I'm using Visual Studio 2010 for a C/C++ project. As far as version numbers go I like to have a revision and build date; for example "Project 1.0 R2 Apr 21 2013". I display this at startup, so I can easily tell if someone is running an old version. Now I'd like to put things like this in the filename of the executable created by the build. For example, "Project10R2.exe".
I make use of the build macros as listed here. For display of the build date, I use the predefined macro as listed here. To clarify possible confusion, the build macros are usable from, say, the project properties and what they refer to as "predefined macros" are #define's. I know you can define custom custom build macros (see this) (and obviously any #define I desire).
Now what I want is to use one with the other. That is, I'd like to define a revision string in one place and have it appear both in the program output at startup (easy with a #define) and also in the build output filename (easy with a custom $ macro). I don't want to maintain two different constants.
Anyone know how to do this? It appears you cannot even put the build date in the filename (not safely, anyway, if you use the Windows %DATE% environment variable, you may end up with illegal characters.)
As you've said you can create a custom build macro and then in your project's Properties > C/C++ > Preprocessor > Preprocessor Definitions, you can add something like this: $(my_custom_build_macro);... but this would define the macro in every file.
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I'm currently trying to make splint available as an external tool in Visual Studio 2010.
It has problems with finding all includes for the file, since it seems that the INCLUDE variable is only set at build time and I haven't found any other possibility to extract the include files in any way.
My question: Would there be any way to extract the IncludeDir field from the current file's project's Properties page, ideally with the VC++'s AdditionalIncludeDirectories?
Note also that AdditionalIncludeDirectories is per file, as it can be changed for individual source files as well as on the project level, and if it contains macros it can evaluate differently for each source file too!
I'm not familiar with driving the MSBuild objects via the API, but that's used by the IDE. Whether that way or by simply running MSBuild.exe, you need to get it to figure out all the properties, conditions, etc. and then tell you the result. If everything is well behaved, you could create a target that also uses the ClCompile item array and emits the %(AdditionalIncludeDirectories) metadata somehow such as writing it to a file or passing it to your other tool somehow. That's what's used to generate the /I parameters to CL, and you can get the same values.
If things are not well behaved in that necessary values are changed during the detailed build process, you would need to get the same prelims done just like the ClCompile target normally does, too. Or just override ClCompile with your own (last definition of a target is used) so it certainly is in the same context.
Either way, there are places where build script files can be automatically included into all projects, so you can add your stuff there or use a command argument (I think) to MSBuild to add another Include.
—John
With Makefiles I'm used to being able to write things like:
includedir=$(shell pg_config --includedir)/server
to run an external program, pg_config, with argument(s) --includedir, and include the result in a variable or as part of a variable. So if pg_config --includedir output /usr/include to stdout, the value of includedir would become:
includedir=/usr/include/server
Is there any way to do the equivalent with a Visual Studio project? Run a command, get the result, and substitute it into a property?
I find myself having to edit properties pages all over the place - changing the include directories and library directories for both the x86 and x64 configurations of a project whenever I want to build an extension against a different PostgreSQL version. It is intensely frustrating.
I want to be able to put something like this into Configuration Properties -> C/C++ -> General -> Additional Include Directories:
%(shell pg_config --includedir)
or even better:
%(shell %(PG_CONFIG) --includedir)
where %(PG_CONFIG)'s location is defined in a single place for each platform in the project.
So I'm looking for at least user-defined macros, and preferably the ability to invoke a command line tool and replace the macro with the resulting standard output.
(Preferably in a way that doesn't involve delving into semi-documented UI elements that move and get renamed in every VS version, and that appear and disappear from the various Express editions).
This has been possible in Makefiles for 20 years, there must be a way to do it in VS, right? Or do "Real Windows Developers" generate their VS projects with scripts and build them using MSBuild?
I've looked at some similar questions without finding much of use, e.g.:
Visual Studio - Where to define custom path macros?
In particular, I'm aware of property sheets (View -> Other Windows -> Property Manager), but they don't seem to provide a way to set a value in just one place, they're still per-configuration and per-architecture, so if you have four configurations and two architectures it gets awkward. Unlike with the normal project property editor you can't even apply a change across a group of architectures/configurations, either.
I could use a VS extension, but they require installation into the user's VS, can be version-specific, and seem like a very big hammer for a small problem.
