[plug] dlls and windows

[Rob Dunne]

Hi List,
I asked what a dll was in a meeting the other day. 
The following email was later circulated -- sort of
sorry I asked really.  


> DLL:	Dynamic Link Library
>
> 	It's a Windows environment concept.  There are dynamic library on
> UNIX, but they are not as flexible and not as central to
> the OS as Windows's.  In short:  it is not standardised between platforms.
>
> 	Windows OS is in DLLs:  user32.dll, gdi32.dll, kernel32.dll, etc.  .
> The mouse drivers, the keyboard drivers, and so on are DLLs (even if they
> have .drv extension).  Font files (.fon) are special sorts of DLLs:  they
> contain no functionality but only resources.
> 	This is why Windows system is easy to update:  you change the
> updated DLLs, reboot and your system is updated.  On Linux, you must
> recompile the OS to make changes on kernel components.

			   rob

-- 
 Rob Dunne         Fax: +61 8 9333 6121     Tel: +61 8 9333 6178
 CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences
 Leeuwin Centre for Earth Sensing Technologies 
 Private Bag 5, P.O., Wembley, Western Australia, 6013         
 http://matilda.vu.edu.au/~dunne  Email: Robert.Dunne at cmis.csiro.au

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