[Zlib-devel] Fwd: zlib dll file name for AMD64 ?

[William A. Rowe Jr.]

On 4/6/2010 6:56 PM, Mark Adler wrote:
> zlib Windows meisters,
> 
> What should we do about a 64-bit zlib DLL build for Windows?
> 
> What are the compatibility issues?  Can a 64-bit application use a 32-bit DLL?  Is there a speed or other advantage to having a 64-bit DLL?

The name should be the same, it's built the same way.  Much like a 64 bit
binary on unix, only the paths are changed to protect the guilty.

Installing 'systemwide', there are actually two, Windows\system32\ and also
Windows\SysWOW64.  In a design worthy of Microsoft alone, these contain the 64 bit
and 32 bit system libraries, respectively.  [No, you did not read that wrong]

Of course they can be installed using SxS assemblies, but we don't want to deal
with that here.  Each of 32 and 64 bit assemblies would land in different uniquely
named directories.

But 99% of the time, one zlib1.dll will sit in the user's application bin\ path
that corresponds to how they built that app, either 32 or 64 bit.