I'm trying to use the Quadprog++ library (http://quadprog.sourceforge.net/). I don't understand the instructions though.
To build the library simply go through the ./configure; make; make
install cycle.
In order to use it, you will be required to include in your code file
the "Array.hh" header, which contains a handy C++ implementation of
Vector and Matrices.
There are some "configure", and "MakeFile" files, but they have no extension and I have no idea what to do with them. There are also some ".am", ".in" and ".ac" extensions in the folder.
Does this look familiar to anyone? What do I do with this?
(Edit: On Windows.)
This package is built using the autotools. These files you talk to (*.am, *.in...) are because of the tools automake, and autoconf.
Autotools is a de-facto standard in the GNU/Linux world. Not everybody uses it, but if they do you ease the work of package and distribution managers. Actually they should be portable to any POSIX system.
That said, I'm guessing that you are using a non-unix machine, such as Windows, so the configure script is not directly runable in your system. If you insist in keep using Windows, wich you probably will, your options are:
Use MinGW and MSYS to get a minimal build enviroment compatible with autotools.
Use Cygwin and create a POSIX like environment in your Windows.
Create a VS project, add all the source of the library in there, compile and debug the errors they may arise, as if the code had been written by you.
Search for someone that already did the work and distributes a binary DLL, or similar.
(My favourite!) Get a Linux machine, install a cross-compiler environment to build Windows binaries, and do configure --host i686-mingw32 ; make.
This instruction say how can be build an program delivered like a tarball in Linux. To understand take a look on Why always ./configure; make; make install; as 3 separate steps?.
This can be confusing at first, but here you go. Type these in as shown below:
cd <the_directory_with_the_configure_file>
./configure
At this point, a bunch of stuff will roll past on the screen. This is Autoconf running (for more details, see http://www.edwardrosten.com/code/autoconf/index.html)
When it's done, type:
make
This initiates the build process. (To learn more about GNU make, check out Comprehensive gnu make / gcc tutorial). This will cause several build messages to be printed out.
When this is done, type:
sudo make install
You will be asked for the root password. If this is not your own machine (or you do not have superuser access), then contact the person who administers this computer.
If this is your computer, type in the root password and the library should install in /usr/local/lib/ or something similar (watch the screen closely to see where it puts the .so file).
The rest of it (include the .hh file) seems self-explanatory.
Hope that helps!
I'm currently running a variant of Eclipse known as WindRiver, which is designed for embedded systems programming using C++ (specifically, I'm part of my high school's FIRST Robotics team).
I'm able to successfully compile and build the project from within Eclipse (Project > Build Project) but I'm looking for ways to automate this process by compiling by using the command line.
The project already contains a makefile and everything, so ideally I want to be able to just run that without making any manual changes. I pastebin'd the makefile in case its relevant.
Does anybody know where I can find more information on compiling C++ programs from the command line for either Eclipse or WindRiver or on running makefiles on Windows? I tried looking at "How to run a makefile in Windows?" but following the first answer didn't work (it gave a syntax error for the makefile).
I'm currently using a Windows 8 laptop. As best as I can tell, the current varient of WindRiver I'm using is based on Eclipse version 3.3.1.
You will need a make utility, I believe your WindRiver / Eclipse setup would come with "gnumake" (probably called either make or gmake). You'd nee dto set up the command line path to lead to the compiler and the make executable. Unfortunately, this is not a great answer, as I can't give you exact links to the make and compiler locations (it would of course also depend on where you installed things). I just thought I'd lead you somewhat on the right path, since the question has been up for a little while and no one jumped at it.
Thanks to Mat Petersson's answer, I was able to identify everything I needed and create a batch file that could compile the file for me:
#echo off
setlocal
set PATH=%PATH%;C:\WindRiver\gnu\3.4.4-vxworks-6.3\x86-win32\bin;C:\WindRiver\utilities-1.0\x86-win32\bin;C:\WindRiver\setup\x86-win32\bin
set WIND_BASE=C:\WindRiver\vxworks-6.3
cd My_Project\PPC603gnu
make --no-print-directory BUILD_SPEC=PPC603gnu DEBUG_MODE=1 TRACE=1
What is MakeFile in Eclipse? From the documentation:
A makefile is a text file that is referenced by the make command that
describes the building of targets, and contains information such as
source-level dependencies and build-order dependencies. The CDT can
generate a makefile for you, such projects are called Managed Make
projects. Some projects, known as Standard Make projects, allow you to
define your own makefile.
