While, I'm at it, I'll suggest adding one more thing to the Linker settings. The other option, of course, is to simply add the name of every available library in the global settings (this was one of the recommended solutions I found on this forum, but it didn't tell me WHY it was needed.) The 'Build' command will function as expected provided that the program isn't too complex (uses internet functionality or directx, for example.) If that utility is needed, I'd recommend adding the appropriate library under 'Project > Build options.', so as not to include it with every new BCB55 project. Under Linker settings tab, add the following to 'Link libraries' (order is important according to borland docs): Thus armed, it is surprisingly easy to get BCB55 to work correctly: For simple programs, the only other lib needed is cw32.lib, the static runtime library. lists all the main libraries included with BCB55 (and more.) A little more searching turned up that all Windows programs must include import32.lib, even console apps. How the hell am I supposed to know what built-in libraries are needed even by a simple 'Hello, World' program? Or even what each library is for? Thankfully, a little research goes a long way. As I'm not an expert on libraries (or anything really ^^), I was completely dumbfounded. This means that a user must know exactly which libraries are required by the project. But not when the 'Build' command is given inside the IDE. When implicitly called from bcc32, the appropriate libs are included.

Even with the library directories set up properly, the linker requires EXPLICIT naming of needed libraries. It's flat-out dumb, or at least not as smart as mingw and openwatcom's linkers. When the same file is built from the command-line (with bcc32.exe), the exe is created without issue. cfg files and/or setting up the appropriate global variables inside C::B, people find that when building their projects they receive numerous 'unresolved external symbol' errors from the linker, ilink32.exe. Even after properly configuring the 2 recommended.

After a few hours of fiddlin', I've finally arrived at a total solution (and moreover, an explanation) for the 'unresolved external symbol' difficulty faced when attempting to use Borland's free BCB5.5 compiler through the C::B IDE.įirst the problem statement.

Borland c 5.5 1