Difference between revisions of "Installing Code::Blocks from source on Windows"

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=== Bootstrap Code::Blocks ===
 
=== Bootstrap Code::Blocks ===
  
A properly working Code::Blocks is required to compile the next SVN version.  A [/index.php?board=20.0 Nightly Build] is a good candidate to use.  It will be paired with a MinGW compiler in the next section.
+
A properly working Code::Blocks is required to compile the next SVN version.  A: [[Installing_Code::Blocks_nightly_build_on_Windows | Nightly Build]] is a good candidate to use.  It will be paired with a MinGW compiler in the next item.
  
 
=== MinGW Compiler ===
 
=== MinGW Compiler ===
  
At the present time, Code::Blocks only compiles successfully with the MinGW compiler (or any other gcc for that matter). You will need a complete, working: [[MinGW installation]] or: [http://tdm-gcc.tdragon.net/ TDM-MinGW package].
+
At the present time, Code::Blocks only compiles successfully with a MinGW compiler toolchain on Windows. You will need a complete, working: [[MinGW installation]].
 +
 
 +
=== wxWidgets ===
 +
 
 +
wxWidgets is the "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface graphical user interface toolkit]" that Code::Blocks is built on top of.
 +
 
 +
For information about wxWidgets, see their official site ➡ [http://www.wxwidgets.org/ wxWidgets.org]
 +
 
 +
Download: [https://github.com/wxWidgets/wxWidgets/releases/download/v3.1.5/wxWidgets-3.1.5.zip wxWidgets-3.1.5.zip]
  
 
=== Utilities ===
 
=== Utilities ===
  
ZIP and SVN functions are not required to run Code::Blocks but are necessary to build it.
+
ZIP and SVN functions are not required to run Code::Blocks but ZIP is required to build it and a SVN client is strongly recommended but not absolutely necessary.
  
 
==== ZIP ====
 
==== ZIP ====
  
You'll also need a working 'zip' program.
+
You will need a command-line <tt>zip.exe</tt> program. The recommended one can be found on the: [[MinGW installation#Development Tools|Development Tools]] page.  You do ''not'' need WinZip.
If you have the version listed on our [[MinGW installation#Other developer tools|tools page]], you'll be fine.
 
  
The zip program coming with cygwin will ''not'' work properly. You do ''not'' need WinZip.
+
Make sure <tt>zip.exe</tt> is in your [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PATH_(variable) PATH] as it is used both during the compilation in your current version of Code::Blocks and also by the <tt>update.bat</tt> script.
 
 
Make sure the zip binary is in your PATH so the <tt>update.bat</tt> script will be able to find it (alternatively, you can edit the batch file, setting the ZIPCMD variable to something else).
 
 
 
The easiest way is to put zip.exe into <tt>bin</tt> inside your MinGW installation directory (that folder is normally in the path).
 
  
 
==== SVN ====
 
==== SVN ====
  
You can either download the Code::Blocks source from http://sourceforge.net/p/codeblocks/code ➡ "Download Snapshot" or use an SVN Client to checkout the code.
+
It is recommended, but not required, that you install a SVN client. If you are a absolute beginner in programming skip this part and go to [https://wiki.codeblocks.org/index.php/Installing_Code::Blocks_from_source_on_Windows#Code::Blocks_Sources Code::Blocks Sources]. An example would be [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN] if you would like an all-in-one SVN solution. ''TortoiseSVN'' includes optional command-line client tools, which you should install as they provide a command-line SVN client.  Choosing to install the command-line client tools will automatically add them to your PATH.  However, if you do not wish to have the ''TortoiseSVN'' Explorer extensions in your right-click context menu or just don't feel a need for a graphical client in particular then you can use another: [http://subversion.apache.org/packages.html SVN command-line client] equally well.  Just make sure that whichever client you install has its executable in your PATH.
 
 
For convenience, it is recommended that you install [http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads TortoiseSVN] on your machine, as this is a lot more comfortable. ''TortoiseSVN'' includes an optional command-line SVN client and the option to add it to your PATH during installation.  However, if you do not wish to have the ''TortoiseSVN'' Explorer extensions in your right-click context menu or just don't feel a need for a GUI in particular then you can use a [http://subversion.apache.org/packages.html SVN command-line client] equally well.  If you choose to install the optional SVN command-line client that is part of ''TortoiseSVN'' and add it to your PATH then you do not need any other SVN executable.
 
