Static Library *.lib - Strip Private Symbols, VC++ 2010

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Hello once again,

I'm coding an static library and there is a one class.
But I don't understand why all the member variables and methods (all variables are private) are visible in generated lib file. Even the paths and project command line can be found there. As-well there is a lot other "unneeded" information. I have seen few Visual Studio static libraries stripped of all that stuff.

Please avoid comments of type "You will have to live with that". The most radical solution is using the dll to export only specified symbols + exe protector to get rid off all the other informations.

Thank you for help.

Posted 2-Sep-11 7:03am

Im2N00By

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Philippe Mori 2-Sep-11 18:56pm

I would think that common programmers don't bother with that and professionnal libraries would often export C style function and have a C++ wrapper in header file.

2 solutions

Solution 1

How about the option /PDBSTRIPPED ? Any good for your purposes?
MSDN - "/PDBSTRIPPED (Strip Private Symbols)"[^]

Posted 2-Sep-11 8:27am

enhzflep

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Paul Heil 2-Sep-11 19:10pm

That's for pdb files. He's concerned with .lib (COFF) files.

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Paul Heil · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-02T08:28:00

Solution 2

The library file needs to have that information since the header file you distribute for clients to use that class would also have the private variables and functions.

I would guess the libraries you've seen that do not include that information are using the pimpl-idiom (aka Opaque Pointer) to hide the underlying implementation details for their exported classes.

See: Effective C++ (3rd ed) Item 29
See Also: GoTW #28 The Fast Pimpl Idiom[^]

-PaulH

Posted 2-Sep-11 8:28am

Paul Heil

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Philippe Mori 2-Sep-11 19:00pm

Effectively, create a wrapper class (or even a C style wrapper) and export only stuff that need to be exported... By the way it should be a dynamic library also...

Paul Heil 2-Sep-11 19:09pm

Yes, that's correct.
It will work fine for dynamically loaded libraries, too