[Bug] Linker error using firestore from prebuilt binaries on Desktop/Windows

[christoph-nimagna]

[REQUIRED] Please fill in the following fields:

• Pre-built SDK from the website or open-source from this repo: Yes, affects 9.1.0, 9.2.0
• Firebase C++ SDK version: 9.1.0 and 9.2.0
• Problematic Firebase Component: Firestore
• Other Firebase Components in use: App, Auth
• Platform you are using the C++ SDK on: Windows
• Platform you are targeting: Desktop/Windows

[REQUIRED] Please describe the issue here:

When building a Visual Studio 2019 application using the prebuilt SDK 9.1.0 or 9.2.0 that uses firebase::firestore::Firestore::GetInstance(app, &result);, a linker error LNK2001 is preventing from successful compilation:

1>firebase_firestore.lib(c40555a92d77c30bdfba309b7446a52d_re2.dir_Debug_re2.obj) : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __std_init_once_link_alternate_names_and_abort referenced in function "public: __cdecl std::_Init_once_completer::~_Init_once_completer(void)" (??1_Init_once_completer@std@@QEAA@XZ)
1>firebase_firestore.lib(c40555a92d77c30bdfba309b7446a52d_re2.dir_Debug_dfa.obj) : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __std_init_once_link_alternate_names_and_abort
1>firebase_firestore.lib(c40555a92d77c30bdfba309b7446a52d_re2.dir_Debug_regexp.obj) : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __std_init_once_link_alternate_names_and_abort

Important: When using the pre-built SDK 9.0.0 files, the problem does not show up. It starts with 9.1.0.

Steps to reproduce:

Either: Build your own project

1. Create new project ("Console App") in Visual Studio 2019 (version 16.11.16)
2. Project settings: /MD and x64 (both in Debug and Release)
3. Ensure project is including/linking to downloaded SDK 9.1.0 or 9.2.0
4. Paste the code in the "Relevant Code" section below into the solution's .cpp file
5. Build (Platform=x64)
6. When linking, the above errors will show up.

Or: Download a full Visual Studio 2019 solution

1. Download the zipped solution (~500 MB, includes SDK files)
2. Open Firebase.sln in Visual Studio 2019
3. Set the AppOptions on line 57
4. Build for platform x64
5. When linking, the above errors will show up.
6. Switching the SDK versions: Edit external\firebase\Import_Firebase.props, line 5, to use versions 9.0.0, 9.1.0 and 9.2.0

Have you been able to reproduce this issue with just the Firebase C++ quickstarts ?

Yes and No. I used code from the Firestore quickstarter which directly led me to the problem. I didn't build the quickstarts directly.

What happened? How can we make the problem occur?

See above

Relevant Code:

#include "firebase/firestore.h"
#include "firebase/util.h"

int main()
{
  // create app
  firebase::App* _app = firebase::App::Create();
  firebase::InitResult result;
  // commenting out the following line will not produce the linker error
  firebase::firestore::Firestore* _firestore = firebase::firestore::Firestore::GetInstance(_app, &result);
  return 0;
}

[dconeybe]

Drive-by comment: Starting in v9.1.0, Windows builds must link against the bcrypt and dbghelp system libraries:

https://firebase.google.com/support/release-notes/cpp-relnotes#version_910_-_june_6_2022

Please check that you are linking against these libraries.

[christoph-nimagna]

@dconeybe - yes I am. I figured out that one before. Also, that _CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS needs to be defined...

[dconeybe]

Hmm. A quick Google search surfaced this thread,

[dconeybe]

Hmm, a quick web search surfaced this thread, suggesting that it's a known issue:

https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/t/-imp-std-init-once-complete-unresolved-external-sy/1684365

Does this help resolve your issue at all?

[christoph-nimagna]

I have read the article before but it didn't help. Adding

#if _MSC_VER >= 1932  // Visual Studio 2022 version 17.2+
#pragma comment(linker, "/alternatename:__imp___std_init_once_complete=__imp_InitOnceComplete")
#pragma comment( \
    linker, "/alternatename:__imp___std_init_once_begin_initialize=__imp_InitOnceBeginInitialize")
#endif 

into my code does not change anything because my _MSC_VER is 1929 (I'm using VS2019, not 2022) Even applying the #pragma statements without #if ... #endif does not resolve the linker issue.

[dconeybe]

Dang. Okay, those are all of the ideas that I have. I'll back out of this issue now and let those with deeper knowledge than me comment.

[JarrylWirth]

We are seeing the same link errors (plus others) using the 9.5.0 pre-built binaries on Windows. We’ve tried building with VS 2019 and VS 2022, and get the same result.

We get the same unresolved symbol as in the original issue: __std_init_once_link_alternate_names_and_abort

Plus we get the following unresolved symbols: __std_find_trivial_1 and __std_find_trivial_4.

We are just building a stripped-down test console app. This is the code in it’s entirety:

#include "firebase/firestore.h"

int main()
{
    firebase::App *app = firebase::App::Create();
    firebase::firestore::Firestore *db = firebase::firestore::Firestore::GetInstance();
  
    return 0;
}

This compiles fine, but no matter what we do we get the above link errors.

Note that we are linking the x86 static libraries /MT with all the required dependencies:

firebase_firestore.lib
firebase_auth.lib
firebase_app.lib
advapi32.lib
ws2_32.lib
crypt32.lib
rpcrt4.lib
ole32.lib
shell32.lib
bcrypt.lib
dbghelp.lib

We’ve tried everything but we can’t get even the above trivial test app to link!

[DellaBitta]

Thanks for providing more information. Quick question to help us narrow this down a bit more: can you try reproducing this by initializing a different product other than Firestore? Auth for instance?

Thanks!

[JarrylWirth]

Hi @DellaBitta. Actually, we fixed the problem last night:-) Turns out there was a bug in the MSVC compiler!

According to this issue here, the bug was accidentally introduced recently, as a side-effect of fixing something else. The bug broke binary compatibility in the scenario where a VS 2022 app linked to prebuilt static libraries from an earlier version of VS. (E.g. Firebase SDK built with VS 2019.)

The bug has been fixed and the solution is to simply upgrade to the latest version of VS 2022, 17.3. All good now.

Cheers, Jarryl

[DellaBitta]

Hi @JarrylWirth,

That's fantastic news. I'm glad that you're unblocked! I assume you're working with @christoph-nimagna, but just in case my assumptions aren't correct, @christoph-nimagna can you confirm that this issue is resolved?

Thanks!

[christoph-nimagna]

@DellaBitta - I'm independent of @JarrylWirth ...

I updated to SDK 9.6.0 and tried with VS2022 17.3.6 which resolved the issue. I'll close it therefore.

[DellaBitta]

Thanks everyone!

[JarrylWirth]

👍