Member Avatar for glenak

I want to begin writing C++ codes in Eclipse. When I try to create a new C++ project I am given the option of choosing an executable project type, a shared library project type or a static library projec type.

What's the difference between all these project types and which one should I use? This is my first time writing c++ in a very long time, so Im kind of a beginner.

  • 2 Contributors
  • 2 Replies
  • 240 Views
  • 7 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by glenak

Dani AI

Generated

Good concise start from and the original question by . The points below fill in practical details that beginners often miss when picking "Executable", "Shared library" or "Static library" in Eclipse/CDT — how those choices map to compiler/linker flags, common pitfalls when distributing or running programs, and a short workflow to apply while learning.

Static libraries (.a / .lib) are archives of object files linked into the executable at link time; shared libraries (.so / .dll) remain separate and are loaded by the OS loader at runtime. Important practical consequences: shared libraries let multiple programs share code and be updated independently but add runtime dependency management (loader search paths, SONAME/versioning); static linking yields a self-contained binary (larger) but can avoid runtime failures on target machines. C++ binary compatibility is fragile across compilers/standard-library versions; libraries intended for broad binary distribution should either expose a C API (extern "C") or carefully manage ABI and versioning.

Example commands (Linux/GCC) for common operations:

g++ -O2 -fPIC -c foo.cpp -o foo.o
g++ -shared -Wl,-soname,libfoo.so.1 -o libfoo.so.1.0 foo.o
ln -s libfoo.so.1.0 libfoo.so
ar rcs libfoo.a foo.o

# link using shared lib (default if libfoo.so present)
g++ main.cpp -L. -lfoo -o app

# force static for libfoo only
g++ main.cpp -L. -Wl,-Bstatic -lfoo -Wl,-Bdynamic -o app-static

# embed runtime search path so the loader looks next to the executable
g++ main.cpp -L. -Wl,-rpath,'$ORIGIN' -lfoo -o app-rpath

Eclipse notes and quick troubleshooting: CDT project type sets default build rules and artifact names; a consumer project must add the library name and search path under Project → Properties → C/C++ Build → Settings → Linker → Libraries. Runtime "cannot open shared object file" errors are diagnosed with ldd ./app; missing DLLs on Windows must be alongside the exe or on PATH. For Windows DLLs, export decoration (e.g. __declspec(dllexport/dllimport>) or export-definition files) is required and MSVC generates an import .lib.

Practical workflow: for learning and iteration, start with an executable; when code is reused, extract it into a static library for simple linking, or into a shared library when runtime updates, memory sharing, or plugin-style loading are needed.

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

Member Avatar for Topi Ojala

-Executable project type generates a runnable program
-Shared library project type generates a dynamic library (equivalent to windows DLL)
-Static library project type generates a static library

You will most likely want to use executable project since this is your first time writing C++ in a very long time. Just to give you a small heads up on libraries: libraries store data/functionality which programs sometimes want to use without implementing everything again. Static libraries are compiled when the program source is compiled, dynamic libraries are only checked they are present when a source that includes the library is compiled.

Edited by Topi Ojala because: n/a
Member Avatar for glenak

aaaaaaaah i see. Cheers.

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.