DLL LNK2019 error (unresolved external error __imp) - c++

Well i basically inherited a bunch of code that i was told to fix because it used to work a few months ago but it doesn't at the moment. The program itself seems to be riddled with linking errors and i was able to fix some of them. However I have run across a LNK2019 unresolved external _imp error where some function utilized in the main is not resolved. due to the "_imp" i am assuming that it is a problem related to importing from .dll or .lib files.
First of all i have three .lib files which i believe am importing them correctly into VS2010 and i have configured the platform to be 64x. There is also .dll files that correspond with the .lib files. The .h file that contains the declaration for these error ridden functions contain something like
ILAPI void ILAPIENTRY ilDeleteImage(const ILuint Num);
unfortunately i would be guessing that the definition is defined in the .dll file which i did not write myself so i am unsure. But since this is code that worked before i believe that i am getting this error because the linker can't find the definition rather than def/decl not matching reason.
when i hover over the ILAPI it states: "ILAPI __declspec(dllimport)"
My current guess is that the program imports the .lib files and the .lib files use the .dll files to get the definition of the functions. I believe that i am importing the .lib files since the compiler no longer keeps on telling me that it can't find specific .lib files. However i am concerned that it may not be connecting the the .dll files. I am some what unsure. I have opened the .lib files and the .lib files contain the names of the functions that are giving errors. I have also used the dependency walker program to look at my DLL files and it has been giving me some of the following errors:
Error: At least one module has an unresolved import due to a missing export function in an implicitly dependent module.
Error: Modules with different CPU types were found.
Based on other peoples comments i feel like i can ignore the 2nd error. But i am unsure of the first error. I am also unsure if that would be the root cause of the problem. It may or may not be.
I have also looked inside the .lib files using VS cmd and dependency walker and it seems like the names of the functions that can't be found are listed in one of the .lib and .dll.
In terms of configuration I am running on release mode x64 platform.
I have added "DevIL.lib ILU.lib ILUT.lib " library functions in the proj -> prop -> linker -> commandline. I have also added the path for linker -> general -> additional library directory. I have also tried messing with input additional dependency but it has no effect. The .lib and .dll files are put in the same directory as well. In the proj property configuration i do not mention .dll anywhere (am i supposed to? I've tried in various locations but just creates more error) I understand that there are a ton of posts regarding link 2019 error but i have not had good luck so far in my search for my particular problem. I would appreciate any suggestions, comment, or a link where i may find a clue as in to why this is occuring
here is the linker command from log:
here is the linker command from the build log itself:
Link:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC\bin\x86_amd64\link.exe /ERRORREPORT:PROMPT /OUT:"x64\Release\dff.exe" /VERBOSE /INCREMENTAL /NOLOGO
/LIBPATH:C:\Users\Sub2\Desktop\dff\x64\Release /MANIFEST
/ManifestFile:"x64\Release\dff.exe.intermediate.manifest"
/MANIFESTUAC:"level='asInvoker' uiAccess='false'" /DEBUG
/PDB:"C:\Users\Sub2\Desktop\dff\x64\Release\dff.pdb"
/SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE /OPT:REF /OPT:ICF /TLBID:1 /DYNAMICBASE /NXCOMPAT
/IMPLIB:"x64\Release\dff.lib" /MACHINE:X64
x64\Release\dff.exe.embed.manifest.res
x64\Release\acquisition.obj
x64\Release\azmemutil.obj
x64\Release\dff.obj
x64\Release\fft.obj
x64\Release\FocusMeasure.obj
x64\Release\ge.obj
x64\Release\stdafx.obj DevIL.lib ILU.lib ILUT.lib
1>LINK : warning LNK4075: ignoring '/INCREMENTAL' due to '/OPT:ICF' specification
// This is from Win32's <wingdi.h> and <winnt.h>
#if defined(__LCC__)
#define ILAPI __stdcall
#elif defined(_WIN32) //changed 20031221 to fix bug 840421
#ifdef IL_STATIC_LIB
#define ILAPI
#else
#ifdef _IL_BUILD_LIBRARY
#define ILAPI __declspec(dllexport)
#else
#define ILAPI __declspec(dllimport)
#endif
#endif
#elif __APPLE__
#define ILAPI extern
#else
#define ILAPI
#endif
Also:
#define ILAPIENTRY __stdcall
build log info when it gets close to error:
Found KERNEL32_NULL_THUNK_DATA
Referenced in kernel32.lib(KERNEL32.dll)
Loaded kernel32.lib(KERNEL32.dll)
Searching C:\Users\Sub2\Desktop\dff\x64\Release\DevIL.lib:
Searching C:\Users\Sub2\Desktop\dff\x64\Release\ILU.lib:
Searching C:\Users\Sub2\Desktop\dff\x64\Release\ILUT.lib:
Searching C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC\lib\amd64\MSVCRT.lib:
Searching C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC\lib\amd64\OLDNAMES.lib:
Searching C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC\lib\amd64\msvcprt.lib:
Finished searching libraries
Finished pass 1
Invoking CVTRES.EXE:
/machine:amd64
/verbose
/out:"C:\Users\Sub2\AppData\Local\Temp\lnk92ED.tmp"
/readonly
"x64\Release\dff.exe.embed.manifest.res"
Microsoft (R) Windows Resource To Object Converter Version 10.00.30319.01
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
adding resource. type:MANIFEST, name:1, language:0x0409, flags:0x30, size:2
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_iluGetImageInfo referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_iluImageParameter referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilDeleteImages referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilSaveImage referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_iluFlipImage referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_iluScale referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilTexImage referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilCopyPixels referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilGetError referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilLoadImage referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilBindImage referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilGenImages referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilInit referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilGetInteger referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilEnable referenced in function main
1>dff.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_ilOriginFunc referenced in function main
1>x64\Release\dff.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 16 unresolved externals
1>Done Building Project "C:\Users\Sub2\Desktop\dff\dff.vcxproj" (rebuild target(s)) -- FAILED.
Build FAILED.
Just in case i have also tried writing #define _IL_BUILD_LIBRARY but has no effect.

