Question on Driver Linking

NTDEV
1

Hi Experts,

One basic question on Driver linking.

I want to export one function from my driver using __declspec(dllimport)

And i am generating one import lib ( .LIB ) containing the exported symbol( My Driver Function) .

Now issue is that this exported function needs to be called by an Third party driver to whom i wont be able to provide the LIB everytime i build my DRIVER.

Say if i just give LIB for first time which they 'll use to link with my driver and later i did lots of driver changes but exported function remains the same.

Now can there be a case when there will be problem for third party Driver to use the same OLD lib for linking with the my new Driver binaries?

I am sure that i wont change the exported function name and its calling convention.

Dumpbin on import library shows me that only important information about symbol it contains is the symbol name.

But i am scared of compiler dependent issues.

Thanks for any help!

Regards,
Dhiren

2

Your method will work, this is exactly what happens with many Microsoft
drivers and DLL’s.

–
Don Burn (MVP, Windows DDK)
Windows 2k/XP/2k3 Filesystem and Driver Consulting
Website: http://www.windrvr.com
Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/WinDrvr
Remove StopSpam to reply

wrote in message news:xxxxx@ntdev…
> Hi Experts,
>
> One basic question on Driver linking.
>
> I want to export one function from my driver using __declspec(dllimport)
>
> And i am generating one import lib ( .LIB ) containing the exported
> symbol( My Driver Function) .
>
> Now issue is that this exported function needs to be called by an Third
> party driver to whom i wont be able to provide the LIB everytime i build
> my DRIVER.
>
> Say if i just give LIB for first time which they 'll use to link with my
> driver and later i did lots of driver changes but exported function
> remains the same.
>
> Now can there be a case when there will be problem for third party Driver
> to use the same OLD lib for linking with the my new Driver binaries?
>
> I am sure that i wont change the exported function name and its calling
> convention.
>
> Dumpbin on import library shows me that only important information about
> symbol it contains is the symbol name.
>
> But i am scared of compiler dependent issues.
>
> Thanks for any help!
>
> Regards,
> Dhiren
>

3

xxxxx@yahoo.co.in wrote:

One basic question on Driver linking.

I want to export one function from my driver using __declspec(dllimport)

And i am generating one import lib ( .LIB ) containing the exported symbol( My Driver Function) .

Now issue is that this exported function needs to be called by an Third party driver to whom i wont be able to provide the LIB everytime i build my DRIVER.

Say if i just give LIB for first time which they 'll use to link with my driver and later i did lots of driver changes but exported function remains the same.

Now can there be a case when there will be problem for third party Driver to use the same OLD lib for linking with the my new Driver binaries?

I am sure that i wont change the exported function name and its calling convention.

Dumpbin on import library shows me that only important information about symbol it contains is the symbol name.

But i am scared of compiler dependent issues.

An export library is a very simple thing. The .LIB contains a linker
table that says “the name xxxxx@4 should be linked to the export
called EntryPoint in THISDLL.DLL”. That’s it. It’s just a pointer to
the name of the DLL and the name of the matching entry point. There are
no addresses in the .LIB. So, you can change the DLL as much as you
want; as long as the entry point remains unchanged, you don’t need to
ship a new .LIB.

–
Tim Roberts, xxxxx@probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

4

Thanks alot Don, Tim for clarifying this.

Really apprecaite your help!

Regards,
Dhiren.