I find myself having to edit properties pages all over the place
That bugged me to no end as well. Property sheets to the rescue! When setting up a major solution in VS10, for example, I had every project pull in a settings.props that contained the common settings, made in only one place. Then go through all the generated or imported projects and kill any explicit value (even if blank) for everything possible. That way things will inherit from property sheets. Select "all configurations" and on each properly use the drop-down to "inherit from...".
I have property sheets for each special library too, just defining the proper #define, include paths, lib paths, etc. Projects that use that particular external lib simply use that property sheet. Users are told, in the worst case, to “edit the XML to change the path to where you have Boost”.
As for setting such a properly to a dynamic determined value, you can do that too. There are property functions you can use.
It sounds like you're going down the same path as I did.
More notes: “prop sheets are per configuration/platform”: If you include a prop sheet at the top-level node for the project itself (not the Debug|Win32, etc. child nodes) it will include it into all current configurations at once. If you edit the properly page, you can choose Multiple or All configurations on the Property dialog box, just as with the usual project use of the Property dialog.
“Custom user macros are well hidden” A property page shows up for that when in a property sheet you created, but not when opening property dialog on a proj file as in the normal File View. The macro will be set in one place (the prop page) and usable as a $(name) in all projects that include it, and even in other property pages that come later in the evaluation sequence.
Let me know how it goes. You should be able to do everything you asked.
—John
In addition to #jdlugosz's answer:
It looks like the traditional way to do this with Visual Studio, before the advent of property functions, was to write a new MSBuild Task. The task can potentially do things like modify a property sheet.
MSBuild supports "inline tasks" where the task code is in the MSBuild project file, rather than a separate assembly, so it might not be neccessary to create a new subproject just for the task.
There are a bunch of built-in tasks, like Exec and CreateProperty that may be useful.
The docs say that:
[The Exec task] is useful when a specific MSBuild task for the job that you want to perform is not available. However, the Exec task, unlike a more specific task, cannot gather output from the tool or command that it runs.
... but that seems to be outdated/wrong so you don't need horrible workarounds.
So, prior to .NET 4.5 I'd probably have to write a custom task for this simple job, because there's no way to feed the command stdout/stderr into the CreateProperty task or have Exec create a property directly. But in 4.5 it looks like I can do it directly. At least in VS Express support for tasks etc is very limited so you'll probably land up editing the XML.
How can I read one of VS project environment variables oder user-defined macros such as the ${SolutionPath} from source code in C++?
I just created a new user-defined macro where I want to store the current Version of my project. I want to use this value during build as well as to show it in the GUI. Do you have any better idea to have only one place to store the current version of my product?
It seems like defining additional preprocessor flags for each project using /D might by a solution, but I cannot get it to work to define a precompiler flag with a value.
You can add an additional compiler option using the following format
/D "VariableName=\"VariableValue\""
This will make the macro available in the project just as if you typed:
\#define VariableName VariableValue
That the logical follow-up for the my previous question: "How to check all projects in solution for some criteria?"
I was given quite a good answer to use CustomAfterMicrosoftCommonTargets, CustomBeforeMicrosoftCommonTargets. They do work, so I decided not to stop in the middle.
Issue is that I don't want machine-wide tasks. It's not a good idea neither for me (it will affect other builds. sure, this can be handled, but still), nor for my teammates (I don't want to let them put something in system folders... ), nor for build server.
What is needed: solution to be built from scratch out of source control on clean machine with either Visual Studio or MSBuild.
It appeared that Custom*MicrosoftCommonTargets are regular properties.
So, how to specify this property? It works pretty fine when to set it from command line.
That's strange, but it appears that bit of magic present here: property passed as command line parameter to one build is transitively passed to all nested builds!
That's fine for build server. But this won't work with Visual Studio build. And even declaring solution-level property won't help: neither static, nor dynamic properties are transfer to nested builds.
...I have a hacky idea to set environment variable on before solution build and erase it on after. But I don't like it. Any better ideas?
I use a bit different technique then #Spider M9. I want that all projects in solution tree/all subdirectories from current directory use extended build throw Custom*MicrosoftCommonTargets. I don't like to be forced to change every new project to import custom targets/props.
