PRB: #pragma comment(lib...) Can Specify Only Libraries

ID: Q153901

The information in this article applies to:

The C/C++ Compiler (CL.EXE), included with:
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, versions 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 5.0, 6.0

SYMPTOMS

The comment pragma allows the user to insert comments into an object file or executable file. The lib specifier allows the user to pass this comment to the linker to specify additional libraries to link when using the object module. Some users utilize the lib comment pragma to add linker options as well as library names, such as:


   #pragma comment(lib, "MSVCRT -VERBOSE")

This line, under Visual C++ 2.x, would pass the string to the linker as is, resulting in the addition of the /VERBOSE linker option as well as the MSVCRT.LIB library. This behavior was not specified to work in this manner. The compiler wouldn't put quotes around comment string, so spaces would delimit the text.

In Visual C++ 4.0, 4.1, and 4.2, the compiler correctly puts quotes around the comment string thereby causing the above code to generate the following error:

LINK : fatal error LNK1104: cannot open file "MSVCRT -VERBOSE.lib"

RESOLUTION

Use the following new pragma to specify linker options:


#pragma comment(linker, "<linker options>")

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Sample Code


// Compile options needed: none

// test.c

#pragma comment(lib,"MYLIBRARY -VERBOSE")

void main(void)
{
}

REFERENCES

For more information on /VERBOSE), please see the product documentation.

Additional query words: 10.00 10.10 10.20

Keywords : kbusage kbCompiler kbVC400 kbVC410 kbVC420 kbVC500 kbVC600
Version : winnt:4.0,4.1,4.2,5.0,6.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb