I have a source code for a project with their make files. I want to create a Visual Studio (2005) solution from it. Is there any direct way to do this? can anyone help me please. I spent hours for searching, but couldn't find a way to do this.
Thanks.
Unfortunately, Microsoft removed this capability after VC++ 6.
If all you're looking to do is to build a Visual Studio project from a command line or script, you can use the devenv command to build using the settings in a project.
Something like:
devenv /build debug /project myproj myapp.sln
Ans starting with VS2010, C++ projects will use the MSBuild system, so you can drive builds using that technology.
If you really want a makefile, you'll need to write it up by hand (or maybe there's some 3rd party tool out there that I'm unaware of).
I'm not sure whether this solution can help you. Which I tried and it worked well in my previous projects. It need manually add the files.
Create a blank VS solution/project. Add the source files into that project.
Mark all source files as "Excluded from building". You can right click the files in project explorer and find the setting. So now nothing will happen when you build your project.
In project setting, find something like "Custom build step". Add the commands that invoke your original build command. (You may write different build command for debug/release ). You can also set the post-build actions such to copy your result to some folder....
Now you can edit and build source files.
For my experience, I can even debug it after setting the executable.
Hope this can help you.
If this is a one-off then it is easier to just create the VS project manually in visual studio.
If you are going to need to do this often look at ceating the project in something like cmake or Qt's .pro whcihc an generate makefiles and VS build files from the same defintion.
Do you want to use the makefile to build? You can create a project from existing source in VS 2005 and setup the project to use make to build (and the wizard will take you through all of this).
I am using VS2010.In order to build you can create a project from existing code. In VS2010 you can create project from existing code File->New->Project from Existing code. You can specify the other parameters and then ready with the solution. I did not go with make file but followed this approach which is working great.
Related
I'm a fairly experienced C# dev, but have very little C++ knowledge. I have set my self a project to get a custom Firefox build running, and be able to control it from C# code.
I have got so far as getting and building the Firefox source, and creating a Visual Studio solution for the exe. This means I can now run via F5 in Visual studio. If I open a source file, I can set break points and have them hit.
What I'm not sure how to do, is load the entire source, as if I were working with a C# .NET solution. As I understand it, there are no project files with the Firefox source, as it is not windows specific source. I have followed an online example that suggests creating using 'project from existing code' option in VS, which resulted in VS grinding to a halt as there were so many files.
What are the steps to getting the code into an environment (preferably Visual Studio) that makes it simple(ish) to edit, debug and navigate the source code.
Note: Instructions I have been working through so far are here: https://cs.senecac.on.ca/~david.humphrey/writing/debugging-firefox.html
From you question, I beleive you are almost there. You have a working build ? That means you have :
A Solution File (*.sln)
A Project file (*.vcxproj or *.vcproj depending on yoru visual studio version)
With that in hand, what works best for me is this layout (adapted to your needs) :
Starting from a root folder of you liking, say MyProject
Create a new Empty solution there
Move the folder with your working build in a subdirectory, like MyProject\MyCustomFirefox
In Visual Studio "Add an existing project" and find your vcxproj file
In the same solution, create a C# project like you always do, in a directory at the same level as your FF build, like MyProject\MyFirefoxController
In short the solution file is pretty much alone in the root directory, and each project is in its own directory.
You will also need to adjust build options so that the output files (a DLL or an EXE) is seen by your C# project. While your are at it, make the C# project dependent on your Firefox build : it will instruct the msbuild to rebuild one if you change the other.
This will not work with the Express edition, I beleive. They are single language.
If you have a command line build path, which is creating a VS-debuggable executable, you could try adding all the source files to the project, but marking them 'exclude from build'. Then add a 'post-build step' to call the command line tools.
You may have to do a little more tweaking in the project properties to get the command line output recognized as the output to debug, but theoretically this could work.
In our C++ project we have several solutions, is there a way to only build select solutions in TeamCity. Or is there parameters for msbuild that can accomplish this?
We are using .Net v4.0
Thanks in advance.
Another possibility is to call MSBuild just on your vcxproj files, not the whole sln files.
We use it very often - we have build batch files compiling just vcxproj files. With sln files we work only in VS IDE.
I guess you have several projects in your solution?
You can create a build configuration (something like Debug/Release) for the whole solution und choose which projects should be built in this. You can pass this configuration's name to Teamcity.
I downloaded the latest wxmathplot but the readme is a bit sparse with instructions on how to build on win32 platform.
Has anyone used this library for win32? Can someone point me to the docs or give some hints/advice on how to build for win32 targets.
We'll eventually use this for cross platform stuff, for now it is just win32 until we port our other code.