I'm adding an answer here to summarize a bit on the above comments, the probable root cause and finding a solution to the unresolved errors. I'll preface this by saying linkers tend to be dumb low level tools. If the symbols referenced in the object files don't match exactly with the library then the build process bails out with those unresolved errors. Therefore, the author of the dll library and clients using it will need to put in some effort to ensure the symbols agree.
Root Causes
Unresolved errors are usually caused by one of the follow:
Neither the project nor the libraries linked against implement the function for that symbol.
The libraries actually do implement the function but under a differing reference symbol.
The headers for the library aren't preprocessed or decorated correctly thereby causing #2.
The Hunt
Base on what the OP described the dll libraries linked against exposes a C API. It is unclear what calling convention is being followed by the library in question. The exported names in the dll contain plain undecorated function names suggesting a __cdecl convention. The provided corresponding headers, OTOH has a function like:
ILAPI void ILAPIENTRY ilDeleteImage(const ILuint Num);
which expands into this after preprocessing:
__declspec(dllimport) void __stdcall ilDeleteImage(const ILuint Num);
From this you can conclude three possible scenarios:
The unresolved functions follow a __cdecl convention and the provided headers are wrong.
The unresolved functions follow a __stdcall convention and the exported dll names are wrong.
The functions follow __stdcall but are undecorated to look like __cdecl in the dll. This suggest that a .def file might have been used to build the dll in question.
A Sad State of Affair
Unfortunately, the function call convention followed in a win32 dll is in a confusing state of affairs. There's nothing in the language standard, C or C++, that addresses this ABI issue. See my other answer here. The toolchain vendor is free to decorate the names however they like but typcially for __cdecl functions it's plain undecorated or with a prefixed leading _ underscore.
WinAPI functions you find, like in kernel32.dll user32.dll gdi32.dll etc. are also undecorated but yet follow __stdcall. However, MSVC itself decorates __stdcall with a trailing ampersand with total bytes of the parameters(eg. ilDeleteImage#4) thus contributing to the confusion. To override how LINK decorates the functions, you have to provide a .def file that specifies the new name alias. See here for more details.
Finding the Real Convention
Assuming you don't have access to the source used to build the dll, there are two approachs I can think of to identify the real convention used.
Create a minimal test application that calls into the dll functions as if it uses __cdecl and see if it crashes and burns. This is the easier more straightforward method and you don't have to understand assembly to do it.
Second approach, you do the same but insert assembly breakpoints into your test application and run it through the debugger doing single step instructions. Make sure to choose a dll function taking at least one parameter. For example:
// pullin dll headers
// etc..
int main()
{
__asm int 3;
ilDeleteImage(0xdecafbad);
}
This will break and give control back to the debugger right before the dll function call. From here single step at the assembly level until you reach ilDeleteImage's function prologue.
; function prologue
push ebp
mov ebp, esp
; function implemention
; more opcodes here
; ...
; function epilogue
mov esp, ebp
pop ebp
ret 0x8
Check what form of ret is being used on function return. The number argument following the ret mnemonic indicates how much to increment the esp stack pointer. Any number >0 suggestes a __stdcall function. The hypothical disassembly above shows a __stdcall function freeing 8 bytes on the stack which also hints that this function takes 2 arguments.

