A shareable image library for the VAX/VMS\ may be created for the LONGLIB graphics library. To obtain the most advantage from using the shareable image library, the library must be "installed" by the system manager. Not all installations will have an installed LONGLIB library. Linking to the shareable image library (LONGLIB.EXE rather than LONGLIB.OLB) produces executable files which are small and run faster. The main difference is in how they are linked. To link to the "normal" library,
$ LINK your_file_name.OBJ,LONGLIB/LIBTo link to the shareable image library you have to use a linker option file:
$ LINK your_file_name.OPT/OPT where your_file_name.OPT contains: your_file_name.obj,LONGLIB/SHARE or you may use the longlib linker option file: $ LINK your_file_name,LONGLIB/OPTThis second option for the linker option file is the easiest to use. Note that the LONGLIB/OPT should be last on the link list. On most installations, the REF version of the library, LONGLIBR, is not installed as a shareable image library.
Although the linking is somewhat more complex, the shareable image file does allow program using the graphics library to run slightly faster and the executeable to be significantly smaller.
The shareable image library is designed to be upwardly compatible.