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How to build .dylib exporting only wanted symbols?

MacOSX and iOS
#1

I built a dylib (dynamic library) on Mac OS X using XCode 2.4.1 yesterday.
When I open the .dylib file with a Text Editor I can see all my variables, functions, etc… as human readable text in there.
I don’t want this, so I created a “Exported Symbols File” where only the 6 functions I want to be accessible are declared in (with underscores preceeding them).
Well, guess what, after recompiling and opening with Text Editor I still see all the other symbols in there that should not be there.

What I want is something like __declspec(dllexport) on Windows. When use __declspec(dllexport) before functions, only these functions will be human readable in the resulting .DLL, all other symbols will be thrown away.

How can I do this on Mac?

Perhaps this question seems stupid, but I’ve searched through the whole Internet and also read the Apple Developer notes, but I couldn’t get it the way I want.

#2

Yeah, it’s quite well hidden - the thing you’re after is attribute ((visibility(“default”)))

#3

Tried that too, but doesn’t work either. Seems to be the same thing than creating and using an “exported symbols list”.

Let’s say I wanted to make a static library (.a) instead of a dynamic (.dylib).
How would the procedure be then?

#4

Oh, I misunderstood what you’re asking. Maybe you just mean you want to strip the executable? (with the unix strip command)

#5

Yes, but on static libraries this command just doesn’t work for me.

For instance, using strip -u -r libMYLIB.a gives me:
strip: symbols referenced by relocation entries that can’t be stripped in: …
…
___i686.get_pc_thunk.bx
___i686.get_pc_thunk.cx

I also tried stripping with a file where these 2 functions plus my to be exported symbols are listed in. doesn’t work either.

#6

Actually, static libraries probably can’t be stripped - on unix they’re just like a zip file of all the object files, I think…

#7

To answer my own first initial question for those who are interested:

strip -u -r -s FILE_CONTAINING_EXPORTS_LIST MY_DYLIB.dylib

the FILE_CONTAINING_EXPORTS_LIST is a text file containing all to be exported functions row by row. Don’t forget _ in front of C symbols

#8