solving c++ Linkage/binary compatibility problems

[Mike Stump]

> Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2000 19:49:27 +0100
> From: Uwe Pachler <uwe.pachler@jk.uni-linz.ac.at>
> To: Mike Stump <mrs@windriver.com>, gcc@gcc.gnu.org

I am left wondering when you think the ERL will run.  To answer that,
lets say someone produces a program called staroffice.  They have a
binary up on their ftp server that was compiled with an older version
of the GTK+ library than you have on your system.  You download it,
and run it.  A few possibilities exist, either their program is linked
against their older GTK+ and when you run it, there is no interaction
with the newer GTK+ on your system, or there is some interaction with
the newer GTK+ on your system.  If there is, then this interaction
(let's call it library resolution) must happen at runtime, no?  If not
then, then when?  For the purposes of this use of the term runtime,
I'm talking about the time that starts immediately after you hit
return, just after you type staroffice at a shell, and the time when
staroffice exits.