static linking

noun

UK /ˈstætɪk ˈlɪŋkɪŋ/

US /ˈstætɪk ˈlɪŋkɪŋ/

Static linking is when a computer puts all the helper code a program needs inside the program itself before it runs.

The developer chose static linking so the game would run on any computer without extra files.

SYNONYMS

early binding compile-time linking static binding direct linking

RELATED WORDS

linker library executable dynamic linking object file

OTHER MEANINGS

2. The process of combining object files and libraries into a single executable file at build time.

Static linking produced one large binary that included every library it needed.

3. A build configuration where external code is copied into the final program rather than loaded at runtime.

Switching to static linking made deployment simpler because there were no shared library dependencies.

4. A linking method that resolves all symbol references before the program starts.

With static linking, all function addresses are fixed when the executable is created.