An NLM Compared To a DLL

We have discussed what an NLM is in a general sense. We will now look a little deeper into NLM programming. A well-known Operating System such as Microsoft Windows has both .EXE executables and Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL) programs. You could think of an NLM as either a .EXE or a .DLL. In Windows programming, you can convert a .DLL to a .EXE program. NLMs can be loaded by hand from the server or by a program. When your NLM is loaded on the system you can communicate with other NLMs. You start a thread process that communicates with the operating system. You can make your NLM accessible to other programs just like a DLL. Many developers write NLMs so that other programs can access their NLM with APIs. These APIs expose the functions for using their product. For example, you could write an NLM to access a new hardware device that your company makes. You can communicate to printers, FAX machines, and many other devices. If you have written a DLL, you could write an NLM to perform the same function.

Since you can modify the OS, you can configure the NetWare server to meet any of your customers' needs. You are limited only by your skill and imagination. While many Operating Systems block you from access to functions, NetWare is an Operating System that is open to you through NLM programming.