| > Okay, I researched the topic. Of course, yes, you can export functions from an executable | > on linux. But freepascal doesn't seem to like it just yet. | | How do you intend to use the exported symbols of an stand-alone | executable? | As a shared library, or how else?
A shared library can call functions from the executable that it is running from. Two way communication is very important to me. | Perhaps Linux and Windows executable files are not too different. On They aren't really, is what I found, after reseaching them. | Windows the file format (MZ) is the same for DLLs and EXE files, the | main difference is the invocation through the WinMain or LibMain entry | points. On Linux the shared libraries may have a similar implementation, | so that the exported symbols can be used only with shared library | modules. Functions can be used in executables in linux by calling the -export-dynamic or -E with the linker (LD), but it isn't working yet with freepascal. Works with GCC (also called -rdynamic). In windows, you can either get the handle of the exe using getmodule, and then getprocaddress(exehandle, 'myproc')or you can just call statically procedure myproc; external 'myprogram.exe'; (instead of mylibrary.dll ). I asked some GCC guys "can an elf executable export functions?" and they sort of laughed at me. They do it all the time, and they wondered why I was asking such an obvious question. But I honestly think a lot of people don't know you can do this. Without being able to export functions form an executable, I find it's sort of like having a client without a server. Why have a client without a server? To me, it is essential for the executable to export functions.. (this is where the true power can be squeezed out of plug-in systems - Lazarus RB Edition relies on this and would never work without it...unless I used sockets, interprocess communication, or something similar.) Lars _______________________________________________ fpc-devel maillist - fpc-devel@lists.freepascal.org http://lists.freepascal.org/mailman/listinfo/fpc-devel
