DOCUMENT:Q46524 06-NOV-1999 [win16sdk] TITLE :PRB: File Handles Cannot Be Shared Between Programs or DLLs PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit PROD/VER:WINDOWS:3.0,3.1 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kb16bitonly ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) versions 3.0, 3.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== Assume that there are two applications, A and B. Application A calls a Dynamic-Link Library (DLL) to open a file. The file pointer (FILE *pFile) is stored on the data segment of the DLL. Application A then calls a function in the DLL to read the record "n" of this file properly. However, if Application B calls the same function in the DLL to read the same record, the record appears as random characters. RESOLUTION ========== File handles cannot be shared between applications or DLLs. Each application has its own file handle table. When an fopen() call is made, a file is taken out of the application's program segment prefix (PSP). For two separate applications to use the same file, each application must make its own fopen() call, file I/O calls, and fclose() call. Additional query words: 3.00 no32bi 3.10 ====================================================================== Keywords : kb16bitonly Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbWin3xSearch kbSDKSearch kbWinSDKSearch kbWinSDK300 kbWinSDK310 Version : WINDOWS:3.0,3.1 ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.