Help a Confused New Guy Out...

[Luminal]

Prepare yourself for a dumb question...

 

Having used Java up to this point, I've tried to switch over to C/C++ because that is the dominant language I've run across in commercial applications.

 

http://spehome.com/document.php

 

Can someone explain the first line to me? The part about importing the library?

 

I successfully configured my IDE (Dev-C++) to include the right files (include and lib folders), but I'm getting massive errors of dozens of types and variables being undeclared. So I'm assuming it has to do with the "Import the Library" part.

 

Is "Importing the Library" different than configuring your directories so that it can find the .lib and .h files?

 

I would appreciate it tremendously if someone could help, I've been stuck on this for 2 weeks now and can't find help in any C++ books. As you can see, I'm stubborn and am reluctant to ask for outside help for fear of looking like an idiot... which I'm sure I do.

[timo]

Is "Importing the Library" different than configuring your directories so that it can find the .lib and .h files?

I suppose "importing" means actually telling the linker to link the library to the project. I don't use Dev-C++ anymore, but there's certainly some option like "libraries to link" where you can and must set the library (not only the path to it).

 

Worst case, just download some sample project that imports a library (meaning to look for a library for whatever which has tutorials written in Dev-C++) and look at the options set there.

[Luminal]

What compiler do you use? I could never get Visual Studio to work on Windows Vista by the way, even after I DLed the service package, so I think that's out of the option.

 

On the site, it mentions " Download d3dx9_29.dll if you need".

 

What exactly is this and if I need to link it how do I do so?

[timo]

What compiler do you use?

Gnu. But you probably wanted to know the IDE which is Code::Blocks.

I could never get Visual Studio to work on Windows Vista by the way, even after I DLed the service package, so I think that's out of the option.

Dunno about its Vista compatibility.

 

On the site, it mentions " Download d3dx9_29.dll if you need".

What exactly is this ...

a "dynamic link library". Prossibly the library you want to link.

... and if I need to link it how do I do so?

For the executables (.exe files), it is sufficient to copy the file into a directory where windows finds it (in XP that is either the current directory or the windows/system32 directory). For linking to a program you are writing yourself: A quick google for 'linking libraries "dev-cpp"' seems to give plenty results, e.g.:

http://www14.brinkster.com/aditsu/dev-cpp-faq.html

http://www.thescripts.com/forum/thread129991.html

 

You should possibly give a bit more info on your problem:

- Can you run the demo?

- What is the error message you get and when do you get it?

[Luminal]

I understand the .dll file is a dynamic link library, I just couldn't figure out what it's purpose was when I had already linked a static .lib library. I guess the author of the program should have made it clear to link two libraries?

 

I can run the demo.

 

I receive about 60 undeclared (or related) messages. I receive it when attempting to compile for the first time. I just copied and pasted the "Get Start" tutorial's code from the SPE website.