I am a neophyte at Windows programming. My experience has erstwhile been on main frames; most recently DEC Alpha computers, the operating system being VMS.
We are bringing our programs across to a Windows NT environment and are using the Microsoft Visual Studio with visual Fortran to effect the transition. I have turned what were static libraries on VMS into dll's on the PC. Most of the programs are being brought over as console type projects which utilize these dll's.
I note that there seems to be two different ways to communicate the dependence of a console project on a dll. Either one includes the .lib file from the dll in the console project. Or, one can click onto "dependencies" for the console project and flag the dll project as one on which the former is dependent. In this case, a short- cut icon appears in the Workspace window presumably directing the compiler to the .lib file in the dll project.
I was wondering if these actions: including the .lib file or setting dependencies are, in effect, the same - or if there is some subtle difference in outcome. I can discern no difference in the impact on the executables generated.
