Member Avatar for clutchkiller

I am writing an app right now that needs winmm.lib. I tried typing winmm.lib in the project properties under the correct section, but kept saying that does not exist. So i did a little research and found that if i type -lwinmm it works. I am using dev-c++. Can anyone tell me why this is and how the syntax worked? Thanks

  • 3 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 150 Views
  • 2 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by clutchkiller

Dani AI

Generated

raised the right question and the short reason is already outlined by and : Dev-C++ ships with a GNU/MinGW toolchain whose linker resolves library names rather than raw filenames. The practical follow-ups people usually need are where the linker looks, what file formats it accepts on Windows, and how to fix “library not found” errors inside Dev‑C++.

Check the compiler’s library folders first (the MinGW or MinGW‑w64 lib directory). If the project UI rejects a literal filename it may be because the IDE is expecting linker-style options or because the file isn’t in any search path. Add the folder containing the import/static library to the link search path (the compiler linker accepts a search-path option), or put the lib in the MinGW lib directory. Turn on verbose linking (g++ -v or pass the verbose flag through the driver) to see exactly which filenames and directories the linker probes.

Be aware of format differences: Windows/MSVC commonly uses COFF .lib import libraries, while MinGW often prefers GNU-format import/static libs. If only an MSVC .lib is available and the MinGW linker complains, obtain a MinGW-compatible import archive (often packaged with mingw‑w64) or create one with the appropriate tooling; alternatively use runtime dynamic loading of the DLL. Also remember link order matters: libraries should come after the object files that need them.

For authoritative detail on what the linker searches and how to pass library/search-path options, see the GNU ld and GCC link-option documentation: and GCC — Link Options. These explain the search rules and flags to use when Dev‑C++’s GUI is not doing the job.

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for Salem

Unix compilers by tradition omitted the library suffix when passing library names to the linker.

Dev-C++ uses the GNU C compiler, which inherits that tradition.

Member Avatar for Stinomus

Standard unix style static library syntax is:

lib[B]Name[/B].lib

And you specify this to the GNU linker (used by dev-c++) using the -l option by name only:

-l[B]Name[/B]

The linker will then resolve this to the filename of the library.

Member Avatar for clutchkiller

Thanks

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.