  
It is generally a good idea to install a command-line client (and adding it to your PATH) even if you use the ''TortoiseSVN'' GUI for convenience. The <tt>autorevision</tt> tool which is used during the build of Code::Blocks makes use of the <tt>svn</tt> binary if it is available. This is preferable to the manual parsing of the entries file that is used as a fall-backAs a result of having a SVN command-line client in your path during the build process the resulting build of Code::Blocks will show the revision on the loading splash window, the Start here page, and in the About dialog (shown here in the About dialog, indicated by the arrow):
+
The <tt>autorevision</tt> tool which is used during the build of Code::Blocks makes use of the <tt>svn.exe</tt> binary if it is available (in your PATH) and also uses the SVN meta-data generated by a SVN checkoutIf you have both a SVN command-line client in your PATH, and the meta-data, the resulting build of Code::Blocks will show the revision on the loading splash window, the Start here page, and in the About dialog (shown here in the About dialog, indicated by the red arrow):
  
 
[[Image:About_SVN10627.png]]
 
[[Image:About_SVN10627.png]]
  
=== wxWidgets ===
+
=== Code::Blocks Sources ===
 
 
wxWidgets is the windowing system that Code::Blocks is built on top of.  It provides the basic user interface whose components are then weaved together into a complete Integrated Development Environment.
 
 
 
For information about wxWidgets, see their official site: [http://www.wxwidgets.org/ wxWidgets.org]
 
 
 
Code::Blocks comes in two wxWidgets versions at this time.  There is the more tested and bug free wxWidgets 2.8.12 project and an alternative wxWidgets 3.0.x project which isn't as well tested and also has a 64-bit variation available.
 
 
 
Download the wxWidgets version that you wish to build Code::Blocks against.  Minor differences in the building steps will be addressed as needed.
 
 
 
* wxWidgets 2.8.12 <br/>Download: [https://github.com/wxWidgets/wxWidgets/releases/download/v2.8.12/wxMSW-2.8.12.zip wxMSW-2.8.12.zip]
 
 
 
* wxWidgets 3.0.2 <br/>Download: [https://github.com/wxWidgets/wxWidgets/releases/download/v3.0.2/wxWidgets-3.0.2.zip wxWidgets-3.0.2.zip]
 
 
 
For specific versions used by the nightly builds, see: [/index.php?topic=3299.0 Important changes to the nightly builds]
 
 
 
You do ''not'' need MSYS (''in fact, if you have MSYS, make sure it is not in your PATH when building wxWidgets'').
 
  
=== Code::Blocks Sources ===
+
If you don't wish to use a SVN utility, you can download a snapshot from: [https://sourceforge.net/p/codeblocks/code/HEAD/tree/ here] clicking on "Download Snapshot". Now you can go on to the [https://wiki.codeblocks.org/index.php/Installing_Code::Blocks_from_source_on_Windows#Build_wxWidgets_Support_Library next section]
  
Finally, you will need the Code::Blocks sources.  
+
The last item is to acquire the Code::Blocks source code.  Follow the appropriate instructions for whether you have a graphical or command line SVN client.
  
 
==== TortoiseSVN ====
 
==== TortoiseSVN ====
  
If you prefer a GUI SVN client you can use ''TortoiseSVN'' - make a directory where you want to store the sources, right-click on the directory, and select "SVN Checkout," and as shown you will get a checkout dialog:
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If you prefer a graphical SVN client you can use ''TortoiseSVN'' - make a directory where you want to store the sources, right-click on the directory, and select "'''SVN Checkout'''," and as shown you will get a checkout dialog:
  
 
[[Image:Tor_SVN.png]]
 
[[Image:Tor_SVN.png]]
  
In the URL of the repository box, enter svn://svn.code.sf.net/p/codeblocks/code/trunk and verify the checkout directory is where you would like it to be.  The example given here is "''C:\cb_svn''" - once satisfied with the arguments click the OK button to process the checkout.
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In the URL of the repository box, enter <tt><nowiki>svn://svn.code.sf.net/p/codeblocks/code/trunk</nowiki></tt> and verify the checkout directory is where you would like it to be.  The example given here is "''C:\cb_svn''" - once satisfied with the arguments click the OK button to process the checkout.
  
