Code Retard

Oftentimes programmers have to deal with external third party DLLs that their software rely on to function. This is both smart and useful because as long as the DLL interface remains the same, externally linked DLLs can be easily swapped in and out without having to recompile and rebuild code. However, linking code in Visual Studio with an external library requires that a .lib file exist – the DLL is actually not sufficient for this task. Fortunately, there is a way to generate a .lib from a DLL with Visual Studio. Creating the .lib file is a bit like reverse engineering the DLL’s symbols.

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Have you got an application you’re working on that requires the power to store and query data of a SQL database but don’t need the hassle of setting up a client and server solution? Today, let us introduce you to SQLite which was made just for you. Besides being complete free, it’s a small and fast library that acts as a SQL database wrapper to a plain text file that sits locally in your application. What this means is you can create and enforce all the great structured tables in your database design as well as construct intricate data queries just like you do with any server-backed SQL database, except your database is just a local file – no server or client architecture needed. From the SQLite website:

SQLite is a in-process library that implements a self-contained, serverless, zero-configuration, transactional SQL database engine. The code for SQLite is in the public domain and is thus free for use for any purpose, commercial or private. SQLite is currently found in more applications than we can count, including several high-profile projects

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Recently I had to modify a library to use dynamic linking in order to cut down on its size. Originally a 8MB file, I was looking at reducing the size to 1.3MB. Pretty great right? So why not dynamically link every time? Well, there are certain times when static linking, though it increases the size of your library, might be preferable. Read more »

Whether you program in C++ or code in HTML, you’ve probably encountered a quick reference (”quickref” for short) at some point in your career. These handy guides aren’t meant to teach newbies how to use the language, but are more like the index at the back of your textbook except condensed and consolidated in a few pages. Today’s post lists a few useful quickrefs that I’ve accumulated over the years. Read more »