req: using cygwin's gcc for creating static libs in msvc binary format (.a => .lib) # Re: static MSVC library?

Jonathan Arnold jdarnold@buddydog.org
Wed Mar 9 20:18:00 GMT 2005


Christopher Faylor wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 09, 2005 at 06:32:09PM +0100, Arend-Jan Westhoff wrote:
> 
>>It looks like changing a lib.a into a lib.lib might require only a rename!
>>(But I remember reading that debug formats differ between gcc and VC.)
> 
> You're right.  The only difference is the debug info.  A cygwin .a file is
> roughly the same thing as a MSVC .lib file.
> 
> But, of course, that was true back in 1999, too.

Yes, just because the *format* is the same doesn't mean you can use a LIB (or OBJ)
file generated by one compiler when using another linker.  In fact, I'd
be willing to bet dollars to donuts that it cannot be done.  This is due to lots
of things, not the least of which is naming conventions, stack usage, and internal
structure differences.  Static libs are not, and never will be, cross-compiler,
unless there is a specific switch in a compiler that says "Generate VC++ compatible
object information" or some such.

-- 
Jonathan Arnold     (mailto:jdarnold@buddydog.org)
Amazing Developments       http://www.buddydog.org

I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages. -
  William H. Mauldin


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