 
==== Command-Line SVN ====
 
==== Command-Line SVN ====
  
If you do not wish to use a GUI SVN client then a command-line equivalent to the above is to use the ''svn'' command - open a command prompt, make a directory, change into that directory, and then checkout a copy of the repository:
+
If you do not wish to use a graphical SVN client then a command-line equivalent to the above is to use the <tt>svn</tt> command - open a command prompt, make a directory, change into that directory, and then checkout a copy of the repository:
  
 
  mkdir codeblocks-head
 
  mkdir codeblocks-head
Line 82: Line 67:
 
== Build wxWidgets Support Library ==
 
== Build wxWidgets Support Library ==
  
Depending on which wxWidgets you're using, follow the appropriate section.
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=== Configure Build Options ===
  
Unpack the zip file to a directory of your choice, open a command-line prompt, and navigate to the folder ''<tt>build/msw</tt>'' inside either wxWidgets folder.
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Please note that support has been removed for wxWidgets < 3.1.3 because it lacks Direct2D support.
  
=== wxWidgets 2.8.12 ===
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Unpack the wxWidgets zip file to a directory of your choice, open a command-line prompt, and navigate to the directory <tt>build/msw</tt> inside the wxWidgets directory.  In this directory there is a text file named <tt>config.gcc</tt> which you can edit with notepad to control the build options. There are two lines to note, <tt>CFLAGS ?=</tt> and <tt>CXXFLAGS ?=</tt>.  The options given here will go in either or both of those lines.
  
If you are using a recent version of MinGW you may find that the object files are too large and that the linker runs out of memory. To fix this problem you need to edit ''<tt>config.gcc</tt>'' so that inline functions are not exported, by modifying the CFLAGS and CXXFLAGS lines to:
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If your linker runs out of memory while building use:
  
  CFLAGS ?= -fno-keep-inline-dllexport
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-fno-keep-inline-dllexport
  
  CXXFLAGS ?= -fno-keep-inline-dllexport
+
Some versions of the MinGW Windows Runtime Library will cause an error during compilation.  See: [https://sourceforge.net/p/tdm-gcc/bugs/269/ Bug #269].  If this is the case with the toolchain you are using then try this workaround:
  
If your compiler errors while compiling wxWidgets 2.8.12 with a more recent MinGW compiler then try these ''<tt>config.gcc</tt>'' option lines:
+
-D_WIN32_IE=0x0603
  
  CFLAGS ?= -D_WIN32_IE=0x0603 -fno-keep-inline-dllexport
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To silence warnings that can significantly slow down the compilation process:
  
  CXXFLAGS ?= -D_WIN32_IE=0x0603 -fno-keep-inline-dllexport
+
-Wno-unused-local-typedefs
  
wxWidgets 2.8.12 will not compile by default with a 64-bit compiler.  To make it compile with one add ''<tt>CFG=64</tt>'' to the build line that is given a bit later.  However, there is no point to it.  The Code::Blocks project files do not have a 64-bit project that targets wxWidgets 2.8.12.  To attempt to modify them so they do is beyond the scope of this guide.
+
and
  
=== wxWidgets 3.0.2 ===
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-Wno-deprecated-declarations
  
As with wxWidgets 2.8.12, if your linker is running out of memory then use ''<tt>-fno-keep-inline-dllexport</tt>''.  In addition, you need ''<tt>-std=gnu++11</tt>'' in the CXXFLAGS.  So, in ''<tt>config.gcc</tt>'':
+
All of these options apply to both <tt>CFLAGS</tt> and <tt>CXXFLAGS</tt> so the two lines containing all the options would look like this:
  
   CFLAGS ?= -fno-keep-inline-dllexport
+
   CFLAGS ?= -fno-keep-inline-dllexport -D_WIN32_IE=0x0603 -Wno-unused-local-typedefs -Wno-deprecated-declarations
  
   CXXFLAGS ?= -std=gnu++11 -fno-keep-inline-dllexport
+
   CXXFLAGS ?= -fno-keep-inline-dllexport -D_WIN32_IE=0x0603 -Wno-unused-local-typedefs -Wno-deprecated-declarations
  
wxWidgets 3.0.2 will compile with a 64-bit compiler.  You can also specify the ''<tt>CFG=64</tt>'' build option but the 64-bit Code::Blocks projects do not expect that and are not configured for the naming differences it causes. You can modify the Code::Blocks wx30_64 project, but you don't need to.  Just compile with a 64-bit compiler and don't specify the ''<tt>CFG</tt>'' option.
+
To compile wxWidgets in 64-bit mode add <tt>CFG=64</tt> to the build line that is given next or use a compiler that defaults to 64 bit output. For example, MinGW-w64 has toolchains targetting 32 bits and others targetting 64 bits. Of course, you will have to compile Code::Blocks also in 64-bit mode and add <tt>_64</tt> suffix to folders and batch files.
  
