Failing to install gtkmm / gtk+ - c++

Question

So i am new on the platform, i use c/c++ and i have interests in graph interfaces so i decided to use gtk+and gtkmm with visual studio.
First, i downloaded gtk for the gnome project. I followed all the steps and i got this after a manual run :
\\\ test23.cpp
#include <gtkmm.h>
int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
Gtk::Main app(argc, argv);
Gtk::Window fenetre;
Gtk::Main::run(fenetre);
return 0;
}
$ g++ -std=c++ test23.cpp $(pkg-config gtkmm-3.0 --cflags --libs | sed 's/ -I/ -isystem /g')
Package gtkmm-3.0 was not found in the pkg-config search path.
Perhaps you should add the directory containing `gtkmm-3.0.pc'
to the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable
No package 'gtkmm-3.0' found
bash: g++: command not found
so i decided to install using vcpkg.
But I failed to install gtk+ and gtkmm after multiple tries.
Here what i've got :
C:\WINDOWS\system32>vcpkg install gtk
Computing installation plan...
The following packages will be built and installed:
gtk[core]:x86-windows
* harfbuzz[core,glib]:x86-windows
* libepoxy[core]:x86-windows
* pango[core]:x86-windows
Additional packages (*) will be modified to complete this operation.
Detecting compiler hash for triplet x86-windows...
Starting package 1/4: libepoxy:x86-windows
Building package libepoxy[core]:x86-windows...
Could not locate cached archive: C:\Users\Manolo97233\AppData\Local\vcpkg\archives\f7\f743ec00b235ca7fd37812284b7d2e09d89b368a.zip
-- Using cached C:/Windows/SysWOW64/vcpkg/downloads/anholt-libepoxy-1.5.4.tar.gz
-- Cleaning sources at C:/Windows/SysWOW64/vcpkg/buildtrees/libepoxy/src/1.5.4-337c486045.clean. Use --editable to skip cleaning for the packages you specify.
-- Extracting source C:/Windows/SysWOW64/vcpkg/downloads/anholt-libepoxy-1.5.4.tar.gz
-- Applying patch libepoxy-1.5.4_Add_call_convention_to_mock_function.patch
-- Using source at C:/Windows/SysWOW64/vcpkg/buildtrees/libepoxy/src/1.5.4-337c486045.clean
-- Acquiring MSYS Packages...
CMake Error at scripts/cmake/vcpkg_execute_required_process.cmake:72 (message):
Command failed: C:/Windows/SysWOW64/vcpkg/downloads/tools/msys2/msys64/usr/bin/bash.exe --noprofile --norc -c "pacman -S --noconfirm --needed pkg-config"
Working Directory: C:/Windows/SysWOW64/vcpkg/downloads/tools/msys2
Error code: 1
See logs for more information:
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\vcpkg\buildtrees\libepoxy\msys-pacman-x86-windows-err.log
Call Stack (most recent call first):
scripts/cmake/vcpkg_acquire_msys.cmake:127 (vcpkg_execute_required_process)
scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_meson.cmake:106 (vcpkg_acquire_msys)
ports/libepoxy/portfile.cmake:16 (vcpkg_configure_meson)
scripts/ports.cmake:79 (include)
I believed i had a problem with msys2 so i tried to install it separately following an install kit unsuccessfully.
then i tried to run separately other packages involved with gtkmm like pango and i got this :
//vcpkg install pango
Computing installation plan...
error writing file: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\vcpkg\buildtrees\0.vcpkg_dep_info.cmake: The data is invalid.
Someone explained on a topic it could be an vcpkg accessibility problem for others packages. i modified the accessibility of vcpkg for other packages in my systWOW64'file parameters but it went unsuccessful.
I don't know if vcpkg is problem because i did not remove it and re install it.
I am looking for solutions/options, I am short on ideas, i literally need some help.
Thanks

Answer 1

Use JHbuild, its your friend when building GNOME applications from source !
Run jhbuild build gtkmm --nodeps, the built files will be installed in $HOME/jhbuild/build. To compile your application with it, you must export the environment variable PKG_CONFIG_PATH as follows:
export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$HOME/jhbuild/build/lib/pkgconfig"
(in the terminal you are running the g++ command from)
And you have to install g++.
I do not know how you are using bash together with visual studio, but
if you have apt, you can install g++ and gtkmm with the following command :
apt install libgtkmm-3.0-dev libgstreamermm-1.0-dev g++
If you have already downloaded gtk, then the downloaded package must contain a .pc file. The directory this file is in when you installed the downloaded package you must add to the PKG_CONFIG_PATH.

Answer 2

Thanks Frederic for your answer it really help me.
I have got an other question. In my quest to add external packages to my C/C++ project, i read differents topics about how to convert static library (.a) into static library (.lib).
I downloaded packages and i wanted to add them manually using their pathway.
I added my packages as followed:
1 / Add the path of the headers in the compiler directories for the project:
-> Project / Properties menu
-> On the left tree, choose Configuration properties - C / C ++ - General
-> On the right table, the first line "Other Include directories": add the directory (s) of your library containing the headers
2 / Add the path of the .lib in the compiler directories for the project:
-> Project / Properties menu
-> On the left tree, choose Configuration Properties - Link Editor - General
-> On the right table, the line "Directory of additional libraries": add the directory (s) of your library containing the .libs
3 / Specify the libraries with which your project is linked:
-> Project / Properties menu
-> On the left tree, choose Configuration Properties - Link Editor - Enter
-> On the right table, the first line "Additional dependencies": add the .lib library (s) with which your project must be linked
But I looked for .lib files to add to my linker input instead, I found .a files and .dll files and I didn't know what to do. . a files and .lib files are almost identical. It seems like .a files are used under linux while .lib are used under windows.
I tried to add the .a files unsuccesfilly. I wondered if I could convert an .a file into a .lib file.
Thanks