Editing Shared library (section)

{{Short description|Software library designed for use in multiple programs}}
{{Cleanup split|Library (computing)|date=February 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2023}}
{{redirect|Shared object|the synchronization mechanism|Monitor (synchronization)}}

A '''shared library''' is a [[library (computing)|library]] that contains [[executable code]] designed to be used by multiple [[computer program]]s or other [[library (computing)|libraries]] at [[Runtime (program lifecycle phase)|runtime]], with only one copy of that code in memory, shared by all programs using the code.<ref>{{cite book |title=Linkers and Loaders |last=Levine |first=John R. |chapter=9. Shared Libraries |isbn=1-55860-496-0 |date=2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=UNIX System V/386 Release 3.2 Programmers Guide, Vol. 1 |url=http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/att/unix/System_V_386_Release_3.2/UNIX_System_V_386_Release_3.2_Programmers_Guide_Vol1_1989.pdf |page=8{{hyp}}2 |isbn=0-13-944877-2 |date=1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cs.cornell.edu/courses/cs414/2001FA/sharedlib.pdf |title=Shared Libraries in SunOS |pages=1,3}}</ref>