 
=== Build wxWidgets Library ===
 
=== Build wxWidgets Library ===
  
Use the following commands to build wxWidgets:
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First you must edit include\wx\msw\setup.h; locate a line containing
  
  set path=c:\mingw\bin;c:\mingw\mingw32\bin
+
  #define wxUSE_GRAPHICS_DIRECT2D 0
  mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1 clean
+
 
 +
and change it to
 +
 
 +
#define wxUSE_GRAPHICS_DIRECT2D 1
 +
 
 +
If you can not find setup.h please copy setup0.h to setup.h
 +
 
 +
At a command-line, inside the <tt>build/msw</tt> directory, use the following commands to build wxWidgets:
 +
 
 +
  mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1 clean
 
  mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1
 
  mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1
  
This assumes your MinGW installation is in ''C:\mingw''. Use a different path if you installed MinGW somewhere else.
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or, if you want to build using multiple threads:
 +
 
 +
mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc    SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1 clean
 +
mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc    SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1 setup_h
 +
mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc -j8 SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1
  
If your compilation fails for any reason then make sure to run the ''clean'' line before trying again.
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If your compiler toolchain is not in your PATH (it should be on a development machine), then put it in your path first:
 +
 
 +
set PATH=X:\path\to\toolchain\bin;%PATH%
  
You will see a lot of warning messages during compilation. Don't worry, this is normal, you are compiling wxWidgets. The build process may take 10-30 minutes, depending on your computer's speed.
+
Where "'''''X'''''" is the drive letter, and "'''''\path\to\toolchain\bin'''''" is where your toolchain is located.  
  
=== Tips ===
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If your compilation fails for any reason then make sure to run the ''clean'' line before trying again.
  
* If you want to use wxWidgets not only for building Code::Blocks, but also for writing wxWidgets programs, and if you want to use the debugger in those programs, you have to compile a debug build of wxWidgets as well.  ''Use the same commands as for the release build, but replace "release" with "debug".''
+
== Build Code::Blocks ==
  
* Advanced: To reduce the size of your wxWidgets library, you can disable features which are not used by Code::Blocks. However, you should not do this unless you know what you are doing. You have to delete the generated ''<tt>setup.h</tt>'' from ''<tt>lib/gcc_dll/msw/wx</tt>'' before building, because your changes to ''<tt>include/wx/msw</tt>'' will otherwise not be honoured.
+
=== Self-Hosting ===
  
== Compile Code::Blocks ==
+
All the preparation work is now complete and we can actually perform a self-hosting compile of the next Code::Blocks with our current one.  If you do not make any changes to your non-Code::Blocks prepared items, like your MinGW compiler version, and the wxWidgets library, then when building subsequent SVN versions of Code::Blocks you can keep all the preparation from a previous build and start with this section.  When restarting from this point you can refresh your current Code::Blocks local source with ''TortoiseSVN''.  Right-click on your local source directory, go to "TortoiseSVN" in the context-menu, then choose "update to revision."  The "head" is always the latest version.  If you are using a command-line SVN, just run <tt>svn update</tt> in the root of your local source directory.
All the preparation work is now complete and we can actually perform a self-hosting and compile the next Code::Blocks with our current one.  If you do not make any changes to your non-Code::Blocks prepared items, like your MinGW compiler version, and the wxWidgets library, then when building subsequent SVN versions of Code::Blocks you can keep all the preparation from a previous build and start with this section.
 
