How to use a precompiled library in a project with Arduino-IDE

Question

I'm discovering the Arduino development and after quite some googling, I can't find an answer to the following question.

I'd like to distribute some code as mylib.h + precompiled mylib.o (this will be code ported from sources which I can't divulgate).
How is it possible to build a sketch using this precompiled mylib.o in the Arduino-IDE environment?
Do I simply have to put this mylib.o in a specific path and include the mylib.h in the sketch? If yes, which path? If no, what specific configuration steps do I have to follow?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

See https://github.com/arduino/Arduino/wiki/Arduino-IDE-1.5:-Library-specification

library.properties file format [...] precompiled - (available from Arduino IDE 1.8.6/arduino-builder 1.4.0) (optional) set to true to allow the use of .a (archive) and .so (shared object) files. The .a/.so file must be located at src/{build.mcu} where {build.mcu} is the architecture name of the target the file was compiled for. Ex: cortex-m3 for the Arduino DUE. The static library should be linked as an ldflag.

So with the correct metadata and file layout the precompiled objects should be available. You'll need to set the architectures property to indicate you're using esp8266 as your tag suggests.

More info on the library manager here https://github.com/arduino/Arduino/wiki/Library-Manager-FAQ including how to add to the public library list.