A static library is a collection of machine code files for easy linking to programs. It’s more flexible than a dynamic library and can be deleted if necessary. They’re often helpful for organization and are easy to create with a simple archiver.
A static library is a computer archive that contains a group of related files for easy linking to programs. The contents of this library are usually machine code files that are not human readable. These machine code files are normally generated by code compilation or a similar process. Most operating systems have standard extensions for static libraries, so they’re easy to identify regardless of size or content.
The two different types of computer libraries are static and dynamic. A static library is more flexible than a dynamic library because its exact path is irrelevant to the executable using it. Static libraries are linked into an executable file and can therefore be deleted if necessary because their contents have been included in the final program. A dynamic library cannot be deleted because its contents are loaded while the executable is running, so its locations relative to the executable and in the operating system are important. Static linking allows you to move or reuse a library without worrying about absolute location paths.
Unlike a dynamic library, a static library is usually not executable by itself. In C++, static libraries often act as large object files and can be linked into executables in the same way that object files can be deleted without harming the program. While it’s often possible to dispense with a static library, they’re often helpful in terms of organization. For both users and developers, it’s usually easier to have a single file containing related stuff than to have many small files. Many developers create static libraries specifically for this organizational benefit.
Creating a static library is much easier than creating a dynamic library. The contents of static libraries are not linked together because they shouldn’t run by themselves, so a simple archiver is usually sufficient to create them. Creating a static library that doesn’t link properly within itself isn’t inherently dangerous, as long as the library is linked to any other external files that may be needed. A library can depend on an external set of object files, or one library can depend on another. The use and organization of static libraries is often a personal choice on the part of the programmer rather than a requirement, although their inherent mobility often makes them a desirable choice.
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