  
 
=== Open project ===
 
=== Open project ===
Open the project file '''CodeBlocks.cbp'''.  
+
Open the project file '''CodeBlocks_wx31.cbp''' (or '''CodeBlocks_wx31_64.cbp''' for 64-bit mode).  
*You will be prompted to define the global variable $(#wx). Enter the location where you unpacked wxWidgets.
+
*You will be prompted to define the global variable $(#wx31). In the base field, enter the root of the location where you unpacked wxWidgets.
 +
 
 +
*You will also be prompted to enter the global variable '''cb_release_type'''. Here you can add compiler optimization or debug-flags. Enter '''-g''' in the '''base''' field as a default or any other options you require for your specific needs.
  
 
[[Image:Global_Variables.png]]
 
[[Image:Global_Variables.png]]
  
 
[[Image:Global_wx.png]]
 
[[Image:Global_wx.png]]
 
 
*You will also be prompted to enter the global variable '''cb_release_type'''. Here you can add compiler optimization or debug-flags. Enter '''-g''' in the '''base''' field.
 
  
 
=== Prevent unnecessary warnings ===
 
=== Prevent unnecessary warnings ===
  
The wxWidgets library contains many stubs that are not really used.  These will generate an excessive amount of warnings during the compilation of your Code::Blocks project and can significantly impact the time it takes to compile both the main project and the contributors workspace.  To silence these warnings, go to Compiler Settings:
+
Building Code::Blocks against the wxWidgets library will generate an excessive amount of warnings during the compilation. This can significantly impact the time it takes to compile both the main project and the contributors workspace as each warning has to be printed to the build log.  To silence these warnings, go to Compiler Settings:
  
 
[[Image:Compiler_Settings.png]]
 
[[Image:Compiler_Settings.png]]
  
And under the "Compiler settings" tab (red arrow), "Other compiler options" sub-tab, enter "-Wno-unused-local-typedefs" (blue arrow):
+
And under the "Compiler settings" tab (red arrow), "Other compiler options" sub-tab (green arrow), enter "<tt>-Wno-unused-local-typedefs</tt>" (blue arrow), and you may also add "<tt>-Wno-deprecated-declarations</tt>" on its own line here too.
  
 
[[Image:Unused_Local_Typedefs.png]]
 
[[Image:Unused_Local_Typedefs.png]]
Line 161: Line 159:
 
[[Image:Compile_All.png]]
 
[[Image:Compile_All.png]]
  
If everything builds correctly your log should end with no errors.
+
If everything builds correctly your build messages should end with no errors.
  
 
[[Image:Build_Log.png]]
 
[[Image:Build_Log.png]]
  
 
=== Copy wxWidgets support DLL ===
 
=== Copy wxWidgets support DLL ===
After the compilation has finished, copy <tt>lib\gcc_dll\wxmsw28u_gcc_custom.dll</tt> from the wxWidgets directory to the <tt>src\devel</tt> directory inside the Code::Blocks source folder (it will also work if you keep a copy of that library in your Windows folder or anywhere in your system path, but this is generally not recommended because you can get into dll hell).
+
After the compilation has finished, copy <tt>lib\gcc_dll\wxmsw31u_gcc_custom.dll</tt> from the wxWidgets directory to the <tt>devel31</tt> (or <tt>devel31_64</tt> for 64-bit) directory in the Code::Blocks <tt>src</tt> directory. If you are confident enough you can copy it instead to System32 (on 32 bits Windows) or SysWOW64 (on 64 bits Windows).
  
[[Image:Win output folder.png]]
+
[[Image:Update_Devel_Output.png]]
  
[[Image:Win copy dll.png]]
+
The <tt>devel31</tt> directory is created by compiling the Code::Blocks project in Code::Blocks.
  
 +
=== Generate Production Output ===
 +
Run <tt>update_31.bat</tt> (located in the <tt>src</tt> directory). This will pack the resource files and copy the executables, libraries, and plugins to the <tt>output_31</tt> directory. It will also create the <tt>output_31</tt> directory if it does not exist. If you are compiling the 64-bit version please call <tt>update_31_64.bat</tt> and use folders <tt>devel_31_64</tt> and <tt>output_31_64</tt>.
  
=== Running script file ===
+
[[Image:Update_bat.png]]
Run <tt>src\update.bat</tt> (located in the root source directory). This will pack the resource files and copy libraries and plugins to their correct locations.
 
  
[[Image:Win run bat.png]]
+
The stripped ("production") executable is found in <tt>output_31</tt> directory together with all libraries and data files. If you want a version with debug symbols instead (caution: huge size!), use the one found in the <tt>devel_31</tt> directory.
  
