> > If *you* release new "compatible" libs with the ordinals different from > the current libs, *my* application breaks. Or, you might get ripple > effects: what if I distribute a dll that depends on KDE's libs, and Bob > has an app that depends on my dll? Bob's app breaks because my dll is > broken because you released new "compatible" libs. Not good -- and it'd > take a while to track the problem down too: (a) I need to relink my dll, > and give it to Bob, and then (and only then) (b) Bob can relink his app. > > Blech.
Wait for the rules in my next mail. > > >>I shudder to think of maintaining all of that for the 200-odd DLLs that > >>come with KDE. > >> > > > > Using def files is unusable. > > > Unless it's the only way to avoid the problems above. Then, you ignore > the pain and just do it -- or write code to do it for you, like the > openoffice guys have done. > > > >>Then, there's one smaller problem: > >> > >>If you use a .def file to generate your DLL, will the auto-import stuff > >>get added to it? Can auto-import even work, if you're linking by > >>ordinal -- I thought the _nm_ hints were based on the symbol name, > >> > > > > no, the symbol name was build from the undef section, if a corresponding > > _imp_symbol was found, that means from the client side. There was no access > > (except of the dll name) to the implibs data. > > > Okay... > > > >>not the symbol ordinal... > >> > > > > I have patched auto-import stuff which got the ordinal from the implib. > > It works with the appended testcase. Currently I've build a new > working qt with > > this. > > > > > > In the second solution I have told about, using the regular implibs > and decide > > on a per case base > > if ordinal linking or not. > > > > I'm thinking about creating to areas, an internal and an external. > > New releases of kdelibs and perhaps kdebase for example are build > together. So > > ordinal linking is not problem. -> internal area. Any other app may > be linked by > > name -> external area. > > > Ah, so there'd be a special switch that KDE's internal makefiles use to > turn on 'link by ordinal' behavior; other applications would not use it, > and would thus link by name? (or, they'd use it and link-by-ordinal at > their own risk...) > > That seems workable to me. > > > > Second some dll's are only for specific apps for example konqueror > or kcontrol, > > which holds there code in some dll's. When rebuilding konqueror > the dll's could > > be linked ordinal without any problems, because there were all rebuild. > > > Errr...not so fast. Code reuse -- konqueror dlls can be linked into > other apps, can't they? -- or is all code reuse of that nature in KDE > done via KParts/Bonobo/CORBA/whatever, and not actual linking? > We will have to look at this a little deeper. Ralf
