popov.link/_posts/2023-05-04-create-lib-file-from-dll.md

60 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown

---
description: >-
Learn how to generate a *.lib file from a *.dll with this comprehensive guide. Using the Visual Studio Command Prompt and Microsoft's recommended tools, this article walks you through the steps for a seamless process. Perfect for developers working with 3rd party win dll's.
title: Create ".lib" file from ".dll" (archive)
author: adrianhenke
layout: post
---
> This's a copy of a non-my post.
> The original article [is here](https://adrianhenke.wordpress.com/2008/12/05/create-lib-file-from-dll/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20161118122539/https://adrianhenke.wordpress.com/2008/12/05/create-lib-file-from-dll/)).
When working with 3rd party win dll's you sometimes miss the according to the `*.lib` file required to compile against it.
There is an [Microsoft KB-Q131313](http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B131313&x=1&y=15) ([archive](https://jeffpar.github.io/kbarchive/kb/131/Q131313/)) article showing how to generate a `*.lib` file from a `*.dll` however the required steps are not described detailed enough I think.
So here is my quick guide.
Open the "Visual Studio Command Prompt", you find its shortcut in "_Start_" -> "_Programs_" -> "_Microsoft Visual Studio Tools_".
Now run the `dumpbin` command to get a list of all exported functions of your dll:
```bash
dumpbin /exports C:\\yourpath\\yourlib.dll
```
This will print quite a bit of text to the console.
However, we are only interested in the functions:
```
ordinal hint RVA name
1 0 00017770 jcopy_block_row
2 1 00017710 jcopy_sample_rows
3 2 000176C0 jdiv_round_up
4 3 000156D0 jinit_1pass_quantizer
5 4 00016D90 jinit_2pass_quantizer
6 5 00005750 jinit_c_coef_controller
...etc
```
Now copy all those function names (only the names!) and paste them into a new text file.
Name the next file `yourlib.def` and put the line "EXPORTS" at its top.
My `yourlib.def` file looks like this:
```
EXPORTS
jcopy_block_row
jcopy_sample_rows
jdiv_round_up
jinit_1pass_quantizer
jinit_2pass_quantizer
jinit_c_coef_controller
...
```
Now from that definition file, we can finally create the `*.lib` file.
We use the `lib` tool for this, so run this command in your "Visual Studio Command Prompt":
```bash
lib /def:C:\\mypath\\mylib.def /OUT:C:\\mypath\\mylib.lib
```
That's it, happy coding 🙂