I would like to know the exact differences between API and DLL. Thank you.
An API is an Application Programming Interface which presents an interface between different libraries, frameworks, applications and services. An adapter is a design pattern used to allow the interface of an existing class to be used as another interface.
A DLL is a library that contains code and data that can be used by more than one program at the same time. For example, in Windows operating systems, the Comdlg32 DLL performs common dialog box related functions. Each program can use the functionality that is contained in this DLL to implement an Open dialog box.
An Application can have multiple instances of itself running on the system simultaneously. Difference between exe and dll-1. EXE is an extension used for executable files while DLL is the extension for a dynamic link library. 2.An EXE file can be run independently while a DLL is used by other applications.
API stands for Application Programming Interface. In the context of APIs, the word Application refers to any software with a distinct function. Interface can be thought of as a contract of service between two applications. This contract defines how the two communicate with each other using requests and responses.
Pretty much the only connection between the two terms is that if you do native Windows programming, APIs you use or write will usually manifest as DLL files. But neither is this the only concrete form an API can take, nor does every DLL represent an API.
API means "Application Programming Interface" - it's an abstract term for a collection of code entities (functions, classes, etc. - depends on the programming language) that's intended to be used by programmers at large to access the functionality of an application or library.
A DLL is a file format on Windows that contains executable code as a way to modularize applications.
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