The stripped ("production") executable is found in <tt>output</tt> folder together with all libraries and data files. If you want a version with debug symbols instead (caution: huge size!), use the one found in the <tt>devel</tt> folder.<br>
+
[[Image:Update_Output.png]]
Congratulations, you own a freshly built version of Code::Blocks!
 
  
[[Image:Win final folder.png]]
+
=== Compile contributed (or your own) plugins ===
 
 
=== Note for future updates ===
 
Go to the Code::Blocks root directory and run <tt>svn update</tt> (or use TurtoiseSVN to the same effect).<br/>
 
Then open and build the project as described before (and any contrib plugins that you wish to use), and re-run <tt>src\update.bat</tt>.
 
  
=== Install Code::Blocks ===
+
The workspace file '''ContribPlugins_wx31.workspace''' (or '''ContribPlugins_wx31_64.workspace''' for 64-bit compilation) contains the project files for all contributed plugins. Open that workspace and compile the plugins which you would like to use (or select "Build workspace" from the Build menu if you want them all).
  
Copy the folder output to where you want Code::Blocks to reside.
+
The NassiShneiderman plugin has a dependency on the "[http://www.boost.org/ Boost]" library. If you do not wish to use that plugin and therefore not need the library, just right-click on that plugin and choose "close project."
  
=== Compile contributed (or your own) plugins ===
+
Don't forget to run <tt>update_31.bat</tt> or <tt>update_31_64.bat</tt> again after building the contributed plugins.
  
The workspace file '''ContribPlugins.workspace''' contains the project files for all contributed plugins. Open that workspace and compile the plugins which you would like to use (or select "Build Workspace" from the context menu if you want them all).<br/>
+
[[Image:Build_Workspace.png]]
  
[[Image:Contribute plugin.png]]
+
== Install Code::Blocks ==
  
When you open the contrib plugins workspace, you will be asked to define the <tt>$(#cb)</tt> global compiler variable. This is the path that contains the sdk folder normally this is codeblocks\src. The build process uses this information to place the plugins and data files into the correct place. Enter the location of the Code::Blocks sources in the same way as for the <tt>$(#wx)</tt> variable earlier.
+
Copy or move the <tt>output_31</tt> or <tt>output_31_64</tt> directory to where you want Code::Blocks to reside. Then you probably want to rename the directory to something else. You can also optionally right-click on <tt>codeblocks.exe</tt> and choose "Create shortcut" and then rename that shortcut to your liking and move it to another location such as your desktop for easy access.
  
Don't forget to run update.bat again after building the contrib plugins.
+
If you want to run Code::Blocks on a machine without your compiler toolchain being in the PATH then you will likely have to include, in the same directory as the <tt>codeblocks.exe</tt> is fine, support .dll files from your compiler toolchain. The easiest way to determine the required files is to not have your compiler toolchain in your PATH and repeatedly run Code::Blocks and copy over each .dll it says is missing until all have been found.

Revision as of 15:47, 10 March 2022

Overview

Self-Hosting

The build process described on this page is a kind of "Self-Hosting." You use an existing version of Code::Blocks to compile the next version. When that version is proven to function correctly it is used to compile the next, and so on.

Prerequisites

Bootstrap Code::Blocks

A properly working Code::Blocks is required to compile the next SVN version. A: Nightly Build is a good candidate to use. It will be paired with a MinGW compiler in the next item.

MinGW Compiler

At the present time, Code::Blocks only compiles successfully with a MinGW compiler toolchain on Windows. You will need a complete, working: MinGW installation.

wxWidgets

wxWidgets is the "graphical user interface toolkit" that Code::Blocks is built on top of.

For information about wxWidgets, see their official site ➡ wxWidgets.org

Download: wxWidgets-3.1.5.zip

Utilities

ZIP and SVN functions are not required to run Code::Blocks but ZIP is required to build it and a SVN client is strongly recommended but not absolutely necessary.

ZIP

You will need a command-line zip.exe program. The recommended one can be found on the: Development Tools page. You do not need WinZip.

Make sure zip.exe is in your PATH as it is used both during the compilation in your current version of Code::Blocks and also by the update.bat script.

