files used by system programs and other software, and third-party software is likely to include other files of this sort, some specific to one program and some shared by multiple programs.
+A '''dynamic-link library''' ('''DLL''') is a particular kind of [[New Executable]] or [[Portable Executable|PE]] file. It is a Microsoft Windows method of having separately-compiled modular routines able to be loaded at run-time when needed by programs. The various versions of Windows include a large number of such files used by system programs and other software, and third-party software is likely to include other files of this sort, some specific to one program and some shared by multiple programs.
 There are lots of problems and pitfalls related to these files. Programs may install different versions of the same DLL on top of the previously existing one, possibly breaking other software that depends on the other version and is incompatible with the one just installed. Or if a program's installer avoids this problem by installing its DLLs in a different directory from others of the same name (which might be different versions of a DLL or totally different ones that just happened to be named the same), a system might still have a poorly-set path variable that causes the wrong version to be used, and trying to untangle which file is supposed to be used by which program is a difficult task even for a technically knowledgeable user. Then when you uninstall a program, perhaps it will delete all its DLLs (perhaps breaking a different program that also uses them), or perhaps it will leave them in place (even if no other program uses them), contributing to the mess and bloat that plagues Windows PCs in their old age.
 If a program crashes due to lack of a required DLL, perhaps you'll Google it and run into a site that purports to make it available for download... but then tries to push you into downloading and installing their own spyware/adware as well. Watch out! You're best going to the appropriate software manufacturer's site (e.g., Microsoft's if it's a part of the Windows system, or the third-party software company for the package that the DLL is connected with).
-== Format ==
+== Identification ==
-DLLs are of a related format to [[COFF]], originally a UNIX-based format which was given a "Microsoft twist" for use in Windows. The Windows form of [[EXE]] files ([[PE|PE executable]]) is of a similar format, but designed to run directly as a standalone program rather than be loaded within already-running programs as DLLs are.
+=== PE ===
-The normal file extension is .dll, but .ocx is also found for libraries containing [[ActiveX]] controls, and .drv for system drivers (of an old legacy format). Additionally, some other formats such as the Windows [[icon library]] file use similar format, but limited to particular sorts of content rather than the full range of executable program routines and resource data which can be stored in a DLL.
+Refer to [[Portable Executable#Identification]] for identification of PE format.
 == Specifications ==
-* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/hardware/gg463125 Microsoft PE and COFF Specification]
+Refer to [[New Executable]] and [[Portable Executable]].
 == Links ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-"Dynamic-link library" is not a file format; it is a name for dynamically-loadable object files (shared objects) used on the Windows platform, where such files have various extensions, most commonly <code>[[:Category:File formats with extension .dll|.dll]]</code>. Dynamic-link libraries may be in any of the following formats:
+{{FormatInfo
-* [[New Executable]]
+There are lots of problems and pitfalls related to these files. Programs may install different versions of the same DLL on top of the previously existing one, possibly breaking other software that depends on the other version and is incompatible with the one just installed. Or if a program's installer avoids this problem by installing its DLLs in a different directory from others of the same name (which might be different versions of a DLL or totally different ones that just happened to be named the same), a system might still have a poorly-set path variable that causes the wrong version to be used, and trying to untangle which file is supposed to be used by which program is a difficult task even for a technically knowledgeable user. Then when you uninstall a program, perhaps it will delete all its DLLs (perhaps breaking a different program that also uses them), or perhaps it will leave them in place (even if no other program uses them), contributing to the mess and bloat that plagues Windows PCs in their old age.
-* [[Portable Executable]]
-{{Disambiguation}}
+If a program crashes due to lack of a required DLL, perhaps you'll Google it and run into a site that purports to make it available for download... but then tries to push you into downloading and installing their own spyware/adware as well. Watch out! You're best going to the appropriate software manufacturer's site (e.g., Microsoft's if it's a part of the Windows system, or the third-party software company for the package that the DLL is connected with).

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:47, 19 September 2014
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	* [http://www.tutorialspoint.com/dll/ DLL tutorial]		* [http://www.tutorialspoint.com/dll/ DLL tutorial]
	* [https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Windows_Programming/Dynamic_Link_Libraries Wikibooks: Programming Dynamic Link Libraries]		* [https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Windows_Programming/Dynamic_Link_Libraries Wikibooks: Programming Dynamic Link Libraries]
		+
		+	[[Category:Microsoft]]