So, the operating system and the programs load faster, run faster, and take less disk space on the computer. The use of DLLs helps promote modularization of code, code reuse, efficient memory usage, and reduced disk space. For example, some programs may contain many different modules, and each module of the program is contained and distributed in DLLs. Additionally, when you run a program on one of these Windows operating systems, much of the functionality of the program may be provided by DLLs.

NET Framework assemblies.įor the Windows operating systems, much of the functionality of the operating system is provided by DLL. This article finishes with a high-level comparison of DLLs to the Microsoft. In describing what a DLL is, this article describes dynamic linking methods, DLL dependencies, DLL entry points, exporting DLL functions, and DLL troubleshooting tools.

It also describes some advanced issues that you should consider when developing your own DLLs.Īpplies to: Windows 10 - all editions Original KB number: 815065 Summary This article describes what a dynamic link library (DLL) is and the various issues that may occur when you use DLLs.

What is a dll file?