[Solved] LINK : fatal error LNK1181: cannot open input file 'moduleA.lib'

[xtingray]

This is my situation: I developed a library with two modules using these settings:
@
moduleA.pro :
CONFIG += warn_on dll
TEMPLATE = lib
TARGET = moduleA

moduleB.pro :
CONFIG += warn_on dll
TEMPLATE = lib
TARGET = moduleB
INCLUDEPATH += ..\moduleA
LIBS += -L..\moduleA\release\ -lmoduleA
@

Note: module B depends on module A

I have two environments to compile the same code:

a) Windows7 32bit + Qt5.3.1 + MinGw32 : The compilation is clean and I got moduleA.dll and moduleB.dll working perfectly.

b) Windows7 64bit + Qt5.3.1 64bit + MSV2013 : The module A is compiled pretty clean but I got the next error message while the compiler try to link the module B: LINK : fatal error LNK1181: cannot open input file 'moduleA.lib'

I was looking for the file moduleA.lib in the whole filesystem but I just could find the file moduleA.dll. I am starting to believe that Qt5.3.1 (64bit) only can create static libraries but it's just a hypothesis.

What is wrong in the b) environment?

Thanks.

[SGaist]

Hi,

Nothing is wrong with b. However there's a catch with MSVC. Are you properly exporting your classes/functions ?

[xtingray]

Hi,

When I was making the port of the code from Linux to Windows for the first time I had several issues related to how to export my classes. But after the fix, the compilation using MinGW was pretty clean.

This is how I do it:
@
#if defined(QT_SHARED) || defined(QT_PLUGIN)
#define MYPROJECT_EXPORT Q_DECL_EXPORT
#endif

class MYPROJECT_EXPORT ClassExample : public QObject
{
}
@

The thing that I can't understand is this: Why MVS2013 is looking for a .lib file if I am building a shared library (dll)?

[SGaist]

You should rather have something like

@
#if defined(BUILD_MYPROJECT_LIB)

define MYPROJECT_EXPORT Q_DECL_EXPORT

#else

define MYPROJECT_EXPORT Q_DECL_IMPORT

#endif
@

QT_SHARED has no implication on the build type of your library. You can created a static library using a dynamic Qt.

The exportation is done at build time. So you have to define BUILD_MYPROJECT_LIB when compiling your library

[xtingray]

Thank you for the hint! :)

[SGaist]

You're welcome !

Since you seem to have your libs working, please update the thread title prepending [solved] so other forum users may know a solution has been found :)