OpenEuphoria

RE: .dll files -- possibly [OT]

• Posted by Andy Serpa <ac at onehorseshy.com> Jul 16, 2003
• 426 views

Chris Saik wrote:
> 
> 
> Hello,
> 
> Could someone explain to me the use and more
> importantly the benefits of .dll files?  They seem to
> me to be basically include files (I'm most likely
> mistaken), and I'm wondering why use a .dll file vs a
> standard include file?  What can be done using a .dll
> file that cannot be done with includes?
> 
>
The main benefit of the ability to use .dll files for Euphoria programs 
is to be able to use third-party libraries that were most-likely written 
in C or some other language.  The whole Windows API is available to us 
through .dlls installed with the OS, for instance.  Graphics libraries, 
database libraries, etc are all available in .dll form, often for free.

If you want to make .dlls from Euphoria source and use them with your 
Euphoria programs, then it is indeed quite like using an include file.  
The advantages are greater speed for those parts of the program in the 
.dll, and the ability to share them with others without revealing your 
source code.  You could also use a Euphoria .dll as an external library 
with a program written in some other language, but you're then somewhat 
restricted on what parameters you can pass...