Help! Linker can't find definitions in ".a" library!

Yes, I was just point out that the differences between the two may be leading to the difference of understanding between you and Elysia.

Originally Posted by Elysia

Yes, that explains how I use different files in all my projects and it compiles fine without the extern keyword.
Actually, the linker will search through all object files when searching for a function. The difference is a variable. You can't redefine it, so you must use something to tell the compiler it exists, yet not redefine it. Therefore the "extern" keyword exists.
This is not needed for functions, because declarations are not definitions. They do not produce any code.

Actually extern is partially marking whatever you used it on as a declaration.

But that aside, I've finally been able to compile a DLL using a ".a" lib file but now I can't get an MSVC DLL to use my MinGW/GCC created DLL (won't link, says unresolved symbols!) Any ideas?

Originally Posted by Vicious

Yes, I was just point out that the differences between the two may be leading to the difference of understanding between you and Elysia.

Ah, gotcha. Thanks.

Originally Posted by 6tr6tr

Actually extern is partially marking whatever you used it on as a declaration.

Untrue. Declarations do not need "extern."

But that aside, I've finally been able to compile a DLL using a ".a" lib file but now I can't get an MSVC DLL to use my MinGW/GCC created DLL (won't link, says unresolved symbols!) Any ideas?

I really don't know. GCC does a lot of weird stuff.
Visual Studio makes it all simple if you compile the DLL in Visual Studio, however.
You can just link the projects in the solution.

extern can be used with functions, but I'm pretty sure the only time you'd need to do it is if you're specifying extern "C" func();
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...9d(VS.80).aspx