SVN

It is recommended, but not required, that you install a SVN client. If you are a absolute beginner in programming skip this part and go to Code::Blocks Sources. An example would be TortoiseSVN if you would like an all-in-one SVN solution. TortoiseSVN includes optional command-line client tools, which you should install as they provide a command-line SVN client. Choosing to install the command-line client tools will automatically add them to your PATH. However, if you do not wish to have the TortoiseSVN Explorer extensions in your right-click context menu or just don't feel a need for a graphical client in particular then you can use another: SVN command-line client equally well. Just make sure that whichever client you install has its executable in your PATH.

The autorevision tool which is used during the build of Code::Blocks makes use of the svn.exe binary if it is available (in your PATH) and also uses the SVN meta-data generated by a SVN checkout. If you have both a SVN command-line client in your PATH, and the meta-data, the resulting build of Code::Blocks will show the revision on the loading splash window, the Start here page, and in the About dialog (shown here in the About dialog, indicated by the red arrow):

About SVN10627.png

Code::Blocks Sources

If you don't wish to use a SVN utility, you can download a snapshot from: here clicking on "Download Snapshot". Now you can go on to the next section

The last item is to acquire the Code::Blocks source code. Follow the appropriate instructions for whether you have a graphical or command line SVN client.

TortoiseSVN

If you prefer a graphical SVN client you can use TortoiseSVN - make a directory where you want to store the sources, right-click on the directory, and select "SVN Checkout," and as shown you will get a checkout dialog:

Tor SVN.png

In the URL of the repository box, enter svn://svn.code.sf.net/p/codeblocks/code/trunk and verify the checkout directory is where you would like it to be. The example given here is "C:\cb_svn" - once satisfied with the arguments click the OK button to process the checkout.

Command-Line SVN

If you do not wish to use a graphical SVN client then a command-line equivalent to the above is to use the svn command - open a command prompt, make a directory, change into that directory, and then checkout a copy of the repository:

mkdir codeblocks-head
cd codeblocks-head
svn checkout svn://svn.code.sf.net/p/codeblocks/code/trunk

Build wxWidgets Support Library

Configure Build Options

Please note that support has been removed for wxWidgets < 3.1.3 because it lacks Direct2D support.

Unpack the wxWidgets zip file to a directory of your choice, open a command-line prompt, and navigate to the directory build/msw inside the wxWidgets directory. In this directory there is a text file named config.gcc which you can edit with notepad to control the build options. There are two lines to note, CFLAGS ?= and CXXFLAGS ?=. The options given here will go in either or both of those lines.

If your linker runs out of memory while building use:

-fno-keep-inline-dllexport

Some versions of the MinGW Windows Runtime Library will cause an error during compilation. See: Bug #269. If this is the case with the toolchain you are using then try this workaround:

-D_WIN32_IE=0x0603

To silence warnings that can significantly slow down the compilation process:

-Wno-unused-local-typedefs

and

-Wno-deprecated-declarations

All of these options apply to both CFLAGS and CXXFLAGS so the two lines containing all the options would look like this:

 CFLAGS ?= -fno-keep-inline-dllexport -D_WIN32_IE=0x0603 -Wno-unused-local-typedefs -Wno-deprecated-declarations
 CXXFLAGS ?= -fno-keep-inline-dllexport -D_WIN32_IE=0x0603 -Wno-unused-local-typedefs -Wno-deprecated-declarations

To compile wxWidgets in 64-bit mode add CFG=64 to the build line that is given next or use a compiler that defaults to 64 bit output. For example, MinGW-w64 has toolchains targetting 32 bits and others targetting 64 bits. Of course, you will have to compile Code::Blocks also in 64-bit mode and add _64 suffix to folders and batch files.

Build wxWidgets Library

First you must edit include\wx\msw\setup.h; locate a line containing

#define wxUSE_GRAPHICS_DIRECT2D 0

and change it to

#define wxUSE_GRAPHICS_DIRECT2D 1

If you can not find setup.h please copy setup0.h to setup.h

At a command-line, inside the build/msw directory, use the following commands to build wxWidgets:

mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1 clean
mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1

or, if you want to build using multiple threads:

mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc     SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1 clean
mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc     SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1 setup_h
mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc -j8 SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 BUILD=release UNICODE=1

If your compiler toolchain is not in your PATH (it should be on a development machine), then put it in your path first:

set PATH=X:\path\to\toolchain\bin;%PATH%

Where "X" is the drive letter, and "\path\to\toolchain\bin" is where your toolchain is located.

