// -------------------------------------------
   // MYHEADER.H
   //disable warnings on 255 char debug symbols
    #pragma warning (disable : 4786)
   //disable warnings on extern before template instantiation
    #pragma warning (disable : 4231)

    #include <vector>

    // Provide the storage class specifier (extern for an .exe file, null
    // for DLL) and the __declspec specifier (dllimport for .an .exe file,
    // dllexport for DLL).
    // You must define EXP_STL when compiling the DLL.
    // You can now use this header file in both the .exe file and DLL - a
    // much safer means of using common declarations than two different
    // header files.
    #ifdef EXP_STL
    #    define DECLSPECIFIER __declspec(dllexport)
    #    define EXPIMP_TEMPLATE
    #else
    #    define DECLSPECIFIER __declspec(dllimport)
    #    define EXPIMP_TEMPLATE extern
    #endif

    // Instantiate classes vector<int> and vector<char>
    // This does not create an object. It only forces the generation of all
    // of the members of classes vector<int> and vector<char>. It exports
    // them from the DLL and imports them into the .exe file.
    EXPIMP_TEMPLATE template class DECLSPECIFIER std::vector<int>;
    EXPIMP_TEMPLATE template class DECLSPECIFIER std::vector<char>;

    // Declare/Define a class that contains both a static and non-static
    // data member of an STL object.
    // Note that the two template instantiations above are required for
    // the data members to be accessible. If the instantiations above are
    // omitted, you may experience an access violation.
    // Note that since you are exporting a vector of MyClass, you must
    // provide implementations for the operator < and the operator ==.
    class DECLSPECIFIER MyClass
    {
    public:
        std::vector<int> VectorOfInts;
        static std::vector<char> StaticVectorOfChars;

    public:
        bool operator < (const MyClass > c) const
        {
            return VectorOfInts < c. VectorOfInts;
        }
        bool operator == (const MyClass > c) const
        {
            return VectorOfInts == c. VectorOfInts;
        }
    };

    // Instantiate the class vector<MyClass>
    // This does not create an object. It only forces the generation of
    // all of the members of the class vector<MyClass>. It exports them
    // from the DLL and imports them into the .exe file.
    EXPIMP_TEMPLATE template class DECLSPECIFIER std::vector<MyClass>;

    // -------------------------------------------
    // Compile options needed: /GX /LDd /MDd /D"EXP_STL"
    //                     or: /GX /LD  /MD  /D"EXP_STL"
    // DLL.CPP

    #include "MyHeader.h"
    std::vector<char> MyClass::StaticVectorOfChars;

    // -------------------------------------------
    // Compile options needed: /GX /MDd
    //                     or: /GX /MD
    // EXE.CPP

    #include <iostream>
    #include "MyHeader.h"

    int main ()
    {
        MyClass x;

        for (int i=0; i<5; i++) x.VectorOfInts.push_back(i);
        for (char j=0; j<5; j++) x.StaticVectorOfChars.push_back(‘a‘ + j);

        std::vector<int>::iterator vii = x.VectorOfInts.begin();
        while (vii != x.VectorOfInts.end())
        {
            std::cout << *vii;
            std::cout << " displayed from x.VectorOfInts" << std::endl;
            vii++;
        }
        std::vector<char>::iterator vci = x.StaticVectorOfChars.begin();
        while (vci != x.StaticVectorOfChars.end())
        {
            std::cout << *vci;
            std::cout << " displayed from MyClass::StaticVectorOfChars";
            std::cout << std::endl;
            vci++;
        }

        std::vector<MyClass> vy;
        for (i=0; i=5; i++) vy.push_back(MyClass());

        return 1;
    }