Eclipse Cannot find the UnitTest++ library - c++

Question

I have been trying to use UnitTest++ for unit testing. I am using Eclipse Mars IDE.
I have followed Project->Properties->C/C++ Build->Tool Settings and included the full path "C:\Users\XXX\workspace\unittest-cpp-master\UnitTest++" in GCC C++ Compiler (Includes option) and "C:\Users\XXX\workspace\unittest-cpp-master\UnitTest++\UnitTest++.h" in MinGW C++ Linker (Libraries option)
When I build my source code, it gives the error
cannot find -lC:\Users\XXX\workspace\unittest-cpp-master\UnitTest++\UnitTest++.h
Any suggestions on how to fix it? TIA

Answer 1

You are seeing a linker error that is telling you the linker can
find no library that corresponds to the commandline linker option:
-lC:\Users\XXX\workspace\unittest-cpp-master\UnitTest++\UnitTest++.h
A library that corresponds to linker option -lfoo will called libfoo.a
or libfoo.so, if you are on a unix-like system, or libfoo.a, foo.lib or foo.dll
if you are on Windows.
Of course none of those possibilities yields the name of any file that exists
on your computer, if you substitute C:\Users\XXX\workspace\unittest-cpp-master\UnitTest++\UnitTest++.h
for foo.
You have made one and perhaps two mistakes:
You have added the name of a header file, C:\Users\XXX\workspace\unittest-cpp-master\UnitTest++\UnitTest++.h,
as a linkage library. A header file means nothing to the linker. A linkage library is a binary file
containing compiled code that the linker can combine with other binaries to make a program. The
library you need to link is UnitTest++. This setting will generate the commandline linker option:
-lUnitTest++
when you build, and the linker will search for a matching library file in the directories
where it's supposed to search for libraries.
By default the linker will search for libraries in several default directories, depending on
your unix-like or Windows system. If you haven't installed your UnitTest++ library in one of
those places then you also need to tell the linker the name of the directory where it should search for this library.
So if, just for example, your UnitTest++ library is:
C:\Users\XXX\workspace\unittest-cpp-master\lib\UnitTest++.a
then you need to make a further setting in the IDE. Navigate to your project's Project's Properties -> C++ Build -> Settings -> GCC C++ Linker -> Libraries -> Library search path,
and add C:\Users\XXX\workspace\unittest-cpp-master\UnitTest++. This setting will generate the
commandline linker option:
-LC:\Users\XXX\workspace\unittest-cpp-master\lib
when you build.
If you use an IDE such a Eclipse to control the GNU build tools without basically understanding how
the commandline tools work and what sorts of files they operate on then I'm afraid you are sure to
commit blunders like this: here is very quick cure for that.
If it leads you astray in working with MinGW GCC, then refer to the MinGW documentation and/or the GCC documentation