Downloading and Installing FLTK for MSVS

[New User 001]

C++ Users,

I've only recently been introduced into C++, about a month ago, and I've had a little go with some books and internet threads to help me get started on Dev-C++ and I think I'm doing okay!

Now, to come to the point, I recently bought Bjarne's book: Programming - Principles and Practice Using C++, and it's a great book, only problem is, I've been stumped by the end of Chapter 2.
He recommends you download FLTK, to compliment Microsoft Visual Studio C++, and he gives an appendix to explain it.

Only problem is, since publication, I think more updates have been added to FLTK, changing the folder structure, and in addition, I have a new update of Microsoft Visual.

The FLTK forums are a mess, I tried finding what I was looking for, but none of it made much sense, so I'm turning you guys for help.

So, any pointers on downloading, installing, building, and all that jazz for FLTK? Ideally, I could do with step-by-step instructions, as I'm not good at understanding abbreviations, or the like, to do with the computers themselves. If anyone could tell me simply what folders to copy, or what button to press, I would be extremely grateful.

Many thanks,
T

[New User 001]

Ok, forget the "ideally".
How do I "build" anything in MSVS?
Please?
T

[Disch]

1) Make a project
2) Add files to the project
3) Select "build" from the menu (or press whatever hotkey is assigned to it)


For building libs like FLTK, there are often tutorials on the website that step through how to install and build it.

[New User 001]

No such luck, it doesn't seem like they want to provide any assistance as far as I can see.

All I've got is an unzipped folder containing a load of FLTK folders, and MSVS without the libs. Any other ideas?

[Disch]

I found this after 2 minutes of searching their website:

http://www.fltk.org/articles.php?L370+I0+TFAQ+P1+Q

[New User 001]

Well your two minutes have already been more productive than my half an hour.

That article is all very well, but I do what it says, and there is no visible response.
Am I doing anything stupid?
1) Open up VS.
2) Open up a project in the "visualc" directory in my downloads.
3) There was no "fltk.dsw" so I went for "fltk.lib".
4) I converted and built all of those files.

And nothing?

[Disch]

wait... you have a .lib? and a .dll?

Then you don't need to build anything. Just link to the lib in your project.

[New User 001]

I have a .lib and a .dll, but they are both contained in my downloads folder, rather than the Visual Studio folder.

Should I just copy them between the folders?

[Disch]

put the DLL somewhere your OS will see it (in your system folder)

put the .lib somewhere VS will see it (either with your other VS .libs, or add the directory where it exists to the search paths in VS)

[New User 001]

Ok, you're going to have to be real simple with me, sorry.

I've put the DLL under C: -> Windows -> System. Would that be alright?

My .lib is now under Program Files -> Visual Studio 10.0 -> VC -> lib. Is this also right?

A query I have is that only the name appears to be .lib or .dll. They are both actually VC++ 6 Projects?!
There's a "README" Object File Library as well in the "lib" folder for FLTK.

And yes, I understand I'm bordering on ridiculously simple.

[New User 001]

This might be information overload, but I've just opened the "README" file in notepad, came up with this:

README.lib
----------

This README file is a placeholder for library files on your
system.

Under Microsoft Windows a successful build of all projects and
configurations will contain debug and release libraries for you
to link to - all are built using the multi-threaded DLL
settings. The DLL files (fltkdll.dll and fltkdlld.dll) required
for a complete DLL-based binary distribution are located in the
"visualc" directory.

Under UNIX a single set of library files will be built, with or
without debug information depending on the options you provided
to the configure script.

---------

And it's right, I've suddenly got a whole lot of libraries in my VC folder.

However, the programme old Bjarne told me to write in the first place, still fails when I try to build it.
The programme was:

#include <FL/Fl.h>
#include <FL/Fl_Box.h>
#include <Fl/Fl_Windows.h>

int main()
{
	Fl_Window window(200, 200, "Window title");
	Fl_Box box(0,0,200,200,"Hey, I mean, Hello, World!");
	window.show();
	return Fl::run()
}

Any reason why the code wouldn't work?

Thanks.