[Windows] precompiled wxWidgets in next release

[inventore123]

First of all thanks for this great IDE 

I think the Windows release is great, but installing wxWidgets is somewhat complicated. The wxPack is good, but *huge*, it takes up more than 2 GBytes... the wxMsw is smaller, but compiling it is a bit difficult and takes time...
It would be great if the next release come with wxWidgets precompiles as well as MinGw.

Therefore I made a precompiled version of wxWidgets (based on wxMsw) that you can download here http://www.webalice.it/fede.tft/codeblocks/wxWidgets-2.8-%28Compiled%29.zip. It has the following advantages:

- It comes with a Readme.txt that explains how it has been compiled, how to install it, and how to test if it has been installed correctly.
- It is *small*, the zip file is less than 10MB, and once extracted it is only 40MB
- It is compiled as static library, so the .exe files don't require any .dll

I have 3 questions:
1) Is there a chance that this or another precompiled version of wx will be included in the next release?
2) (This seems to be a C::B bug) when I try to make a new project, it does not compile because it does not link by default with libwxjpej.a and libwxtiff.a, but after adding those libs to Project>Build Options>Release>Linker Settings>Link Libraries everything works fine.
3) When compiling wxMsw the folder must be in a path without spaces, but in theory oce compiled there should be no problem in moving the folder to a location with spaces (for example C:\Program files\CodeBlocks\  ) however it doesn't work. Any idea? is this a bug of wxWidgets or C::B?

[killerbot]

we do offer the wx dll though. You can download it from the nightly build, and it is included in the official release. We do however do NOT distribute wxWidgets.

[dje]

Well, it is nice BUT
- MinGW is one of the 15 C::B supported compilers
- You provide one of the 16 wxWidgets configurations (BUILD=release/debug SHARED=0/1 MONOLITHIC=0/1 UNICODE=1/1)

I think it is too specific, it is a nice contrib if people use your configuration, you may provide a link to it in the wiki.
Compiling wxWidgets is not so complicated...

Dje

[inventore123]

- MinGW is one of the 15 C::B supported compilers

It is true, but there are 2 version of wxwidgets for Windows one with mingw and one without it, just include a precompiled wx only in the mingw release

I think it is too specific

You're right about that, maybe i can compile it in those options:
static, non monolithic, unicode (release & debug)
dll, monolithic, unicode (release & debug)

This is a total of 4 builds. Or if you have a better combination, let me know.

[Alexis]

Compiling wxWidgets is not so complicated...

It's easy when... you know (as I do). For a newbie, it's difficult. Think about beginners !

Just imagine: you're a beginner and you install a full-bundled Code::Blocks. Then you create a project with the wizard, you compile/link, and your exe starts ! Everything would be so easy and straightforward !
Just look at the number of people in this forum that try to compile wxWidgets, or install C::B and don't know how to link their exe based on wx. Some of them are discouraged and don't go farther.

That's why I think C::B should be released as two "bundles" :
- a single bundle : C::B only (not wuth even MinGW under Windows)
- a full bundle : C::B + MingGW + wxWidgets (the 4 configurations already described)

I think that shipping a full-bundled Code::Blocks would do a lot for promoting wxWidgets and C::B.

Kind regards,

[aurisc4]

Compiling wxWidgets is not so complicated...

It's easy when... you know (as I do). For a newbie, it's difficult. Think about beginners !

Yes, when I first compiled wx, I succeeded in 5th or 7th time and it definately didn't seem to be easy.

[dje]

Think about beginners !

Just imagine: you're a beginner and you install a full-bundled Code::Blocks. Then you create a project with the wizard, you compile/link, and your exe starts ! Everything would be so easy and straightforward !
Just look at the number of people in this forum that try to compile wxWidgets, or install C::B and don't know how to link their exe based on wx. Some of them are discouraged and don't go farther.

So nice ! Just avoid people thinking ! Solve problems for them, that way they will progress and learn !

[Jenna]

Compiling wxWidgets is not so complicated...

It's easy when... you know (as I do). For a newbie, it's difficult. Think about beginners !

Yes, when I first compiled wx, I succeeded in 5th or 7th time and it definately didn't seem to be easy.

When I first compiled wxWidgets I used this entry of the nightly cookbook,
and it succeeded the first time.

I think that in the most cases it does not work because the user thinks he can do it without reading the doc's.
And it's almost always good to know what you do before you start.
People have to learn that reading documentation is one of the most important things if you want to work efficiently with any SDK.
Or you get frustrated because nothing works as expected and you spend much time in trying out things, that work in a much easier way if you know how.

[dje]

I think that in the most cases it does not work because the user thinks he can do it without reading the doc's.
And it's almost always good to know what you do before you start.
People have to learn that reading documentation is one of the most important things if you want to work efficiently with any SDK.
Or you get frustrated because nothing works as expected and you spend much time in trying out things, that work in a much easier way if you know how.

My hero 
Search, learn and after ask on forums !

[MortenMacFly]

When I first compiled wxWidgets I used this entry of the nightly cookbook,
and it succeeded the first time.

Amen.

My opinion:
We won't do anyones homework here. If you ever want to develop with wxWidgets (this includes development for C::B) you *really* should be able to at least compile wxWidgets. Literally millions of people (it's a wide spreaded toolkit) did it and succeeded with the so-much-important lessons learned. There is tons of help around but of course one needs to 1.) read, 2.) think and finally 3.) understand. It's so easy!

This of course includes me. I did it the first time as Jens said and succeeded, too.

[dje]

When I first compiled wxWidgets I used this entry of the nightly cookbook,
and it succeeded the first time.

Amen.

My opinion:
We won't do anyones homework here. If you ever want to develop with wxWidgets (this includes development for C::B) you *really* should be able to at least compile wxWidgets. Literally millions of people (it's a wide spreaded toolkit) did it and succeeded with the so-much-important lessons learned. There is tons of help around but of course one needs to 1.) read, 2.) think and finally 3.) understand. It's so easy!

This of course includes me. I did it the first time as Jens said and succeeded, too.

Amen too 

[Alexis]

Never heard of learning curve ? Compiling wxWidgets is not the funniest part of developping...
wxWidgets is so huge and complex (yet not complicated !) that it will let user think !

You may use Gentoo (i. e. compile yourself Linux). It's one of the best ways understand Linux. But, as a matter of fact, most people prefer Ubuntu ! It's less intimidating...

[dje]

Learning curve ? Yes !
That does not mean constant 0 "curves" !

And by the way, building wxWidgets is not so complicated, there are lots of documents/threads that explian how or solve most of the problems BUT you have to search, read and learn...

[inventore123]

My opinion:
A developer doesn't even need an IDE to write code. All he/she needs is a text editor and a shell to call the compiler. And by doing that there are many things to learn (for example, how to write a makefile). Nevertheless an IDE makes coding simpler, easier, and faster.
It's the same for a precompiled library. You will learn much by compiling it yourself (as I'm doing it now), but it's easier and faster to use a precompiled one.

Soon I'll post the new version of wx precompiled, with the above 4 configurations. Once it has been posted, do what you want with it: add to the next C::B release, post a link in the wiki, or just do nothing 

[Alexis]

And by the way, building wxWidgets is not so complicated

And no so easy either...
Just read the testimony of aurisc4, above in this thread.

Well, guys, it's not a technical issue, it's a "marketing" issue.
I'm afraid there is here the infamous Linux syndrom [which I thought was declining] : Read the f***g manual (even for matters not easy for newbies).
But as you don't care of this stuff, I give up.