Author Topic: I hate compilers  (Read 11989 times)

Rocketmagnet

  • Guest
I hate compilers
« on: January 29, 2005, 11:18:31 pm »
Is it just me, or are compilers a Form Filling Nightmare ?

Starting out with a new IDE and compiler is just one long sequence of problems, error messages, complaints, web searching, asking for advice in forums, and giving up.

Am I the only one who has these problems?  I'm not *that* stupid, but I am a total Form Filling Phobic.  I've been programming for 14 years now, but I've only changed IDE/compiler 4 times because the process is almost impossible to complete without going bald.

Other software installs nicely, but IDE/compilers never seem to just work out of the box. Always something has to be the matter, and it's usually something about can't find a file (which it didn't come with!) For chrisake, if it needs the file, it should come with the package!

By the way, if anyone has read this far, I'm trying to compile wxWindows applications in Codeblocks, using either Mingw or VC Toolkit 2003. (whichever compiler I can get to stop complaining first).

#define compiler complainer

hugo elias (now bald)


JustinThyme

  • Guest
I hate compilers
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2005, 04:35:51 am »
If you've been programming for 14 years, it's probably silly to ask....but I will.

You do have things like the Windows Platform SDK, right?  And for the 2003 Toolkit, the .NET Framework.

I'm a newbie, but I'm like you....I hate the changes.  I used MSVC6 for quite a while, and after not being able to easily use code that was in .vcproj setups, I went with MSVC2003 Standard.  I'd have preferred a completely freeware/open source option, but they generally are a bear to get working (I've tried several), and they generally don't support .dsw/.dsp or .vcproj/.sln stuff, which are almost a standard.  That's why I'm interested in Code::Blocks.

Anonymous

  • Guest
I hate compilers
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2005, 02:26:54 pm »
No.  I have been using MSVC5!! for quite a few years now. Why? Because I'm terrified of compilers.  I knew that when I changed I wanted to move to an open source compiler, like GCC, but I also knew that would lead to tears. Some people are afriad of spiders, I'm afraid of compilers. I think it's the sense of utter despondence, when it comes up with the 10th totally unhelpful error message. Usually can't find a goddamn file (which is *just there*). If only it could tell me where it tried to look, then I might have some idea of the source of the problem.

What would be really lovely, and save my hair, is an installer, which downloads an IDE, a compiler of your choice, and all the wxWidgets / OpenGL stuff you need, puts *everything* (not just some of the files) into the right directories, sets up the compiler, with the right directories, and compiles wxWidgets.  And then, when you start a new project with the wxWidgets template, it just compiles, no errors, when you press F9.

That would be amazing.  But it's just a dream.

It's been 2 weeks now, since I downloaded codeblocks.  I have finally managed to compile the Hello World program, thanks to the kind advice of people on these forums.  But now I need to transfer my wxWidgets project over, and that's seriously giving me the fear.  First I need to compile wxWidgets, and 'make' just isn't working.  And even when (one day) it does work, I have no idea how to get all that compiled code linked into my project.  (I can barely remember how I did it in MSVC5, but it was relatively easy, because wx comes with .DSW files).

Part of the problem stems from the fact that there are just so many download options available for something like MinGW.  There must be 50 files you can get from their downloads page. Many look similar, and the explanation text doesn't seem to make things clearer.  It took me ages to realise I had d-loaded the wrong thing.

Guest:  thanks for the links.  Does Relo work out of the box, or am I going to just have a nightmare with that too?

Anybody:  Are there any instructions for codeblocks?  Some tutorials or an installer as described above?  I would write one myself, but I just have no idea how. If I could, I wouldn't be in this mess.

many thanks for reading this far

    Hugo Elias

Rocketmagnet

  • Guest
I hate compilers
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2005, 01:41:53 am »
That last post was me by the way.  I didn't realise I wasn't logged in.

  - rocketmagnet

Offline hd

  • Multiple posting newcomer
  • *
  • Posts: 45
    • http://www.dynaset.org/dogusanh
I hate compilers
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2005, 11:46:47 am »
Hi Hugo,

If you want to use MinGW then you may like their last version: MinGW-3.2.0-rc-3.exe
(It contains gcc, g++, ada, gcj, ...) ~50Mb download.

Building of wx getting very easy. Since 2.5.3 they use a new tool for it.

I'm using it like this (on xp, wx in c:\wx25):

cd \wx25\build\msw
(You may play on config.gcc for your needs before building)

mingw32-make -fmakefile.gcc

If everything goes ok, than you will find your libs in \wx25\lib\gcc_lib

Good luck...

--
Regards,
Hakki Dogusan