C++ - What changes in lib triggers client rebuild?

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I have a lib and want to add a new function in one of its classes. This will be used only by the new client I am building.
However, the library is commonly shared between VOBs and used by many clients.

My question is:
1) Do I need to recompile and redeploy all of these clients, even though they are not calling this new function or otherwise unaware of this function?
2) Is there a way around this?

On a broader stroke: What kind of changes in lib .h, .cpp require clients to recompile?

Thanks in advance

Posted 10-Mar-11 3:36am

raman69

Updated 10-Mar-11 3:52am

Hans Dietrich

v2

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mbue 10-Mar-11 9:52am

You have to recompile all they modules using your .lib. For better scaling of your code you should use COM.
Regards.

Chris Meech 10-Mar-11 10:22am

Are your client programs linking to your library dynamically or statically?

raman69 10-Mar-11 11:28am

Links Dynamically

Chris Meech 10-Mar-11 11:48am

Thanks. If the other clients had been statically linked, you could get by without doing anything for them. Since they dynamically link, you do have to be careful of the .h file changes. Would it not be possible to put your new functions in another library?

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Richard MacCutchan · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-10T04:08:00

Solution 1

Clients should only need to recompile if anything in the .h file changes; that is the interface between the client code and the library. If they need to use a newer version of the library (bug fixes etc.) then they should just need to re-link to the new library.

Posted 10-Mar-11 4:08am

Richard MacCutchan

Kurt Degiorgio · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-10T04:25:00

Solution 2

if the interface changes then you need to recompile, you cant really go around this unless you menage to add the functionality without changing the interface.

to order to solve this most people use a plugin based architecture. (example: COM)

Posted 10-Mar-11 4:25am

Kurt Degiorgio