Using the LINK32 -LIB Command

MORE INFORMATION

LINK32.EXE performs several functions, specified by one of the following command-line options:

   -LINK   Create an executable file (linking)
   -LIB    Create or modify a library (librarian)
   -DUMP   Display information about a library
				

The LINK32 librarian is a fairly simple tool that adds, removes, and extracts COFF object files from libraries.

The LINK32 -LIB options are as follows:

    -DEBUGTYPE:{COFF|CV|BOTH}  Do not use
   -DEF:[filename]            Create an import library
   -EXTRACT:membername        Extract an object file from a library
   -LIST                      List object files in a library
   -MACHINE:i386              Required with the -DEF option,
                                 not used otherwise
   -OUT:filename              Specifies library name
   -REMOVE:membername         Remove object module from library
   -SUBSYSTEM                 Do not use
   -VERBOSE                   Do not use
				

The following examples demonstrate using these options to perform common library management tasks.

Example #1

To build the library TEST.LIB that contains the modules A.OBJ and B.OBJ, use the following command line:

   LINK32 -LIB -OUT:TEST.LIB A.OBJ B.OBJ
				

Example #2

To modify the existing library TEST.LIB to add the modules A.OBJ and B.OBJ, use the following command line:

   LINK32 -LIB TEST.LIB A.OBJ B.OBJ
				

Example #3

To create a file that lists the object modules in a library, use the following command line:

   LINK32 -LIB -LIST TEST.LIB >TEST.LST
				

This command line generates a listing that contains the names of the object files in the library; the listing does not list the routines in each object file. To retrieve this information, use the -DUMP option.

Example #4

To update a library with a new version of an object module, use the following command lines:

   LINK32 -LIB TEST.LIB -REMOVE:A.OBJ
   LINK32 -LIB TEST.LIB A.OBJ
				

No single command can do this. Avoid the following commands:

   LINK32 -LIB TEST.LIB A.OBJ             !if A.OBJ is in TEST.LIB
   LINK32 -LIB TEST.LIB A.OBJ -OUT:TEST.LIB
   LINK32 -LIB TEST.LIB -REMOVE:A.OBJ A.OBJ
				

NOTE: Modules cannot be added to a library which has had all of the modules removed.

NOTE: The object module specified by -REMOVE:obj_name must have the same case as shown by:

   LINK32 -LIB -LIST
				

In other words, -REMOVE is case sensitive.