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C++ Academy · Lesson

Header-Only vs Compiled Libraries

Decide between header-only and separately compiled library distributions.

Two Distribution Models

C++ libraries come in two flavors:

  • Header-only — implementation in headers; consumer compiles everything
  • Compiled — separate source files compiled into a static or shared library

Header-Only Pros

Strengths:

  • Trivial to integrate — copy and include
  • No build configuration
  • Works across compilers and standards
  • Compiler can inline aggressively

All lessons in this course

  1. Header-Only vs Compiled Libraries
  2. API Versioning and ABI Stability
  3. Hiding Implementation with PIMPL
  4. Writing a Modern Header-Only Utility Library
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