But the explanation does not help me understand what a MakeFile is. I am moving from VisualStudio/C# to Eclipse/C++. Is MakeFile analogous to Visual Studio's Metadata? When do I need to write a MakeFile, and why do I need it besides the C++ code?
[EDIT]
I used to develop on Windows with VS and C#. And now trying Eclipse/C++ on a Mac. I have never build anyone on Linux. So the answer I have read so far does not help explain anything at all.
A makefile in the simplest terms is a file that builds a program. These are normally used from the command line. If you have ever built something on linux you may have run ./configure ; make ; make install. You are using a makefile there.
More info...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_(software)
In simple terms: Make helps you create cross-platform configuration settings in one file, and it will work on surprisingly many platforms, including Windows or Mac OS-es.
Mentioning Windows, you should have Make installed on the computer you're installing on (on Windows, Cygwin and MinGW include Make). It's required only if the user will actually build the code from the source.
But of course, you should include Make code for each different platform (e.g. one for Unix-like, one for Windows, etc.)
I'm learning C++ using Vim as an editor on Windows XP, however I found a issue that I have listed below.
I have downloaded and installed c.vim and it is a essential file, however when I start vim it shows the message C/C++ template file 'C:\Program Files\Vim\vimfiles\c-support/templates/Templates' does not exist or is not readable, How do i fix this problem?
How would i make vim compile a C++ STL file?
For your first problem: I suspect that you didn't extract all the files in the archive (that c.vim came in). The c.vim documentation (README.csupport) says:
The subdirectories in the zip archive
cvim.zip mirror the directory
structure which is needed below the
local installation directory
$HOME/.vim/ for LINUX/UNIX
($VIM/vimfiles/ for Windows)
This means that you need to uncompress the entire archive as it is into your vimfiles directory.
There are some other steps to follow, detailed in the documentation.
As for your second issue: you need a Makefile to do that. If you have never done this before, I suggest using cmake to generate a Makefile. You will also need GNU tools for Windows; Cygwin or MinGW are the most popular choices. I haven't use them, it is easier to do all this on some *nix OS :).
When done, use :cd (if you are not in your working directory), and :make. Use :cl to list the compiler output, :cn to jump to the next error. There are some other useful commands for compiling. You might find these resources useful:
StackOverflow: Recommended plugins for C coding
Compiling from Vim
C editing with Vim
Also, I found the Nerd Commenter a very useful companion.
I found that Vim acts somewhat like alien on Windows; it is designed for an *nix-like operating system. I think it is possible to craft a similar environment for it, and use it mostly successfully, but it is so much easier to do on some linux, as it is "instantly home" there.
Anyway, if you wish to stick with Windows, I think you can find a way to accomplish what you want. Good luck.
Download Vim and install to your computer.
Download c.vim and extract to $Vim\vimfiles\
Download MinGW and install to your computer, make sure that you check C++ Compiler at Select Components.
Add C:\MinGW to system Path variable
Edit _vimrc file, add set makeprg=mingw32-make after line behave mswin
Test your Vim with hello world, use !g++ c:\full_path\filename.cpp -o c:\full_path\output.exe.
I decided to leave my windows install behind and am now running Debian as my default OS. I have always coded in Windows and specifically with Visual Studio. I am currently trying to get used to compiling my code under linux.
Although I still have a lot of documentation to read, and don't expect you guys to make it too easy for me, it'd still be nice to get some pointers on where to start. I have some specific questions, but feel free to suggest/recommend anything else regarding the subject.
What are recommended guides on creating a make file, how do I compile from this makefile (do I call g++ myself, do I use 'make'?)
Looking at other linux software, they almost always seem to have a 'configure' file. What exactly does it do? Does it only check if the required libraries are installed or does it more than just checking requirements?
How do I link libraries, and how does this relate to my makefile or g++ parameters? In windows I would compile the library, include some header files, tell my linker what additional lib file to link, and copy a dll file. How exactly does this process work in linux?
Recommendations for code editors? I am currently using nano and I've heard of vim and emacs, but don't know what the benefits of them are over eachother. Are there any others, and why would I consider them over any of the previous three? Note: I am not looking for an IDE.
Any help, links to guides & documentation (preferably those that are aimed at beginners) are very much appreciated!
What are recommended guides on creating a make file, how do I compile from this makefile (do I call g++ myself, do I use 'make'?)
