5.2. Binary Library Formats

Binary libraries are available in different formats, depending on the C compiler used to build it and of course the platform they were built for.

Unix

If you have installed unix binary libraries on your system, they will match the C compiler. If not already installed, the libraries should be available as a package from the platform installer, or you can download and compile the source and then install the binaries.

Windows

Most of the Win32 binary libraries you will find on the web are in this format. You will recognize MSVC libraries by the .lib/.dll file extension.