OWLNext_naming_convention

OWLNext Library Files Naming Convention

This section has an in-depth explanation of the OWLNext library naming schemes introduced in 6.30 and later releases.

• OWLNext Library Files Naming Convention
  • Name parts
  • OWLNext 6.32 and later
    • Library name
    • Version
    • Compiler and version
    • Target platform
    • Build modes
    • Examples
  • OWLNext 6.30
    • Library name
    • Version
    • Compiler and version
    • Build modes
    • Examples
  • Automatic link directives

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Name parts

An OWLNext library name (e.g. "owl-7.0-v1900-x64-t.dll") consists of several parts delimited by hyphens.

{library name}-{version}-{compiler and version}-{target platform}-{build modes}.(dll|lib)

The parts are explained in detail in the sections below. The following notation is used:

• Optional parts are delimited by square brackets, e.g. 'a[b]' means 'a' or 'ab'.
• Placeholder variables are delimited by curly braces, e.g. '{version}' may mean '6.20'.
• Options are separated by vertical bar, e.g. 'ab|c' means 'ab' or 'c'.
• Parts are grouped by parentheses, e.g. 'a(bc|d)' means 'abc' or 'ad'.

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OWLNext 6.32 and later

The major changes to the library file naming convention were:

• New libraries: 'coolprj', 'owlext' and 'owlfx'.
• The version number is now included verbatim in the file name, e.g. '6.32.2'. The version number is three-part for prereleases and beta versions, and two-part for the final stable version. The latter allows binary compatible DLL updates to be deployed by keeping the name stable.
• File names now include the target platform, e.g. 'x86', to support additional platforms such as 'x64' (AMD64) and 'arm'. Preliminary build support for the AMD64 platform was introduced in 6.32, with full support in 6.40.
• Some older compiler versions are obsolete, e.g. 'b2' (Borland C++ 5.02) and 'v6' (Visual C++ 6), and some new ones are now supported, e.g. 'b13' (Embarcadero RAD Studio XE2) and 'v10' (Visual C++ 2010).
• The compatibility modes for OWL 1 and OWL 2 are obsolete, and the OWL 5 compatibility mode is now specified as a single character prefix ('5') in the build mode section of the name, e.g. 'owl-6.32.2-v9-x86-5t.lib'. Previously the compatibility mode was specified by a two-letter suffix ('c5'), e.g. 'owl-630-v9-tc5.lib'.
• To avoid library conflicts and binary incompatibilities, the CodeGuard build option is now a special debug mode denoted by the letter 'g'.
• The Unicows build mode is obsolete.

In 6.42.3 and 6.34.7, the use of compiler version numbers was updated. The compiler version number used within the library name is now based on the true version number of the compiler. For example, "owl-6.42-b710-x86-t.lib" is compiled by BCC32 version 7.10 (__BORLANDC__ == 0x710). Also, we now use prefix "c" to denote the Clang-based compilers from Embarcadero (BCC32C, BCC64). For example, "owl-6.42-c710-x86-t.lib" is compiled by the 32-bit compiler BCC32C, and "owl-6.42-c710-x64-t.lib" is compiled by the 64-bit compiler BCC64. The prefix and version number used for older compilers remain unchanged.

Detailed documentation of the naming convention follows below.

Library name

coolprj|ocf|owl|owlext|owlfx

Library name:

• coolprj = CoolPrj extension library
• ocf = Object Component Framework
• owl = Object Windows Library core
• owlext = OWLExt extension library
• owlfx = OWLFx extension library

For a detailed description of the libraries, see OWLNext Modules.

Version

{M}.{m}[.{p}]

Major version, minor version and optional patch number, e.g. 6.33.1:

• {M} = Major version number, e.g. 6.
• {m} = Minor version number, e.g. 33.
• {p} = Patch number, e.g. 1.

Note that only prereleases and beta versions include the patch number.

Compiler and version

b(5|6|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|710|720|730|740|750|760|770)

Borland C++ and Borland-based Embarcadero C++ compiler (BCC32):

• 5 = Borland C++ Compiler 5.5 (0x550)
• 6 = Borland C++Builder 6.0 (0x560)
• 8 = Borland C++ Developer Studio 2006 (0x580)
• 9 = CodeGear C++Builder/RAD Studio 2007 (0x590)
• 10 = CodeGear C++Builder/RAD Studio 2009 (0x610)
• 11 = CodeGear C++Builder/RAD Studio 2010 (0x620)
• 12 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE (0x630)
• 13 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE2 (0x640)
• 14 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE3 (0x650)
• 15 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE4 (0x660)
• 16 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE5 (0x670)
• 17 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE6 (0x680)
• 18 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE7 (0x690)
• 19 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE8 (0x700)
• 710 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 10 Seattle (0x710)
• 720 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 10.1 Berlin (0x720)
• 730 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 10.2 Tokyo (0x730)
• 740 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 10.3 Rio (0x740)
• 750 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 10.4 Sydney (0x750)
• 760 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 11 Alexandria (0x760)
• 770 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 12 Athens (0x770)

