Using SFML with Visual Studio 2010.

[bacia]

Hi, I've read that SFML is a great beginner library for producing graphics (I've had enough of console applications).
I'm using Windows 7 and Visual Studio 2010, and I've downloaded the SFML 2.0 snapshot, however all that is installed is a file called:
"LaurentGomila-SFML-bindings_removed-200-g091fbd9.tar".
The file won't even open using Microsoft Visual Studio Version Selector.
Could someone please explain to me how get SFML working with Visual Studio 2010 or link me a tutorial?
Thanks!

[Moschops]

Do not download the snapshot.

Download something from Official SFML libraries on the page http://www.sfml-dev.org/download.php

[Wisely Done]

http://sfmlcoder.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/building-sfml-2-nmake/

This is a good tutorial for building SFML 2 with nmake.

[bacia]

@Wisely Done In that video he uses the SFML 2.0 snapshot which Moschops seems to disagree with...

[Wisely Done]

I'm aware of that. But I still prefer to use SFML 2.0 snapshot than SFML 1.6 . SFML 2.0 is about to become official. If you want to use SFML 1.6, the tutorial on SFML official website is more than enough.

[bacia]

@Wisely Done I'm still confused at which version of CMake to download...which one did you download?
Thanks.

[Wisely Done]

Latest version.

[bacia]

@Wisely Done Okay thanks, one more questions: Should I download the "cmake-2.8.7.zip",
"cmake-2.8.7-win32-x86.exe", or "cmake-2.8.7-win32-x86.zip"?

[ciphermagi]

You can't open a tarball with Visual Studio, you have to uncompress it...

[bacia]

@ciphermagi tarball?

[ciphermagi]

A tarball is a form of compression that's used in Linux fairly commonly. You can see in the OP that the file you're trying to open ends with ".tar" - that's a form of compression. You might see something like [filename].tar.gz as a compressed file more commonly, which is a tarball (compressed file) inside of a gzip (compressed file).

Think of it as using winzip to compress something that's already been compressed by 7-zip. Although the analogy is fairly crude, and it loses quite a bit in translation, it should give you some idea.

[bacia]

But the different cmakes I listed are all .exe or .zips.
http://www.cmake.org/cmake/resources/software.html

[ciphermagi]

I know. I was referring to the orginal post, and why Visual Studio won't read your tarball.

As far as your CMakes, you can get whichever one you want, but they all have different types. It looks to me like the following:

cmake-2.8.7-win32-x86.exe : Executable CMake installer for specifically 32 bit Windoze.
cmake-2.8.7-win32-x86.zip : Compressed CMake makefile for specifically 32 bit Windoze.
cmake-2.8.7.zip : Compressed CMake makefile for general (or potentially 64-bit) Windoze.

[bacia]

@ciphermagi Thanks,
Is it the executable one which is used in this video?
http://sfmlcoder.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/building-sfml-2-nmake/

[ciphermagi]

I wouldn't be able to tell you. Although I question your potential at success with programming languages if you aren't willing to use trial and error to attempt to resolve your difficulties. Heaven knows I never learned anything without trying it out.

[bacia]

@ciphermagi Well anyways thanks for everything!
The reason I resorted to asking on the forum was because I have already spent a couple of hours trying...
Now time to try every possible possibility! ;)

[Moschops]

In that video he uses the SFML 2.0 snapshot which Moschops seems to disagree with...

I don't disagree per se; I just hypothesise that someone unfamiliar with tar files might be able to get started more easily by downloading a pre-made version.

[bacia]

@Moschops Do you know when SFLM 2.0 will be released?

[Wisely Done]

Maybe in two or three months.