If your compilation fails for any reason then make sure to run the clean line before trying again.

Build Code::Blocks

Self-Hosting

All the preparation work is now complete and we can actually perform a self-hosting compile of the next Code::Blocks with our current one. If you do not make any changes to your non-Code::Blocks prepared items, like your MinGW compiler version, and the wxWidgets library, then when building subsequent SVN versions of Code::Blocks you can keep all the preparation from a previous build and start with this section. When restarting from this point you can refresh your current Code::Blocks local source with TortoiseSVN. Right-click on your local source directory, go to "TortoiseSVN" in the context-menu, then choose "update to revision." The "head" is always the latest version. If you are using a command-line SVN, just run svn update in the root of your local source directory.

Open project

Open the project file CodeBlocks_wx31.cbp (or CodeBlocks_wx31_64.cbp for 64-bit mode).

  • You will be prompted to define the global variable $(#wx31). In the base field, enter the root of the location where you unpacked wxWidgets.
  • You will also be prompted to enter the global variable cb_release_type. Here you can add compiler optimization or debug-flags. Enter -g in the base field as a default or any other options you require for your specific needs.

Global Variables.png

Global wx.png

Prevent unnecessary warnings

Building Code::Blocks against the wxWidgets library will generate an excessive amount of warnings during the compilation. This can significantly impact the time it takes to compile both the main project and the contributors workspace as each warning has to be printed to the build log. To silence these warnings, go to Compiler Settings:

Compiler Settings.png

And under the "Compiler settings" tab (red arrow), "Other compiler options" sub-tab (green arrow), enter "-Wno-unused-local-typedefs" (blue arrow), and you may also add "-Wno-deprecated-declarations" on its own line here too.

Unused Local Typedefs.png

Compile project

Make sure that "All" is selected as the target (blue arrow), and then click the Build icon (red arrow).

Compile All.png

If everything builds correctly your build messages should end with no errors.

Build Log.png

Copy wxWidgets support DLL

After the compilation has finished, copy lib\gcc_dll\wxmsw31u_gcc_custom.dll from the wxWidgets directory to the devel31 (or devel31_64 for 64-bit) directory in the Code::Blocks src directory. If you are confident enough you can copy it instead to System32 (on 32 bits Windows) or SysWOW64 (on 64 bits Windows).

Update Devel Output.png

The devel31 directory is created by compiling the Code::Blocks project in Code::Blocks.

Generate Production Output

Run update_31.bat (located in the src directory). This will pack the resource files and copy the executables, libraries, and plugins to the output_31 directory. It will also create the output_31 directory if it does not exist. If you are compiling the 64-bit version please call update_31_64.bat and use folders devel_31_64 and output_31_64.

Update bat.png

The stripped ("production") executable is found in output_31 directory together with all libraries and data files. If you want a version with debug symbols instead (caution: huge size!), use the one found in the devel_31 directory.

Update Output.png

Compile contributed (or your own) plugins

The workspace file ContribPlugins_wx31.workspace (or ContribPlugins_wx31_64.workspace for 64-bit compilation) contains the project files for all contributed plugins. Open that workspace and compile the plugins which you would like to use (or select "Build workspace" from the Build menu if you want them all).

The NassiShneiderman plugin has a dependency on the "Boost" library. If you do not wish to use that plugin and therefore not need the library, just right-click on that plugin and choose "close project."

Don't forget to run update_31.bat or update_31_64.bat again after building the contributed plugins.

Build Workspace.png

Install Code::Blocks

Copy or move the output_31 or output_31_64 directory to where you want Code::Blocks to reside. Then you probably want to rename the directory to something else. You can also optionally right-click on codeblocks.exe and choose "Create shortcut" and then rename that shortcut to your liking and move it to another location such as your desktop for easy access.

If you want to run Code::Blocks on a machine without your compiler toolchain being in the PATH then you will likely have to include, in the same directory as the codeblocks.exe is fine, support .dll files from your compiler toolchain. The easiest way to determine the required files is to not have your compiler toolchain in your PATH and repeatedly run Code::Blocks and copy over each .dll it says is missing until all have been found.