A Windows Build Tree for MapServer

Jani Averbach javerbach at EXTENDTHEREACH.COM
Wed Feb 8 16:50:02 EST 2006


> -----Original Message-----
> On Behalf Of Howard Butler
> Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 12:26 PM
> 
> I am a firm -1 against project files.  Granted they aren't as bad in
> msvc7+, but they still can cause a lot of grief.  I especially have
> trouble navigating the myriad of menus to figure out where to add
> lib files, etc.
...
> Coupled with the fact that it is impossible to debug how a user is
> running a project file over email "no, click on the thing next to
> the other thingy in the option menu that you have to remember to
> enable", I don't see us changing at this time.

Let me emphasis that I am not proposing to move away from a command line
based solution. What I am saying is that we move away from static
makefiles to dynamically built project files.  There is a tool called
'devenv' which you can launch from command line which will do the
build for you. So the work flow would be:

S:\3rdParty\GIS\mapserver> python build-make.py --vcproj \
  --with-gdal=..\gdal
  --with-png=..\libpng
  etc

And when this configuration is done, next thing would be:

S:\3rdParty\GIS\mapserver>devenv /build "DLL Release" /project mapserver.vcproj mapserver.sln

Microsoft (R) Development Environment  Version 7.10.3077.
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp 1984-2001. All rights reserved.
------ Build started: Project: zlib, Configuration: LIB Release Win32 ------

zlib - up-to-date.
Build Time 0:00


------ Build started: Project: freetype, Configuration: Release Win32 ------

freetype - up-to-date.
Build Time 0:01


------ Build started: Project: libpng, Configuration: LIB Release Win32 ------

libpng - up-to-date.
Build Time 0:00


------ Build started: Project: pcre, Configuration: Release Win32 ------

pcre - up-to-date.
Build Time 0:00


------ Build started: Project: gd, Configuration: Release Win32 ------

gd - up-to-date.
Build Time 0:01


------ Build started: Project: proj.4, Configuration: Release Win32 ------

proj.4 - up-to-date.
Build Time 0:01


------ Build started: Project: gdal, Configuration: Release Win32 ------

gdal - up-to-date.
Build Time 0:08


------ Build started: Project: mapserver, Configuration: DLL_Release Win32 ------

mapserver - up-to-date.
Build Time 0:01


---------------------- Done ----------------------

    Build: 8 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 skipped

S:\3rdParty\GIS\mapserver>


> Building MapServer on Windows used to be only for the most
> courageous, and I'm hoping to lower that bar.  I'm not ready to
> ditch the makefiles though.

So the work flow would be very similar to compared with makefiles and
there is no need to fiddle with GUI. With project files we would get
the best of both worlds, simplicity of command line, and convenience of
well setup projects with GUI. 

BR, Jani

Jani Averbach
SRC,LLC

SRC in Action:
http://www.DemographicsNow.com



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