External references are resolved in a software compiling and linking environment by identifying a group of related external references and by processing the group of external references until a stopping condition is satisfied. The external references are processed by selecting a next external reference from the group of external references as a current external reference and by resolving the current external reference with a matching definition if a matching definition for the current external reference exists. The stopping condition is designated as being satisfied if either the selected external reference is resolved, or if each external reference in the group of external references has been selected.