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Dynamic-Link Libraries
In Microsoft® Windows®, dynamic-link libraries (DLL) are modules that contain functions and data. A
DLL is loaded at runtime by its calling modules (.EXE or DLL). When a DLL is
loaded, it is mapped into the address space of the calling process.
DLLs can define two kinds of functions: exported and internal. The exported
functions can be called by other modules. Internal functions can only be called
from within the DLL where they are defined. Although DLLs can export data, its
data is usually only used by its functions.
DLLs provide a way to modularize applications so that functionality can be
updated and reused more easilly. They also help reduce memory overhead when
several applications use the same functionality at the same time, because although
each application gets its own copy of the data, they can share the code.
The Microsoft® Win32® application programming interface (API) is implemented as a set of
dynamic-link libraries, so any process using the Win32 API uses dynamic linking.
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