I would lik to make 1 exe-file (win32) with all obj, idp, pdb... files embeded to make it easier to copy the program and use it on other computers, can anyone help me?
You don't need obj, idp, pdb... files to run on another computer.
Start by selecting the Release configuration and see what ends up in the output folder. Most likely it's just 1 file.
You can embed Text, Xml and in principal even DLL files but it is not always worth it.
If you want to simply run the generated program on another computer, just copy the .exe and any associated dll files. The pdb file is a debug information database that is not actually needed to run the program - only to load it in the debugger with specific information. The other files are intermediate files created during the build process.
If you don't want to have to install the Visual C++ Runtime on the target machine, or rely on it being there, you will want to go into the Project Settings -> C/C++ Settings -> Code Generation and select that you want the "Multithreaded" library instead of the "Multithreaded DLL" library (or equivalent). This will embed the C++ runtime into your program.
Of course if you're trying to copy the project over to perhaps do more debugging or development on another computer, just pack it all into a zip file.
Related
What I want to do is to programmatically update resources of an executable file.
I have a binary resource (.res) file containg bitmaps, icons, version info and a manifest, created with a resource editor, and a PE file compiled with AutoHotkey to which I want to copy the resources from the .res file.
Until now I used to do this with ResourceHacker in command prompt, but ResourceHacker can't be redistributed and besides I want to do this more elegantly.
So I was looking in the WinAPI functions and there seems to be a way to do this: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms648008%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
But the problem is that the article describes how to copy resources from an executable file to another, and you can't import non-executable files (the .res file) with LoadLibrary/LoadLibraryEx.
There also seems to be a way to do this with tools from Visual Studio, particularly LINK.exe. But I'm not sure if it can be used outside of the VS enviroment. I have no idea how it works.
You can programmatically update resources with the UpdateResource function
RES files are not involved. RES files are used by the project makefile system to enable minimal rebuild of resources... they don't have to be recompiled every time the application is relinked, just embedded. But you aren't relinking the application and losing the existing resources, so updating just the resources you want to change is the way to go.
If your source assets are already encoded in RES files, then this page describing "Resource File Formats" can help you extract them. It also describes use of LINK.exe for resource embedding. LINK.exe is installed as part of Visual Studio, but it is also available in many versions of the Platform SDK and Windows DDK.
When I use Visual Studio 2010 to debug a crash dump file (native code), it attempts to load C/C++ source files from the original build folder (and it gives the message "The source file is different from when the module was built. Would you like the debugger to use it anyway?"). The message is correct; the file is not the correct version.
What I would like VS2010 to do is to check out the source file using source server. If the file does not currently exist in its original build location, VS2010 will correctly use source server and retrieve the appropriate revision of the file (from Subversion). In order to force it to check out the correct revision, I have to physically delete the file from the original build location.
As a side note, VS2005 works as desired (well ... as I desire, perhaps not as others desire). VS2005 will always check out the correct revision from source control regardless of whether a copy of the file exists in the original build folder.
I believe the question comes down to one of the following:
Is there some kind of setting available that will change VS2010's precedence for finding source files?
Alternatively, is it possible to make VS2010 offer a choice/option to check out the source file in question? (Currently the only option I see in this situation is to browse for it.)
Or is it possible to completely exclude a specific path (folder) from the search?
I have the same problem with VS2010 and made an attempt to figure it out. I monitored devenv.exe with procmon but didn't see anything out of the order with the files & registry keys it was accessing. Pretty much the same information you see in the error report when VS2010 can't find the source. My solution is to use VS2005 as it works fine. I did see some correspondence on MSDN about a similar (if not the same) bug and they claimed it would be fixed in the final release of 2012. I believe I have that final release of 2012 and it has the same problem.
Here's a maybe slightly complicated solution
1) Create a script that will download and replace the pdb file (a .bat, a python script, whatever)
2) Create a new External Tool within VS2010 (Tools -> External Tools -> Add)
3) Point the tool to your script and pass any project-specific stuff to it as arguments
4) Create a post-build or pre-build step in your project that will call your new External Tool (project properties -> Build Events -> whatever)
This is a lot of work, but at least it will fully integrate it into your building process.
Note: Sometimes I've noticed that my post-build steps won't run unless I've compiled at least on cpp file. I usually press F7 and build some source and then build fully, to make sure everything works as expected.
You can change the local source directory to a different name when you are debugging crash dump file.
Or you can change the build directory to a different path with your local directory.
I have an app that I am moving to another server. It is complaining that it is missing TABCTL32.OCX. I have located this file on another server and I want to copy and paste it across.
