link Library doesn't work on windows with sharedlibrary in build.zig

[gurpreetshanky]

Zig Version

0.11.0-dev.3312+ab37ab33c

Steps to Reproduce and Observed Behavior

1. Define a C shared library in build.zig
2. Link the library with an exe in same build.zig
3. see unresolved symbols

Using static library works fine.

Expected Behavior

No errors in linking.

[gurpreetshanky]

build_example.zip

check this sample project. If changed from Shared to Static, it is successfully linked. I used this command zig build -Dtarget=x86_64-windows-msvc

[kcbanner]

This may be related: https://github.com/ziglang/zig/issues/15107#issuecomment-1512179905

Are you exporting your functions with __declspec(export) in the shared library?

[gurpreetshanky]

This relates to a work project. The C library is a big project with lot of other functions, it may not be possible to do it for every function. And yes, if I use __declspec(export) in my build example, it works.

[kcbanner]

This is usually accomplished by having some define like FOO_API in front of each function definition, then in the build script you define FOO_API to be __declspec(export) when on Windows.

For example:

        if (engine_shared.target.isWindows()) {
            engine_shared.defineCMacro("STBIDEF", "extern __declspec(dllexport)");
        }

Then, on the consumer side:

        if (exe.target.isWindows()) {
            exe.defineCMacro("STBIDEF", "extern __declspec(dllimport)");
        }

[gurpreetshanky]

thank you very much for providing more info, So If I'm understanding it right, I have to define macro on all functions I need in shared library and then consume that macro in build.zig ?