You build from the makefile by invoking "make". And inside your makefile, you compile and link using g++ and ld.
Looking at other linux software, they almost always seem to have a 'configure' file. What exactly does it do? Does it only check if the required libraries are installed or does it more than just checking requirements?
It's a script usually used to set up various things based on the environment being used for building. Sometimes it's just a basic shell script, other times it invokes tools like Autoconf to discover what is available when building. The "configure" script is usually also a place for the user to specify various optional things to be built or excluded, like support for experimental features.
How do I link libraries, and how does this relate to my makefile or g++ parameters? In windows I would compile the library, include some header files, tell my linker what additional lib file to link, and copy a dll file. How exactly does this process work in linux?
ld is the GNU linker. You can invoke it separately (which is what most makefiles will end up doing), or you can have g++ delegate to it. The options you pass to g++ and ld determine where to look for included headers, libraries to link, and how to output the result.
Recommendations for code editors? I am currently using nano and I've heard of vim and emacs, but don't know what the benefits of them are over eachother. Are there any others, and why would I consider them over any of the previous three? Note: I am not looking for an IDE.
Vim and Emacs are very flexible editors that support a whole bunch of different usages. Use whatever feels best to you, though I'd suggest you might want a few minimal things like syntax highlighting.
Just a note to go with MandyK's answers.
Creating make files by hand is usually a very unportable way of building across linux distro's/unix variants. There are many build systems for auto generating make files, building without make files. GNU Autotools, Cmake, Scons, jam, etc.
Also to go more in depth about configure.
Checks available compilers, libraries, system architecture.
Makes sure your system matches the appropriate compatible package list.
Lets you specify command line arguments to specialize your build, install path, option packages etc.
Configure then generates an appropriate Makefile specific to your system.
What are recommended guides on
creating a make file, how do I compile
from this makefile (do I call g++
myself, do I use 'make'?)
I learned how to write makefiles by reading the GNU Make manual.
Looking at other linux software, they
almost always seem to have a
'configure' file. What exactly does it
do? Does it only check if the required
libraries are installed or does it
more than just checking requirements?
The configure file is usually associated with autotools. As the name of the script suggests, it allows you to configure the software. From the perspective of the developer this mostly means setting macros, which determine variables, which libraries are available, and such. It also tests for the availability of libraries. In the end the script generates a GNU Makefile, which you can then use to actually build and install the software.
The GNU build system is only one of many. I don't particularly like the GNU build system as it tends to be slower than others, and generates an ugly Makefile. Some of the more popular ones are CMake, Jam (Boost Jam might be of interest for C++) and waf. Some build systems simply generate Makefiles, while others provide a completely new build system. For simple projects writing a Makefile by hand would be easy, but "dependency checking" (for libraries, etc) would also have to be done manually.
Edit: Brian Gianforcaro also pointed this out.
Your question is a bit too general, but here is what I would recomment:
Editor: vim and emacs are popular. What matters the most, as with most tools, is to master one. I like using vim because vi (its descendant) is available everywhere, but that may not be very relevant, specially if you stay on Linux. Any programming editor is fine.
configure: unless you do big projects, don't bother with it. It is a nightmare to use and debug. It only makes sense if you intend to distribute your project - in that case, read the autobook: http://sources.redhat.com/autobook/. As other said, there are alternatives (cmake, scons, etc...). I am quite familiar with both scons and autotools, but I still use make for small (couple of files) projects.
Concerning shared library: it is almost as windows, except that you link against the shared library directly - there is no .lib vs .dll distinction in Linux. For example. for one library foo with a function foo:
int foo(void)
{
return 1;
}
You would build it as follows:
gcc -fPIC -c foo.c -o foo.o
gcc -shared foo.o -o libfoo.so
A main (of course in real life you put the API in a header file):
int foo(void);
int main(void)
{
foo();
return 0;
}
And then, you link it as:
gcc -c main.c -o main.o
gcc main.o -o main -L. -lfoo
The -L. is here to say that you want the linker to look in the current directory (contrary to windows, this is never done by default in Linux), the -lfoo says to link against the library foo.
So to get you started I will first point you to this guide for makefiles, it also covers some linking stuff too.
It's just a little something my university Computer Science prof gave us I found it to be very clear and concise, very helpful.
And as for an IDE, I use eclipse usually because it handles the makefile as well. Not to mention compile and standard output are right at your fingertips in the program.