I presume I have to use CMake, but have not used it before and it is not obvious to me how to build this all - I have already installed CMake, but I am apparently too stupid to figure out how to build this library/samples.
Well, I managed to make an SLN file, but it was not obvious.
I use wxMathPlot. I simply add mathplot.cpp and mathplot.h to the MSVS2008 C++ projects that need to use it. This compiles and links without my having to do anything special.
Here is a partial answer - to get
CMake to build an sln file:
Well, unfortunately there is no good
documentation on how to build
wxMathPlot on Windows, but it is very
simple. Just use CMake:
http://www.cmake.org/
Download and install it, then open
CMake gui, selecting the directory
where you uncompressed wxMathPlot and
a target build directory. click
Configure twice and then click
Generate. CMake does all its magic and
you'll get project files to build
wxMathPlot depending on your compiler.
For example, if you use Visual Studio,
a solution sln file is generated: open
it and build.
That works for building an sln file
I have a tool that generates most (but not all) files that need to be compiled in Visual Studio. The tool reads a configuration file and generates c++ files afterwards. This list can differ from one call to another when the configuration is altered.
I am wondering whether it would be possible to adapt the compiling process to my needs, which would be :
Launch the tool (not needed if configuration file has been modified)
Retrieve new list of C++ files to be compiled (ideally isolated in a folder inside the project)
Compile C++ files
EDIT: Having to close Visual Studio for this process to work is a no-go for me. The idea would be to have cpp files dynamically added as the first step of the compilation process.
Use a pre-build step to run your tool.
Also, create a file containing the list of includes and sources
This file name should be fixed (so that you don't have to change project properties or the vcproj file) -- add it to the project. E.g:
Project Properties > Command Line > Additional Options > #headerListingFile
You are not trying to integrate lex/yacc output with VS, are you?
Would CMake help? It's an automated project manager that generates Makefiles and VS projects for projects you define. Just add a source file, re-run CMake and you're done.
I think what you should do is create a custom makefile and use that for builds.
Please see this page for more information.
I heard a lot about makefiles and how they simplify the compilation process. I'm using VS2008. Can somebody please suggest some online references or books where I can find out more about how to deal with them?
The Microsoft Program Maintenance Utility (NMAKE.EXE) is a tool that builds projects based on commands contained in a description file.
NMAKE Reference
A UNIX guy probably told you that. :)
You can use makefiles in VS, but when you do it bypasses all the built-in functionality in MSVC's IDE. Makefiles are basically the reinterpret_cast of the builder. IMO the simplest thing is just to use Solutions.
To answer the specific questions...
I'm using VS2008. Can somebody please suggest some online references
or books where I can find out more about how to deal with them?
This link will give you a good introduction into Makefiles by mapping it with Visual Studio.
Introduction to Makefiles for Visual Studio developers
I heard a lot about makefiles and how they simplify the compilation
process.
Makefiles are powerful and flexible but may not be the best solution to simplify the process. Consider CMake which abstracts the build process well which is explained in this link.
CMake for Visual Studio Developers
I actually use a makefile to build any dependencies needed before invoking devenv to build a particular project as in the following:
debug: coratools_debug
devenv coralib.vcproj /build debug
coratools_debug: nothing
cd ../coratools
nmake debug
cd $(MAKEDIR)
You can also use the msbuild tool to do the same thing:
debug: coratools_debug
msbuild coralib.vcxproj /p:Configuration=debug
coratools_debug: nothing
cd ../coratools
nmake debug
cd $(MAKEDIR)
In my opinion, this is much easier than trying to figure out the overly complicated visual studio project management scheme.
The VS equivalent of a makefile is a "Solution" (over-simplified, I know).
To summarize with a complete solution...
There are 2 options:
Use NMAKE from the Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio
The shortcut exists in your Start Menu. Look inside the makefile to see if there are any 'setup' actions. Actions appear as the first word before a colon. Typically, all good makefiles have an "all" action so you can type: NMAKE all
Create a Solution and Project Files for each binary.
Most well designed open source solutions provide a makefile with a setup action to generate Visual Studio Project Files for you so look for those first in your Makefile.
Otherwise you need to drag and drop each file or group of files and folders into each New Project you create within Visual Studio.
Hope this helps.
Makefiles and build files are about automating your build. If you use a script like MSBuild or NAnt, you can build your project or solution directly from command line. This in turn makes it possible to automate the build, have it run by a build server.
Besides building your solution it is typical that a build script includes task to run unit tests, report code coverage and complexity and more.
If you are asking about actual command line makefiles then you can export a makefile, or you can call MSBuild on a solution file from the command line. What exactly do you want to do with the makefile?
You can do a search on SO for MSBuild for more details.