Static Library

Definitions

1. An archive of precompiled object files (typically .a on Unix or .lib on Windows) that the linker copies directly into the final executable at build time, producing a self-contained binary with no runtime dependency on the library file.

   In plain English: A bundle of prebuilt code that gets baked into your program permanently when you compile it, rather than being loaded separately when the program runs.

   Example: "We ship a static library so our SDK users don't have to worry about LD_LIBRARY_PATH or DLL hell."

Related Terms

• Binary
• Build System
• Header File
• Mex
• Native
• Static Binary
• Static Linking
• Translation Unit