title: Installing C++ DLL, Header files, and Lib files in Windows
body: <p>What I am trying to do is exactly like the instructions on this website:</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial/sdl/setup.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial/sdl/setup.html</a></p>
  
  <p>The only problem is that I didn't download the version of Code Blocks that comes with the mingw32 compiler.  I got the latest release from <a href="http://www.equation.com/servlet/equation.cmd?fa=fortran" rel="nofollow">http://www.equation.com/servlet/equation.cmd?fa=fortran</a> and installed it in 'C:\gcc'.  So, the folders that it is asking me to move files into don't exist.</p>
  
  <p>The article asked me to download this file:</p>
  
  <p>SDL-devel-1.2.15-mingw32.tar</p>
  
  <p>Then in that file move the 'include\SDL' folder into the 'C:\Program Files\CodeBlocks\include'.  (I don't have a CodeBlocks\include folder)</p>
  
  <p>It then asked me to move the 'SDL.dll' to 'C:\Windows' which I was able to do.</p>
  
  <p>Finally it wanted me to copy the contents of the 'lib' folder into the 'CodeBlocks\lib' folder.  (Another folder I don't have because I installed my compiler separately from the Code Blocks install)</p>
  
  <p>Since I installed my compiler at 'C:\gcc' I tried to add the files into the 'C:\gcc\include' and 'C:\gcc\lib' files, but that didn't work.</p>
  
  <p>I am not very familiar with the process of using 3rd party libraries.  I usually use Java where you can just stick the .jar file in with your code.  Do I need the .dll, include, and lib files.  Where do I actually need to put them?  I would also appreciate knowing why as well?</p>