I have discovered that there is also a file called TABCTL32.DEP on the server I am moving from. Do I have to copy both files across or is the dependency file optional?
I have tried it with an without the DEP. The app works in both cases. It is a production server so I want to be sure.
Those .DEP (depdendency) files are instructions about a library meant to be used by packaging tools. These files have no run-time significance, containing only development metadata. They are text files.
They contain the preferred ("designed") location to install the library, sub-dependencies of the library including optional localization "satellite" resource DLLs, version information, etc.
See articles such as INFO: How Setup Wizard and PDW Use Dependency Files.
This is information a packager should use along with other "rules databases" such as VB6DEP.ini. Programmers are also supposed to create them if they expect other developers to use their libraries.
If you are using an "impaired" 3rd party packaging technology that is ignorant of .DEP files it is up to you to read them and incorporate the information they contain in your build process. You are also responsible as a developer to keep your dev machine's .DEP files and VB6DEP.ini file up to date, since they often are not updated by Microsoft anymore.
You can't just copy files willy-nilly from one machine to another. Go find this program's installer and run it on the new machine.
A .dep file is a file used by the Visual Basic Setup Wizard to determine what dependencies your ocx file have. You can open the file with Windows Notepad to view the contents.
Unless you are using the Visual Basic Package and Deploy Wizard, you can ignore this file.
For more info, see INFO: How Setup Wizard and PDW Use Dependency Files
Hey I developed a small application and would like to compile it, however it comes with loads of extra stuff I dont want. All I want is a stand alone .exe file but instead I am getting pdb vshost.exe files etc. Is there anyway to get rid of these as I just want 1 .exe
Just copy/paste the exe file out. VS uses those files internally, and one is full of debugging symbols. Your going to want it if you plan on stepping into the code.
All these ''extra stuff'' is not required to run your ''small application''. You can verify that by copying the .exe file to a location where it will be standing alone indeed.
If it is not standing alone, as you say in the comment below: perhaps part of your code does compile to .dll, or you reference external dlls? Could you supply a list of filenames of files that are created?
How to run the exe file to other system?
Using VB 6
I copied the exe file to other system, then run that exe file, it not working it showing error
“component comdlg32.ocx or one its dependencies not correctly registered a file is missing or invalid”`
Can any one help me how to avoid this error?
When deploying VB6 applications, you should create a Setup, this will manage the DLL's that the VB6 application depends on. Since it is not enough to just copy the .Exe and .Dll's. You also need to register them.
The creation of the setup is included in the VB6 environment.
You can read this http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830761 which is very comprehensive.
1: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830761 for more information.
Or if you just want the redistributable files check this kb http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290887
Copy and register the comdlg32.ocx on other system. Link: Fix Missing Comdlg32.ocx Run time Error in Portable apps.
Create an installer for your program.
Unless you are deploying your program to really old versions of Windows (prior to XP), one nice alternative is to create an XCopy package using reg-free COM. This is fairly easy for most simple programs using Make My Manifest though it can be done by hand or using other tools if you invest in a little study.
Even then a formal installer package is usually desireable though, if nothing else to create Start Menu shortcuts and set up application workspace directories.
Keep in mind that even the PDWizard is difficult to use blindly. Packaging and deployment is a topic that requires some learning investment.
Outdated or missing comdlg32.ocx runtime library is causing this error. Here is a copy of comdlg32.ocx (~60 Kb Zip). Download the file to the Desktop and extract the comdlg32.ocx to your the Windows\System32 folder.
Note: If you already have a copy of comdlg32.ocx, backup the existing file to a different folder and delete it from System32 folder.
1. Download comdlg32.zip and save to Desktop.
2. Unzip the file using WinZip or any other utility.
3. Extract comdlg32.ocx to Windows\System32 folder.
4. Type the following command from Start, Run dialog:
regsvr32 %Systemroot%\System32\comdlg32.ocx
Typically a VB 6 app will consist of an .exe some .dll libraries and a config.ini file. The exe is the starting place and it consumes the dll's and config.ini and other resources to run => you have to have all parts in the same directory for the app to run typically called "packaging" an app. E.g. An installer simply ensures that all those files in a packaged app are placed on a users computer in an Windows application directory, and creates a shortcut launch icon so that a user can click the shortcut in the start bar and the app will run.
To "package" your app (put the dll's and exe in the same folder) you can use an Add-In called "Package and Deployment Wizard":
And here is a demo of using it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT7jaoAiKDo
You can either package and create an installer and package or just create a package:
Now if the Deployment Wizard doesnt show as an add-in on your VB6 Editor Installation, go to editor's program folder and find the tools Tools folder, i.e:
Then you should be able to find the Deployment Wizard there:
Open it to use it.