DLL's for MS Visual C++ .NET

This section describes the installation and usage of LEDA Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL's) with Microsoft Visual C++ .NET.

Remark: This section describes the situation in a GUI package of LEDA. If you have the geometry, graph, or basic package only the corresponding libraries are provided.

Preparations

To install LEDA you only need to execute the LEDA distribution file LEDA-<ver>-<package>-win32-<compiler>.exe. During setup you can choose the name of the LEDA root directory and the parts of LEDA you want to install.

Then you have to set the environment variable LEDAROOT as follows:

1. Windows NT/2000/XP: On these platforms LEDARROOT is set automatically to the directory where you installed LEDA by the setup program.

2. Windows 95/98:
   1. Add the line set LEDAROOT=<LEDA> to the file "autoexec.bat" where <LEDA> is the root directory of your LEDA installation, e.g., D: \LEDA-4.4 \
   2. Restart Windows 95/98 for the change to take effect.

Files and Directories

To compile and link your programs with LEDA, the LEDA main directory should contain the following files and subdirectories:

Readme.txt	Readme File
Install \win32_msc70_dll.txt	txt-version of this section
incl \	the LEDA include directory
man_html \	HTML version of the LEDA user manual

and at least one of the following dll/library sets

• leda_ml.dll, leda_ml.lib, libGeoW_ml.lib
• leda_mld.dll, leda_mld.lib, libGeoW_mld.lib
• leda_md.dll, leda_md.lib, libGeoW_md.lib
• leda_mdd.dll, leda_mdd.lib, libGeoW_mdd.lib
• leda_mt.dll, leda_mt.lib, libGeoW_mt.lib
• leda_mtd.dll, leda_mtd.lib, libGeoW_mtd.lib

Note: A DLL of GeoWin is currently not available.

Compiling and Linking in Microsoft Visual C++ .NET

You can choose between a manual and an automatic way to compile and link an application program using LEDA in Microsoft Visual C++ .NET.

Automatic Setting

Include header file LEDA/msc/autolink_dll.h in one of your project's cpp-files. Depending on your build environment (Debug or Release build) the correct LEDA dll will be chosen automatically when you build your project. Proceed with step 18 of the manual setting.

Manual Setting

(1)

In the "File" menu of Visual C++ .NET click on "New->Project".

(2)

Choose "Visual C++ Projects" as project type and "Win32 Project" as template. Enter a project name, choose a directory for the project, and click "OK"

(3)

In the Win32 Application Wizard click on "Application Settings", choose "Console Application" and "Empty Project", and click "Finish"

(4)

After clicking "OK" you have an empty project space

If you already have a source file prog.cpp:

(5)

Activate the file browser and add prog.cpp to the main folder of your project

(6)

In the Solution Explorer of your project click on "Source Files" with the right mouse button, then click on "Add-> Add Existing Item" with the left mouse button

(7)

Double click on prog.cpp

If you want to enter a new source file:

(5')

In the Solution Explorer of your project click on "Source Files" with the right mouse button, then click on "Add-> Add New Item" with the left mouse button.

(6')

Choose "C++ File" in Templates, enter a name, and click "Open".

(7')

Enter your code.

(8)

In the Solution Explorer right click on your project and left click on "Properties"

(9a)

Click on "C/C++" and "Code Generation" and choose the "Run Time Library" (=compiler flag) you want to use.

The default value is "/MLd", alternatives are "/ML", "/MD", "/MDd", "/MT", and "/MTd". Notice that you have to use the LEDA libraries that correspond to the chosen flag, e.g., with option "/MD" you must use leda_md.lib and libGeoW_md.lib. Using another set of libraries with "/MD" could lead to serious linker errors.

(9b)

Click on "C/C++" and "Preprocessor" and add ";LEDA_DLL" in "Preprocessor Definitions".

(10)

Click on "Linker" and "Command Line" and add the name of the LEDA libraries you want to use in "Additional Options" as follows. We use <opt> to indicate the compiler option chosen in Step (9) (, e.g., <opt> is mld for "/MLd").

• leda_<opt>.lib
  for programs that do not use GeoWin

• libGeoW_<opt>.lib leda_<opt>.lib
  for programs using GeoWin

Alternatively, you can include <LEDA/msc/autolink_dll.h> in your program and the correct LEDA libraries are linked to your program automatically. If GeoWin is used you need to add "_LINK_GeoW" to the "Preprocessor definitions" in Step (9).

(11)

Click "OK" to leave the "Settings"

(12)

In the "Tools" menu click on "Options"

(13)

Click on "Projects->VC++ Directories"

(14)

Choose "Include Files" in "Show Directories for:" and add the directory <LEDA> \incl containing the LEDA include files (Double click on the small rectangle in "Directories", enter <LEDA> \incl, or click on the small grey rectangle on the right and choose the correct directory.)

