Using Code Blocks

[iw0XoG1T]

A recent discussion on this forum made me rethink not using a IDE. I choose code blocks because it seems to be popular.

this is the hello world I am trying to build:

#include <FL/Fl.H>
#include <FL/Fl_Window.H>
#include <FL/Fl_Box.H>

int main (int argc, char ** argv) {
    Fl_Window *window;
    Fl_Box *box;

    window = new Fl_Window (300, 180);
    box = new Fl_Box (20, 40, 260, 100, "Hello World!");

    box->box (FL_UP_BOX);
    box->labelsize (36);
    box->labelfont (FL_BOLD+FL_ITALIC);
    box->labeltype (FL_SHADOW_LABEL);
    window->end ();
    window->show (argc, argv);

    return(Fl::run());
}

The libraries I need are in this directory /usr/lib

To build this program using the command line I would type:

g++ -Wall -o main.o -c main.cpp
g++ main.o  -lfltk -lfltk_images -o main

Using the easy to use IDE all I get is this error

ld    cannot find -lXft
=== Build finished: 1 errors, 0 warnings ===

I have no idea what library "-lXft" is or why it is being looked for. It seems to me selecting the right libraries should be common and easy to do.

I know this is not the right forum--but the code block forum doesn't seem to be set up for simple questions.

[chrisname]

-l(library) is a command line switch you pass to gcc/g++, which is passed to ld, to tell it that there's a library it needs to look for to resolve any unresolved references. If you remove that switch (-lXft), then ld won't look for this Xft library. I don't know if you'll need it or not.

[iw0XoG1T]

I do not know how to remove the switch--I do not even know where to look for this information. To compile and build a program using make files is not hard--because there is reasonable documentation that is easy to find. On the other hand compiling and building within these IDEs is hard, and the documentation seems to be well hidden.

[chrisname]

IIRC in Code::Blocks there's a setting for that. Something like Project->Build Settings; but I can't remember. Bazzy uses codeblocks, maybe you could PM him directly.

[Bazzy]

Compiling with an IDE is easier than with other tools, with Code::Blocks you just have to go to the project's Build Options editor

[EDIT] Oh... I'm famous!

[chrisname]

You'll always be famous to me ;)

[iw0XoG1T]

Thank you Bazzy -- I was able to build the program

To correct the problem I performed:
project -> properties -> project build options [button]->linker settings [tab] -> and added the proper libraries

You were so much helpful than the code blocks forum.

[blackcoder41]

@Bazzy
you're a C++ superstar!