Re: [Mingw-msys] Some questions about the mingw-runtime .a files

[Brian Dessent <brian@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bo Yang wrote:

> So, how MinGW gcc link a program. When you use options such as
> -lkernel32, how the MinGW gcc and ld works? They link to the
> libkernel32.a at the lib directory of MinGW, right? And the
> libkernel32.a is just a import library for the real dll file
> kernel32.dll, am I right?

I don't understand the question.  You seem to be thinking that somehow
the code inside kernel32.dll is needed by the linker when linking a
program that makes calls into kernel32.dll, but that is not the case at
all -- the DLL is needed only at runtime, not linktime.

In fact that is exactly why *shared* libraries are shared as opposed to
static: the code resides in one place and all users of it can simply
call it.  The code is not duplicated/copied into every program as with
static linking.  All the linker needs is the import library, which
simply enumerates the interfaces that the DLL exports. 

Brian

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