(15)

Choose "Library Files" in "Show Directories for:" and add the directory <LEDA> containing the LEDA libraries.

(16)

Click "OK" to leave the "Options"

(17)

In the "Build" menu click on "Build <Project> " or "Rebuild <Project>" to compile your program.

(18)

To execute the program "prog.exe" Windows needs to have leda_<opt>.dll in its search path for DLL's. Therefore, you need to do one of the following.

• Copy leda_<opt>.dll to the bin \ subdirectory of your compiler or the directory containing "prog.exe".
• Alternatively, you can set the environment variable PATH to the directory containing leda_<opt>.dll as described below.

(19)

In the "Build" menu click on "Execute prog.exe" to execute your program.

Remark: If your C++ source code files has extension .c, you need to add the option "/TP" in "Project Options" (similar to Step (9)), otherwise you will get a number of compiler errors. (Click on "C/C++" and "Command Line". Add /TP in "Additional Options" and click "Apply".)

The default value is "/MLd", alternatives are "/ML", "/MD", "/MDd", "/MT", and "/MTd". Notice that you have to use the LEDA libraries that correspond to the chosen flag, e.g., with option "/MD" you must use leda_md.lib and libGeoW_md.lib. Using another set of libraries with "/MD" could lead to serious linker errors.

Examples of workspaces can be found in the directory <LEDA> \demo \msc_70_workspaces.

To add LEDA to an existing Project in Microsoft Visual C++ .NET, start the Microsoft Visual Studio with your project and follow Steps (8)-(16) above.

Compiling and Linking Application Programs in a DOS-Box

(a) Setting the Environment Variables for Visual C++ .NET:

The compiler CL.EXE and the linker LINK.EXE require that the environment variables PATH, INCLUDE, and LIB have been set properly.
When Visual C++ .NET was installed, setup created a batch file, VSVARS32.BAT, containing commands to modify PATH, LIB, and INCLUDE. Run VSVARS32.BAT at the command prompt before you compile your application program. VSVARS32.BAT is located in the \bin subdirectory of your compiler installation, e.g., c: \programs \microsoft visual studio .NET \Vc7 \bin.

To compile programs together with LEDA, the environment variables PATH, LIB, and INCLUDE must additionally contain the corresponding LEDA directories.

(b) Setting Environment Variables for LEDA:

(i) Windows NT/2000/XP:

1. In the "Start" menu, point to "Settings", then click "Control Panel".
2. In the "Control Panel", double click "System".
3. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Environment tab (for NT), respectively the Extended tab and then on "Environment Variables" (for 2000/XP).

   If a user variable PATH, LIB, or INCLUDE already exists, extend the current value as follows:

   • extend PATH by <LEDA>
   • extend INCLUDE by <LEDA> \incl
   • extend LIB by <LEDA>

   Otherwise add new a user variable PATH, INCLUDE, or LIB with value <LEDA>, respectively <LEDA> \incl.

(ii) Windows 95/98:

1. Change the file autoexec.bat as follows:

   If a variable PATH, INCLUDE, or LIB is already set, append the appropriate LEDA directory <LEDA>, respectively <LEDA> \incl.

   Otherwise add a corresponding line to autoexec.bat:

   set PATH=<LEDA>

   set INCLUDE=<LEDA> \incl

   set LIB=<LEDA>

2. Restart Windows 95/98 for the change to take effect.

After these procedures, it suffices to call VSVARS32.BAT at the command prompt. In both cases the LEDA paths are automatically appended to the compiler paths.

(c) Compiling and Linking Application Programs:

After setting the environment variables, you can use the LEDA libraries as follows to compile and link programs.

Programs that do not use GeoWin:

      cl <option> -DLEDA_DLL -TP prog.c <libl.lib>

Programs using GeoWin:

      cl <option> -DLEDA_DLL -TP prog.c <libGeoW.lib> <libl.lib>

Possible values for <option> are "-ML", "-MLd", "-MD", "-MDd", "-MT", and "-MTd". You have to use the LEDA libraries that correspond to the chosen <option>, e.g., with option "-MD" you must use leda_md.lib and libGeoW_md.lib. Using another set of libraries with "-MD" could lead to serious linker errors.

Remark: The option -TP is necessary if the C++ source code files have extension .c. If your files have extension .cpp this option is not necessary.

Example programs and demos

The source code of all example and demo programs can be found in the directory <LEDA> \test and <LEDA> \demo. Goto <LEDA> and type make_test or make_demo to compile and link all test or demo programs, respectively.