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Question on installing the Platform SDK
Bitpower:
I'm using Visual Studio 6.0 for learning purposes, and this is NOT compatible with the latest platform SDK.
I have MS Visual Toolkit 2003 installed in a directory e:\compiler\. This directory is completely seperate from the place where I have Visual Studio 6 installed.
Also I will be doing some developmental work that will involve forming a team of people from around the internet. I haven't decided which free compiler we will be using yet, but testing multiple ones. The only condition I have so far on the compiler, is that it NOT be a GPL-ed compiler.
But getting back on topic now: My point here is that when I'm testing MS Visual Toolkit 2003, I want it to be "contained" and "controlled". I want it to use the same files that if someone else on the development team installed it on a clean system, they would have also. So I want each compiler I test to only used files contained in the installation directory, or any additional files I install there for it.
This now brings me to the question on installing the Platform SDK. I have never installed a Platform SDK before. My question is, if I download the latest Platform SDK, and install it, will I have a choice as to where it installs it files? I know many microsoft programs, just install files, without even bothering to tell you were it is installing them. So does the latest Platform SDK give you a choice as to where you install the files?
grunerite:
It has been some time since I installed it, but I am almost certain it does ask you for a place to install it. Whether it will go sneak some files in elsewhere, I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it does, and would actually assume it does.
Then, since you have VS6 installed, you'll have to get your environment variable set up correctly, depending on which compiler you use. The SDK supplies a little bat(?) file called something like setenvvar.bat. If you run it, it will add the directories to your PATH and other environment variables, might even modify your VS6 paths (not certain). The point is, think twice before running setenvvar.bat.
Game_Ender:
Unlike the linux GCC, MingW builds your program against non GPL runtime libraries so you don't have to GPL code you compile with it. I am guessing that was your concern, you can see here for more information.
I have recently installed the VC 2003 toolkit and the Platform SDK and they both ask where to place the files, so you can set up a uniform directory layout if like. You can tell it to install in "e:\compiler\Platform_SDK\". This is not needed though, becuase Code::Blocks allows you to set variables in your project. In my projects I have a variable called MS_PLATFORM_SDK and just set it equal to the root directory of the SDK (usually C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform SDK\). Then I just use $(MS_PLATFORM_SDK)\include or \Lib in the compiler\linker. Now this does break you encapsulation, but you can still do the encapsulated install along with the variables to provide flexibility in your project setup.
I have also installed VS 2005 Express and it does not interfere at all with the VC toolkit.
severach:
--- Quote from: Bitpower on January 25, 2006, 03:24:06 pm --- I haven't decided which free compiler we will be using yet, but testing multiple ones. The only condition I have so far on the compiler, is that it NOT be a GPL-ed compiler.
--- End quote ---
Why not make it run with all the compilers rather than making it dependant on oddities in a particular compiler? It need not *officially* run on all the compilers, someone just tests the others from time to time to ensure that you aren't doing something bad.
Bitpower:
--- Quote from: severach on January 26, 2006, 03:28:58 am ---Why not make it run with all the compilers rather than making it dependant on oddities in a particular compiler? It need not *officially* run on all the compilers, someone just tests the others from time to time to ensure that you aren't doing something bad.
--- End quote ---
I already thought about doing that, but it is not actually oddities in a particular compiler, but things actually working as they should, which seems to be the difference between the compilers.
In my own testing, I tested the compilers using just what files came with the compiler's distribution. I went to each compiler's web site, setup each compiler and tested it just using the files that came with it. I tested it by using the "new project" option in Code Blocks and just compiling the sample code included with each type of new project under 1.0rc2.
Here are my results:
Open Watcom: (files included in distribution only)
Console Application: Pass
Win32Gui Application: Pass
Dll Sample: Pass
Static Library Sample: Pass
SDCC Application: Pass
--------------------------------------------------
Digital Mars: (files included in distribution only)
Console Application: Fail
Win32Gui Application: Pass
Dll Sample: Fail
Static Library Sample: Pass (2 warning messages)
SDCC Application: Pass
--------------------------------------------------
MS Visual Toolkit 2003 (files included in distribution only)
Console Application: Pass (9 warning messages)
Win32Gui Application: Fail
Dll Sample: Fail
Static Library Sample: Fail
SDCC Application: Fail
--------------------------------------------------
Borland C++ (files included in distribution only)
Console application: Fail
Win32Gui Application: Fail
Dll Sample: Fail
Static Library Sample: Fail
SDCC Application: Fail
--------------------------------------------------
The funny thing are things like the SDCC application, that when you click on "new project" it gives you 3 lines of code. Only 3 lines of code, and 2 compilers manage to fail on compiling 3 lines of code?
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