The number in parentheses above shows the minimum value of __BORLANDC__ as defined by the compiler.

c(700|710|720|730|740|750|760|770)

Clang-based Embarcadero C++ compilers (BCC32C, BCC64):

• 700 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE8 (0x700)
• 710 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 10 Seattle (0x710)
• 720 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 10.1 Berlin (0x720)
• 730 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 10.2 Tokyo (0x730)
• 740 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 10.3 Rio (0x740)
• 750 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 10.4 Sydney (0x750)
• 760 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 11 Alexandria (0x760)
• 770 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 12 Athens (0x770)

The number in parentheses above shows the minimum value of __BORLANDC__ as defined by the compiler.

cm770

Embarcadero C++ compilers based on Clang 15 (BCC64X):

• 770 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio 12 Athens (0x770)

The number in parentheses above shows the minimum value of __BORLANDC__ as defined by the compiler.

v(7|8|9|10|11|12|14|1900|1910|1920|1930|143)

Microsoft C++ compiler (CL):

• 7 = Visual C++/Visual Studio 2003/7.1 (1300)
• 8 = Visual C++/Visual Studio 2005/8.0 (1400)
• 9 = Visual C++/Visual Studio 2008/9.0 (1500)
• 10 = Visual C++/Visual Studio 2010/10.0 (1600)
• 11 = Visual Studio 2012/11.0 (1700)
• 12 = Visual Studio 2013/12.0 (1800)
• 14 = Visual Studio 2015/14.0 (1900)
• 1910 = Visual Studio 2017/15.0 (1910)
• 1920 = Visual Studio 2019/16.0 (1920)
• 1930 = Visual Studio 2022/17.0 (1930)
• 143 = Visual Studio 2022/17.0 (1930)

The number in parentheses above shows the minimum value of _MSC_VER as defined by the compiler.

Note that since version 8.0.1, OWLNext adopts the same convention as Owlet and uses the platform toolset version to identify the compiler and version. This matches the PlatformToolset property as used in MSBuild (e.g. "v143"), making it particularly useful for generating the target library file names in the build scripts.

See Supported Compilers for details about the supported compilers in the latest release, and see Stable Releases to discover which release introduced support for a particular compiler version.

Target platform

x86|x64

The target platform processor architecture:

• x86 = IA-32 compatible (x86)
• x64 = AMD64 compatible (x86-64)

Build modes

[5]

OWL 5 compatibility mode (see OWL Compatibility Modes). Without "5", the library uses the pure OWLNext API with corrections and removals of deprecated parts.

[d|g]

Debug mode:

• d = normal debug mode; the library includes debug information and diagnostics.
• g = debug mode with CodeGuard support (for Borland C++ only).

s|t|v

Threading mode:

• s = single-threaded model (not supported for Visual C++).
• t = multi-threaded model;
• v = VCL mode; a special multi-threading mode for compatibility with C++Builder VCL (the main difference is that it links "CP32XX.LIB" instead of "CW32XX.LIB").

[u]

Unicode character set mode (wchar_t character type encoded as UTF-16). Without "u", the library uses ANSI code pages (char character type).

[i]

Dynamic link mode. Without "i", the library uses static linking.

In versions before 8.0.3, note that only the import library for a DLL contains the flag "i"; the DLL itself does not. Also, before 8.0.3, the DLL is placed in the subdirectory "bin", while the import library is placed in the subdirectory "lib". Since 8.0.3, both files are placed in "lib", and "bin" is no longer present.

Examples

owl-6.32.2-b5-x86-5gs.dll

OWLNext 6.32.2 DLL for Borland C++ 5.5 (b5), targeting the IA-32 platform (x86), using OWL 5 compatibility mode (5), CodeGuard debug mode (g) and single-threading mode (s).

owl-6.32.2-b5-x86-dtu.dll

OWLNext 6.32.2 DLL for Borland C++ 5.5 (b5), targeting the IA-32 platform (x86), using normal debug mode (d), multi-threading mode (t) and Unicode character set mode (u).

owl-6.32.2-b6-x86-vui.lib

OWLNext 6.32.2 library for C++Builder 6 (b6), targeting the IA-32 platform (x86), using VCL multi-threading mode (v), Unicode character set mode (u) and import (dynamic) link mode (i).

owl-7.0-v1900-x64-t.dll

OWLNext 7.0 DLL for Visual C++ 2015 (v1900), targeting the AMD64 platform (x64), using multi-threading mode (t). Dynamic link mode is implicit.

owl-8.0.4-v143-x64-ti.dll

OWLNext 8.0.4 DLL for Visual Studio 2022 (v143), targeting the AMD64 platform (x64), using multi-threading mode (t) and dynamic link mode (i).

