The library is a collection of datas and classes that help an external program in its execution.
There are different types of libraries, I will indicate only the main libraries: statics, dynamics and those shared.
The static libraries are those whose content never varies and the program that use them gets the datas directly without recurse to anything else, the static libraries are loadied in the program building fases.
The dynamics libraries are those whose vary depending to the programming that are called and are loaded at runtime and not compile, ie when the program really needs and not at startup, this makes the system more fluid and less loaded with memory.
The shared libraries are those that are shared in most programs,
for example those that contain mathematical functions.
The word library is still being translated incorrectly in italian, because it identifies a library, but in the 60s someone decided that in fact they were in bookcase or bookshop, and unfortunately the term has taken hold.
At this point, however, there is a problem not only for terminology and translation incorrect but also objective difficulties in the perception of information and sometimes also in programming.
I explain myself better, the term identifies a library in English and then a library where books are borrowed, in the same way the computer library is a collection of data that are borrowed from programs, but are not owned by the program.
Despite all programmers know what they are for the library using the wrong word library has created some problems for the younger programmers.
The library in Italian can be two things, a shop where to buy books or bookcase that everyone has at home, in both cases, the terminology used in the program would be wrong, as in the first case would indicate the purchase of a book and program does not acquire any data from the library nor restrains it after using it, but the returns in the second case, the book you have already purchased your property and then the computer would be given ownership of the program, but unfortunately the program does not it is the owner because it borrows from a library while in the latter case, the property is and remains the program, this is not correct because the data does not reside in the program nor is it meant to be.
The real problem comes when the young programmers do not understand even the subtle difference between the two, so we end up with programs with libraries residing in the program, with data that are called and left in the program although no longer used by it.
Everything is wrong with programming, although the terminology has now become part of the customs computer, it would be better to use the English word to define what a library is in Italian, to prevent others get confused and use it in mod obviously wrong.
heba
pubblicato il 27/10/2010