I place special file, let's say msbuild.include, in the root directory and my custom targets loader for every project tries to find it in ., ..\, ..\..\, and so on. msbuild.include contains flags that triggers execution of custom actions. If loader can't find this file it disables loading all custom targets and stoppes. This gives me ability to use my build extensions with projects from work repositories and to not use with opensource projects.
If you are interested in I can publish loader. It's a pretty simple and elegant solution.
For example I can sign any assembly in all projects in all subfolders with my key.
I always set up every project to import a standard .props file. Use the GetDirectoryNameOfFileAbove property function (see MSDN) to find it. Do this as the first line of every project file. Once established, you can redirect from that file to other imports. Another trick is to have that standard import (that would obviously be under version control) import conditionally another .props file only if it exists. This optional file would not be in version control, but is available for any developer to create and modify with their own private/temporary properties or other behavior.
I would like to use Visual Studio 2008 to the greatest extent possible while effectively compiling/linking/building/etc code as if all these build processes were being done by the tools provided with MASM 6.11. The exact version of MASM does not matter, so long as it's within the 6.x range, as that is what my college is using to teach 16-bit assembly.
I have done some research on the subject and have come to the conclusion that there are several options:
Reconfigure VS to call the MASM 6.11 executables with the same flags, etc as MASM 6.11 would natively do.
Create intermediary batch file(s) to be called by VS to then invoke the proper commands for MASM's linker, etc.
Reconfigure VS's built-in build tools/rules (assembler, linker, etc) to provide an environment identical to the one used by MASM 6.11.
Option (2) was brought up when I realized that the options available in VS's "External Tools" interface may be insufficient to correctly invoke MASM's build tools, thus a batch file to interpret VS's strict method of passing arguments might be helpful, as a lot of my learning about how to get this working involved my manually calling ML.exe, LINK.exe, etc from the command prompt.
Below are several links that may prove useful in answering my question. Please keep in mind that I have read them all and none are the actual solution. I can only hope my specifying MASM 6.11 doesn't prevent anyone from contributing a perhaps more generalized answer.
Similar method used to Option (2), but users on the thread are not contactable:
http://www.codeguru.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-284051.html
(also, I have my doubts about the necessity of an intermediary batch file)
Out of date explanation to my question:
http://www.cs.fiu.edu/~downeyt/cop3402/masmaul.html
Probably the closest thing I've come to a definitive solution, but refers to a suite of tools from something besides MASM, also uses a batch file:
http://www.kipirvine.com/asm/gettingStarted/index.htm#16-bit
I apologize if my terminology for the tools used in each step of the code -> exe process is off, but since I'm trying to reproduce the entirety of steps in between completion of writing the code and generating an executable, I don't think it matters much.
There is a MASM rules file located at (32-bit system remove (x86)):
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\VCProjectDefaults\masm.rules
Copy that file to your project directory, and add it to the Custom Build Rules for your project. Then "Modify Rule File...", select the MASM build rule and "Modify Build Rule...".
Add a property:
User property type: String
Default value: *.inc
Description: Add additional MASM file dependencies.
Display name: Additional Dependencies
Is read only: False
Name: AdditionalDependencies
Property page name: General
Switch: [value]
Set the Additional Dependencies value to [AdditionalDependencies]. The build should now automatically detect changes to *.inc, and you can edit the properties for an individual asm file to specify others.
You can create a makefile project. In Visual Studio, under File / New / Project, choose Visual C++ / Makefile project.
This allows you to run an arbitrary command to build your project. It doesn't have to be C/C++. It doesn't even have to be a traditional NMake makefile. I've used it to compile a driver using a batch file, and using a NAnt script.
It should be fairly easy to get it to run the MASM 6.x toolchain.
I would suggest to define Custom Build rules depending on file extension.
(Visual Studio 2008, at least in Professinal Edition, can generate .rules files, which can be distributed). There you can define custom build tools for asm files. By using this approach, you should be able to leave the linker step as is.
Way back, we used MASM32 link text as IDE to help students learn assembly. You could check their batchfiles what they do to assemble and link.
instead of batch files, why not use the a custom build step defined on the file?
If you are going to use Visual Studio, couldn't you give them a skeleton project in C/C++ with the entry point for a console app calling a function that has en empty inline assembly block, and let them fill their results in it?
Why don't you use Irvine's guide? Irvine's library is nice and if you want, you can ignore it and work with Windows procs directly. I've searching for a guide like this, Irvine's was the best solution.