What Is a Static Library?
A static library is a bundle of compiled object files, often with a .a or .lib extension, that the linker pulls from when building an executable. Only the object files providing symbols the program needs are copied into the final binary. The result is self-contained, with no dependency on that library being present at runtime.
Why it matters
Static linking produces a standalone binary that is easy to deploy but larger and not updatable without rebuilding. The choice between static and shared libraries trades deployment simplicity against shared updates and size.