It was mainly intended for Java developing, but there is a C/C++ plugin too!
Recommendations for code editors? I am
currently using nano and I've heard of
vim and emacs, but don't know what the
benefits of them are over eachother.
Are there any others, and why would I
consider them over any of the previous
three? Note: I am not looking for an
IDE.
Vi and Emacs are the two quintessential Unix editors; if you are set on using a text editor rather than an IDE, one of them or their derivatives (vim, xemacs, etc) is the way to go. Both support syntax highlighting and all sorts of features, either by default or via extensions. The best part about these editors is the extensibility they offer; emacs via a variety of lisp, and vim via its own scripting language.
I personally use Emacs, so I can't say much about Vim, but you should be able to find lots of information about both online. Emacs has several good tutorials and references, including this one.
EDIT [Dec 2014]: There seems to be a trend of cross-platform and highly extendable editors recently. This could be a good choice if you'd like something less than an IDE, but more graphical than vi/emacs and native-feeling across multiple platforms. I recommend looking at Sublime or Atom; both of these work across Windows/Linux/Mac and have great communities of plugins and themes.
I recommend the book The Art of Unix Programming by ESR. It covers choice of editor, programming language, etc. It also gives a good sense for the mindset behind programming on Unix or Linux.
For editors, you probably want either Vim or Emacs. They are both different and which one is better is more about personal taste than anything else. I use Vim. It is great for quickly moving around the code and making changes. I didn't like Emacs as much but many people do. Emacs is extremely extensible and can be used for everything from a news reader to an ide. Try both and see what you like.
Recommendations for code editors? I am currently using nano and I've heard of vim and emacs, but don't know what the benefits of them are over eachother. Are there any others, and why would I consider them over any of the previous three? Note: I am not looking for an IDE.
If you're using Linux with a window manager (KDE, Gnome, etc.) you could also consider using the standard text editor for your window manager. The main benefit it would have over vim/emacs/nano is that it would seem more familiar to one coming from a Windows environment - an editor written to run on the window manager has a menu bar, file open/save dialogs, undo/redo, and plenty of other neat features that console editors probably can't match. (Though emacs and vim are pretty sophisticated these days, so who knows ;-P)
On KDE (which is what I use) I can recommend KWrite, which is a well-featured but fairly basic text editor with syntax highlighting; or Kate, which is a fancier text editor with some extra features: session management, a builtin terminal panel, automatic invocation of make, and several plugins including a C/C++ symbol viewer. I usually use Kate for my C++ work when I don't want to bother with setting up a full IDE project. (FYI the IDE for KDE is KDevelop)
the space between invoking g++ directly and using an autotools build chain is pretty narrow. Get good at autotools, which is really the closest thing to a 'project' available in the Linux/Open Source world.
For someone coming from Visual Studio, all this commandline stuff might seem arcane and messy.
Before you turn into a bash shell/vim/emacs junkie, try a few GUI based tools first so you have some transition time...
QT 4.5 with its QT Creator mini-IDE. This is the best framework, lightyears ahead of the competition.
Eclipse (C++) - From my experience with this on Windows, I find it's astounding ( This is probably the best Java application ever written )
KDevelop
Anjuta
If you use Delphi, Lazarus/FreePascal is a good alternative.
I'm sure the longhairs will scoff and claim that vim or emacs gives them the best and fastest development environment, but different strokes for different folks. Someone accustomed to an IDE will take some time to switch or may not wish to switch at all.
For all their editing prowess, creating GUI apps is certainly not a job for 80x25 tools.
It takes years to become an expert with the command line side of things, its more of a transformation of worldview than anything else.
As a side note amongst the proper answers here.. In case you wanna hit the ground running as a Windows guy, I'd suggest the fresh new Qt SDK. It will feel like home :-)
I advise using SCons in place of Make, it does the same job but it's easier to use and handle out of the box how to make dynamic libraries, dependencies, etc. Here it is a real life example for a simple prog
env = Environment()
env.Append(CCFLAGS='-Wall')
env.Append(CPPPATH = ['./include/'])
env.MergeFlags('-ljpeg')
env.ParseConfig("sdl-config --cflags --libs")
env.ParseConfig("curl-config --cflags --libs")
env.ParseConfig("pkg-config cairo --cflags --libs")
env.Program('rovio-pilot', Glob('./src/*.cpp'))
As a text editor, I'm happy with JEdit for coding, but it's a matter of taste.