[postgis-devel]WKTRaster:WhyhavingtocompilePostgreSQL&PostGISfirst?

[Mark Cave-Ayland]

Mateusz Loskot wrote:

>> Unfortunately there is with PostGIS if you use newer versions of
>> PostgreSQL. Since PostgreSQL 8.3 is now compiled with MSVC, there is no
>> way to generate the required PGXS Makefiles, and so you must use MingW
>> to generate them.
> 
> 
> So, how it's possible developers build extensions using Visual C++?
> One of example at the bottom of this page:
> 
> http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/interactive/xfunc-c.html

As long as you stick with standard C rather than C++ then you can 
mix/match libraries between MingW/MSVC as you wish. The issue with 
respect to MSVC is that PGXS (the PostgreSQL extension building 
infrastructure) works using GNU Makefiles, which of course won't work 
with MSVC.

I've CC'd Magnus onto this email, but as far as I know the MSVC 
PostgreSQL builds don't generate the PGXS Makefiles anymore - at least, 
I don't see them installed as part of the development packages.

> It may seem harsh, but in *my* opinion MinGW makes more troubles than helps.
> Considering that
> a) C/C++ code is portable

The basic C standard is portable but the libraries aren't; for example 
the original Microsoft POSIX implementation was fairly broken which is 
why people write their own implementations as wrappers on native Win32 
calls.

> b) it can be compiled using Visual C++ and
> c) there is building configuration for Visual Studio toolset,
> then I can't see any reason why some makefiles couldn't be generated
> under Windows without MinGW or cygwin.

Well as part of the rebuilding of the PostGIS build system, I made a 
conscious effort to write it in a way that would make compilation under 
MSVC possible. As a result, all of the logic has been moved from the 
Makefiles into autotools which generates postgis_config.h. So if you can 
come up with a suitable file for MSVC, you should just be left with 
standard MSVC compatibility issues.

Several people have expressed interest in helping add MSVC support, but 
no-one has yet stepped up to both i) do the work and ii) continue 
maintenance of the MSVC port. Until this happens then I doubt that we 
will switch.


ATB,

Mark.

-- 
Mark Cave-Ayland - Senior Technical Architect
PostgreSQL - PostGIS
Sirius Corporation plc - control through freedom
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