DLL Hell
lastmod 2022-03-14created 2022-03-142 edits
DLL hell is a term for the complications that can arise when using DLLs in programs based on Microsoft Windows. The term was introduced to the public through the article "The End of DLL Hell" published by Rick Anderson in January 2000. Before that, it had been used inside Microsoft for a while.
DLL hell refers to all the problems that can arise when managing DLLs. These include DLL version conflicts, difficulty finding the DLL files a program depends on, and the creation of unnecessary copies of DLL files.
DLL hell is an example of a potential operating system design flaw. Because of this flaw, even well-written programs can run into problems, since they can be affected by the bad programming habits or bugs of poorly written programs, and the operating system tolerates this.