I had this compile error while building a project using external static libraries, QDBM and PCRE:
_main.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp__dpversion
_main.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp__regcomp
I had correctly configured these external projects to build static libraries, but I had forgotten to define the correct preprocessor defines in my own code, which used these libraries, to enable static linking.
So when they imported the headers from QDBM and PCRE, they added a __declspec(dllimport) that shouldn't be there (for static linking), so they were trying to import symbols from DLLs that didn't exist.
I added the missing preprocessor defines to my build system, which fixed the error:
-DQDBM_STATIC -DPCRE_STATIC
Which meant adding the following lines to my CMakeLists.txt file:
# Tell QDBM not to build itself as a DLL, because we want to link statically to it.
target_compile_definitions(qdbm PUBLIC -DQDBM_STATIC)
target_compile_definitions(lib_common PUBLIC -DPCRE_STATIC)

Related

Including Lua in VS2015 C++ Project

I would like to integrate Lua into my current C++ application I build with VisualStudio 2015 (x64 mode).
I grabbed a simple Lua wrapper from here, and the Lua binaries for windows x64 from here (the lua-5.1.5_Win32_dll14_lib.zip one).
Next, I added the include and library path to the project preferences. Works so far in the IDE. However, when I try to compile the code it throws 24 errors (like these first two):
1>LuaScript.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol "lua_close" referenced in function ""public: __cdecl LuaScript::~LuaScript(void)" (??1LuaScript##QEAA#XZ)".
1>LuaScript.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol "lua_gettop" referenced in function ""public: void __cdecl LuaScript::clean(void)" (?clean#LuaScript##QEAAXXZ)".
which tells me next to nothing. Seems that the linker is unable to find the library but the includes are working and the path to library is set, too. Any suggestions what I might have missed or should look into? Any hint would be appreciated!

constructor overloading Class get Linker Error Using DLL?

I have created Regular DLLs Dynamically Linked to MFC.
in before build dll in dll project i used add another class. this class provide more method of constructor overloading.
Then I build dll successfully after i used this lib and dll file include project and then go to build and get linker error when using constructor overloading class
My Class Name: Object
Error 11 error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol "public: __thiscall AvinashiAMF::Object::~Object(void)" (??1Object#AvinashiAMF##QAE#XZ) BuleCappServiceUseDynamicDllDlg.obj
Error 10 error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol "public: __thiscall AvinashiAMF::Object::Object(enum AvinashiAMF::ObjectType,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >)" (??0Object#AvinashiAMF##QAE#W4ObjectType#1#V?$basic_string#DU?$char_traits#D#std##V?$allocator#D#2##std###Z) BuleCappServiceUseDynamicDllDlg.obj
Error 12 fatal error LNK1120: 2 unresolved externals D:\Test Aplications\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\BuleCappServiceUseDynamicDll\Release\BuleCappServiceUseDynamicDll.exe
You're probably not exporting your class. See here http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/81h27t8c.aspx
Also, a nice tool to check for this kind of issues is depends.exe, included with Visual Studio, which allows you to check for exported and imported symbols.
There are two significantly different dynamic link libraries: implicitly linked and explicitly linked.
In short, implicitly linked is linked at the compile time. You need an import library to link with(.lib), header file with functions prototypes and properly usage of the dllexport and dllexport or use .def file.
dllexport/dllexport are easier to use in this case. System takes care of loading libraries (DLLs).
Explicit linking is a runtime linking. You do not need any import library or headers. You need to know what is the function signature. You have to explicitly call LoadLibrary and GetProcAddress to call the function.
To see how to properly create macros for export/import create empty Win32 project select DLL and make sure the Export symbols check box is checked.
In the main header file you will see explanation how to use macros for import/export.

