Dynamic linking will setup your application to call the necessary OCL functions dynamically using DLLs. This assumes that the required DLL files are already referenced somewhere in LIBPATH before the application will run.

This is much faster to link, and the resulting application will be much smaller than using static linking. Of course, if the IBM VisualAge DLLs are not on the system which will be using this application, then it will fail to run. A typical application nearing 800Kb when linked statically may barely surpass 40Kb when linked dynamically.

To use 'dynamic linking' you must specify the /Gd+ (this is not the default) option when compiling your .CPP files. You can change this setting by one of the following methods:

• if you are using the project templates and WorkFrame that come with Visual Age, then
  1. click on Tools
  2. make certain that View is set to Actions
  3. expand the Compile subtree
  4. right-mouse-click on C++ Compiler
  5. select File Options
  6. select the Object tab
  7. select the Dynamic option for Library linkage
  8. click on OK
  9. close the tools setup
  10. regenerate the makefile and recompile

• if you are compiling from the command-line, or using your own makefiles, then
  1. make certain that the /Gd+ option is specified.

Note:

See also Static Linking and How to Link

Note:

Need info on rights, etc...are you allowed to distribute the DLLs with an application that was dynamically linked? Isn't there something in the docs? I haven't had the time to look it up yet -- if someone has references handy, please let me know.