How do I build an import library lib AND a DLL in Visual C

Question

I want to have a single Visual Studio project that builds a DLL file and an import library   lib  file    An import library is a statically-linked library that takes care of loading that DLL file in other projects that use it    So I went to Visual Studio C   2008 Express Edition  created a New Project of type Class Library  and set the  Configuration Type  to be  Dyanamic Library   dll     But when I build the solution  the only relevant output file I see is a DLL file  I don t see any LIB file getting generated   I looked in the project directory and all subdirectories  Release and Debug    I believe that it is possible to build a LIB and a DLL file at the same time because on the MSDN it says  The linker creates the import library when the DLL is built    Also  another user of this website is creating LIB and DLL files at the same time using Visual C     So how can I do it

User · Answer

Does your DLL project have any actual exports? If there are no exports, the linker will not generate an import library .lib file.

In the non-Express version of VS, the import libray name is specfied in the project settings here:

Configuration Properties/Linker/Advanced/Import Library

I assume it's the same in Express (if it even provides the ability to configure the name).

User · Answer

OK  so I found the answer from http   binglongx wordpress com 2009 01 26 visual-c-does-not-generate-lib-file-for-a-dll-project  says that this problem was caused by not exporting any symbols and further instructs on how to export symbols to create the lib file  To do so  add the following code to your  h file for your DLL    ifdef BARNABY EXPORTS  define BARNABY API   declspec dllexport   else  define BARNABY API   declspec dllimport   endif   Where BARNABY EXPORTS and BARNABY API are unique definitions for your project  Then  each function you export you simply precede by   BARNABY API int add        This problem could have been prevented either by clicking the Export Symbols box on the new project DLL Wizard or by voting yes for lobotomies for computer programmers

User · Answer

By selecting  Class Library  you were accidentally telling it to make a  Net Library using the CLI  managed  extenstion of C     Instead  create a Win32 project  and in the Application Settings on the next page  choose  DLL    You can also make an MFC DLL or ATL DLL from those library choices if you want to go that route  but it sounds like you don t

User · Answer

you also should specify def name in the project settings here   Configuration   Properties Input Advanced Module   Definition File

[c++] How do I build an import library (.lib) AND a DLL in Visual C++?

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