CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++visual-studiolinkershared-libraries
MathuSum Mut
MathuSum Mut

Reputation: 2825

How to get linker errors at library compile-time in Visual Studio?

Consider an executable called Exe, which depends on a static library called Lib1, and Lib1 depends on another static library called Lib2, so:

Exe -> Lib1 -> Lib2  (where '->' marks dependency)

Let's say I remove Lib2 from Lib1's additional library inclusions. In my experience, Lib1 will still compile, but when I'll try to compile Exe (which is linked to Lib1), linker errors will occur stating that Lib2 symbols are missing from Lib1.

Is there a way to "detect" unresolved symbols when compiling Lib1 without needing to resort to compiling Exe to get notified of the unresolved symbols in the Lib1? If not, why?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 103

Answers (1)

user2100815
user2100815

Reputation:

Assuming you are talking about static libraries, then there is no way of doing this. Static libraries do not link to each other. The linker looks for symbols it can't find in the executable in all the static libraries you list on the linker command line in turn. If it finds an unknown symbol in a static library, it then looks in the other static libraries, but the process is driven from the executable (or DLL) that you are linking.

Upvotes: 2

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