What is a dll file?

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Definitions of DLL on the Web:

An abbreviation for dynamic link library, a file containing a collection of Windows functions designed to perform a specific class of operations. Most DLLs carry the .DLL extension, but some Windows DLLs, such as Gdi32.exe, use the .EXE extension. Functions within DLLs are called (invoked) by applications as necessary to perform the desired operation. www.pace.ch/cours/glossary.htm

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A .dll file is a Dynamic Link Library file. These files are required by Applications and Operating Systems to interact with the hardware.

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DLL: Dynamic Link Library

It's a library file & its structure is a bit different from the normal executable.

The only thing is that if there are 10 processes using a dll, there will be only one image of dll in the memory. Now something more complicated about dll memory mapping.

Whenever an exe calls a dll the dll is loaded into memory if not already loaded and the pages are marked as shared. These are then mapped onto the process address space.

Let me know if you want some more details.

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A library of procedures that programs can call on. The DLL produces output related to the supplied input. DLLs

can be somewhat of a black box, as you don't really need to know what's inside them, just what they do.

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While the programs need to intercommunicate we don't need to open that particular application. You will say what type of intercommunication as simple data used by one to be in another.Looks easy but here is a worst scenario where data is not of open standard but it is structured according to an application. For its retriebval we need to understand its structure means how it is stored and how its representation will be. For this purpose as a praise the OLE was introduced but they were having weakness over operation , Later commerical VBX controlls were sold but they were price-making objects . The newer concept that was later introduced was COM -Common Object Model which makes anyone to store data anyhow but you it can be used by serving obects within another application. How does it happens ? Simple answer is activeX which come in two flavours DLL's and .OCX . A DLL is in process serving object that introduces the functionality of cross platform data application into your communicating application. Other implementation is similar but its generall out process. Windows also uses DLL files as run time support object code libraries that introduce functionality into inspace at run time. For further references please see Dan Appleman's book on COM and for O/S specific action of DLL read Silberschatz's OS book. Rupesh K Joshi rupesh_joshi@sify.com

First answer by asokan y. Last edit by ID996041274. Question popularity: 175 [recommend question]

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