Linking DLL with Visual C++

I'm trying to use an external DLL (provided by AutoItX) with Visual C++ 2010. AutoItX provides a DLL, but for some reason not a LIB, so I generated one with Visual Studio.
The problem is that the linker seems to have trouble linking against the library. I added AutoItX3.lib as an additional dependency under Properties->Linker -> Inputs, and added the directory to Properties -> Linker -> General -> Additional Library Directories. No matter what I do, I still get these errors:
1>main.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _AU3_Send#8 referenced in function _WinMain#16
1>main.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _AU3_WinWaitActive#12 referenced in function _WinMain#16
1>main.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _AU3_Run#12 referenced in function _WinMain#16
1>main.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _AU3_Sleep#4 referenced in function _WinMain#16
AU3_Send, AU3_WinWaitActive, AU3_Run, and AU3_Sleep are functions called by the program, main.cpp. I'm really out of ideas, because these functions clearly exist in the DLL. Any help would be appreciated.
It is very common to provide only DLLs as a mean of interfaces. Many software providers do that. Doing this has following impacts (consequences):
the client applications can only dynamically link to the library provided (hence the name Dynamic-Link Library). The binding between the provider (the library) and the consumer (the App or any other Library) is made dynamically.
the client must use LoadLibray and GetProcAddress in order to bind the library and retrieve the Symbols (functions) desired
the interface (contract) between the Library and the consumer should be documented via a Header file - see AutoIt3.h for example - (or any other documentation like a help file, ..)
No LIB is provided (since it is not needed), since the Linking takes place at runtime, not at compiler/linker time
To resolve your problem you just need to remove the static dependency (the LIB) you put in the Visual Studio configuration and set the dependency at runtime using LoadLibrary and GetProcAddress

unresolved external symbol __imp__Inf and __imp__Nan

I just tried to build Qt for WinCE7.0 using VS2008 after lots of code modification I successfully compiled main libraries.
While Compiling the QtScript library I received the following linker errors:
1>Linking...
1> Creating library ..\..\lib\QtScript4.lib and object ..\..\lib\QtScript4.exp
1>BytecodeGenerator.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp__Inf referenced in function "public: static double __cdecl QTWTF::FloatHashTraits<double>::emptyValue(void)" (?emptyValue#?$FloatHashTraits#N#QTWTF##SANXZ)
1>Executable.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp__Inf
1>MathObject.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp__Inf
1>DateMath.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp__Nan referenced in function "double __cdecl QTWTF::parseDateFromNullTerminatedCharacters(char const *,bool &,int &)" (?parseDateFromNullTerminatedCharacters#QTWTF##YANPBDAA_NAAH#Z)
1>JSValue.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp__Nan
1>..\..\lib\QtScript4.dll : fatal error LNK1120: 2 unresolved externals
I have absolutely no idea which libraries I missed to link with!
Thanks
If you're using Windows, I'll assume you're building in MSVS. I often start projects WITHOUT default libs and if I happen to touch "out of reach" terriotry from another lib, I add what I need as I go along.
Fortunately, MSVS is great at helping me with this. Just turn VERBOSE compiling status and see what libs it's trying to access, then just add them:
right click the project, linker, show progress -> select VERBOSE
Another method is when I check MSDN for Microsoft functions and see the lib they are declared in and add it (since VERBOSE can be overkill on my poor output window). I don't know if Qt has a detailed reference documentation (also stating the libs) but it's worth a shot.
When all else fails, just add all libs Qt could possibly want (make sure IGNORE STANDARD LIBS is disabled) then check VERBOSE and only keep those in the list.
Assuming you have all the libraries in the project, another problem is mismatched dependencies (right click the solution, startup project -> select the one you need, [project dependencies -> map each dependency for the specified libs).
Also make sure when you import an extern the lib is defined in Linker->Input.
However, if you modified the source (either adding new functions/global or static vars or you modified function signatures), the unresolved external reference means a function/var definition has no associated body. Either implement one or add { } in the definition; so if that's the case, check the functions/vars from the error message.

DLL and Name Mangling

I have a third-party LIB which has symbols exported as plain C/cdecl, so for example dumpbin.exe /SYMBOLS reports that both __imp_nvmlInit and nvmlInit are exported.
However in Visual Studio 2010 when I try to import them, the header file will have
extern "C" nvmlReturn_t nvmlInit(...);
but when I try to compile, I get the following error:
main.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _nvmlInit referenced in function _main
How can I stop Visual Studio from looking for that symbol with a leading underscore? __declspect(dllimport) doesn't work because then it decorates to __imp__nvmlInit (one underscore too many).
Thanks.
That is a linker error. You need to link with the .LIB file associated with DLL, which will give the linker a promise that the function will be available at run-time when the DLL itself is loaded.