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OWLNext 6.30

The major changes to the library file naming convention were:

• Hyphens now separate parts of the name for readability.
• The compiler is now indicated in the name.
• The compatibility (API) mode is now indicated in the name.
• Single-threaded mode is now indicated by 's', not 'f'.
• Static mode is no longer indicated; previously 'w' was used.
• The VCL build mode ('v') is now among the threading options, since VCL support implies multi-threading mode; previously 'v' was specified separately.

Library name

owl|ocf|owlex|owlfx

Library name:

• owl = Object Windows Library core
• ocf = Object Component Framework
• owlex = OWLExt extension library
• owlfx = OWLFx extension library

Version

{M}{mm}[{pp}]

Major, minor and optional patch number:

• {M} = Major version number, e.g. 6.
• {mm} = Two-digit minor version number, e.g. 31.
• {pp} = Optional two-digit patch number, e.g. 01.

For example, version 6.31.1, will have version encoded as 631 if it is binary compatible with the base minor version, 6.31.0. If it has breaking changes, it will be encoded as 63101.

Compiler and version

b(1|2|5|6|8|9|10|11|12|13|14)

Borland C++ and Borland-based Embarcadero C++ compiler (BCC32):

• 1 = Borland C++ 5.01 (0x510)
• 2 = Borland C++ 5.02 (0x520)
• 5 = Borland C++Builder 5.0/5.5 (0x550)
• 6 = Borland C++Builder 6.0 (0x560)
• 8 = Borland C++ Developer Studio 2006 (0x580)
• 9 = CodeGear C++Builder/RAD Studio 2007 (0x590)
• 10 = CodeGear C++Builder/RAD Studio 2009 (0x610)
• 11 = CodeGear C++Builder/RAD Studio 2010 (0x620)
• 12 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE (0x630)
• 13 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE2 (0x640)
• 14 = Embarcadero C++Builder/RAD Studio XE3 (0x650)

The number in parentheses above shows the minimum value of __BORLANDC__ as defined by the compiler.

v(6|7|8|9|10|11)

Microsoft C++ compiler (CL):

• 6 = Visual C++/Visual Studio 6.0 (1200)
• 7 = Visual C++/Visual Studio 2003/7.1 (1300)
• 8 = Visual C++/Visual Studio 2005/8.0 (1400)
• 9 = Visual C++/Visual Studio 2008/9.0 (1500)
• 10 = Visual C++/Visual Studio 2010/10.0 (1600)
• 11 = Visual Studio 2012/11.0 (1700)

The number in parentheses above shows the minimum value of _MSC_VER as defined by the compiler.

Build modes

[d]

Debug mode; includes debug information and diagnostics (if compiled with the TRACE, WARN and CHECK macros). The library may also include CodeGuard instrumentalization code (for Borland C++ only).

s|t|v

Threading mode:

• s = single-threaded model (not supported for Visual C++).
• t = multi-threaded model;
• v = VCL mode; a special multi-threading mode for compatibility with C++Builder VCL (the main difference is that it links "CP32XX.LIB" instead of "CW32XX.LIB").

[u|us]

Character set mode:

• u = Unicode mode (UTF-16/UCS-2).
• us = Unicows mode (Microsoft Layer for Unicode for compatibility with Windows 95/98/ME).

[c(1|2|5)]

Compatibility mode (see OWL Compatibility Modes):

• c1 = OWL 1.0 compatibility mode.
• c2 = OWL 2.0 compatibility mode.
• c5 = OWL 5.0 compatibility mode.

[i]

Import library (only the import library for a DLL contains the flag 'i'; the DLL itself does not).

Examples

owl-63101-b6-dt.dll

OWLNext 6.31.1 DLL for C++Builder 6, using debug mode (d) and multi-threaded mode (t).

owl-63101-b6-dti.lib

OWLNext 6.31.1 library for C++Builder 6, using debug mode (d), multi-threaded mode (t) and dynamic link (import) mode (i).

ocf-63101-v8-t.lib

OCFNext 6.31.1 static library for Visual C++ 2005 (VC8), using multi-threaded mode (t).

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Automatic link directives

Compiler pragma directives are used in the library header files to ensure the correct library is linked with the application. Hence you should not have to specify the link library explicitly when you build your application. You should just ensure that the location of the OWLNext libraries is in the library path specified to the tools.

[Vidar Hasfjord]