+    wxASSERT_MSG(m_handle == 0, _T("Library already loaded."));
+
+    // add the proper extension for the DLL ourselves unless told not to
+    wxString libname = libnameOrig;
+    if ( !(flags & wxDL_VERBATIM) )
+    {
+        // and also check that the libname doesn't already have it
+        wxString ext;
+        wxFileName::SplitPath(libname, NULL, NULL, &ext);
+        if ( ext.empty() )
+        {
+            libname += GetDllExt();
+        }
+    }
+
+    // different ways to load a shared library
+    //
+    // FIXME: should go to the platform-specific files!
+#if defined(__WXMAC__) && !defined(__DARWIN__)
+    FSSpec      myFSSpec;
+    Ptr         myMainAddr;
+    Str255      myErrName;
+
+    wxMacFilename2FSSpec( libname , &myFSSpec );
+
+    if( GetDiskFragment( &myFSSpec,
+                         0,
+                         kCFragGoesToEOF,
+                         "\p",
+                         kPrivateCFragCopy,
+                         &m_handle,
+                         &myMainAddr,
+                         myErrName ) != noErr )
+    {
+        wxLogSysError( _("Failed to load shared library '%s' Error '%s'"),
+                       libname.c_str(),
+                       wxMacMakeStringFromPascal( myErrName ).c_str() );
+        m_handle = 0;
+    }
+
+#elif defined(__WXPM__) || defined(__EMX__)
+    char err[256] = "";
+    DosLoadModule(err, sizeof(err), libname.c_str(), &m_handle);
+#else // this should be the only remaining branch eventually
+    m_handle = RawLoad(libname, flags);
+#endif