Question

hello im a bit confused with DLLs right now so i came here to ask where there are alot of pros in programming
so ive got this class called GUI.h and the GUI.cpp

class GUI
{
    public:
        GUI(void);
        virtual ~GUI();
        void Draw(float x,float y,float z);
        void Texture(int num);
        bool Shutdown();
        void TextureON(int num);
        void TextureOFF(int num);

    private:
    GUIWeapon * Weapon;
    GUIWeaponA * Weapona;
    GUIArrow * Arrow;
    GUIHP * hp;
    GUIStop * stop;
    GUISpeed * Speed;
    float XCam,YCam,ZCam;
    bool DrawStop;

};

so how am i suppossed to export this to a DLL i have made DLLs but not with classes so how am im suppossed to declare the Constructor,Destructor and call the other GUIFunctions in other headers?

Answer 1

You don’t specify a compiler or operating system, but if this is Windows and Microsoft C++, then you can use __declspec(dllexport) on a class to export it from a DLL. You then use __declspec(dllimport) on the same class when you include the header to be consumed elsewhere.

However, I tend to recommend against exporting classes from DLLs. It’s an ok plan if all the DLLs always ship together and are built together. [Where the DLL is just used to delay loading of code]. If you are using DLLs to provide actual components that ship separately, you should use an actual versionable abstraction like COM.

Martyn