Need help setting up SDL with MSVC

[JOsephPataki]

Well I didn't have anywhere else to turn, so i came here. I dont know how many people here have actually worked with SDL, but I'm hoping there are a few of you out there that can help me.

I downloaded the file under win32 I think, it ended with a VC6.zip. So I unzip it and find VisualC.html. I read it, and see it says how to compile your own files. (SDL.dll, SDL.lib, SDLmain.lib)
I find a directory that already has them. So I skip this part and continue on. It tells me how to create a project with SDL. I follow the directions step by step. I then compile this.

#include "SDL.h"

int main( int argc, char* argv[] )
{
// Body of the program goes here.
return 0;
}

I get 2 errors and a warning.
LINK : warning LNK4001: no object files specified; libraries used
LINK : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol _WinMainCRTStartup
Debug/SDL1.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 1 unresolved externals

So I copy the first error and put it in a search engine. I find someone that gets the same error, due to using a borland lib instead of MSVC or something like this. So I go back to the first step to try and build my own.

It says to unzip VisualC.zip to the same directory as the VisualC.html. I don't have a visualC.zip so I search libsdl.org and find a version 1.4 of the file and unzip it. It then says to go to the newly created Visual C directory, ok. Next I have to open the workspace "SDL.dsw", problem, "SDL_ttf.dsw" in this directory. I have no "SDL.dsw" anywhere. So I SDL_ttf.dsw instead. It then says to fileview on the workspace area and build the files by simply right clicking what I see in the area and choosing build. I should have a few warnings, but no errors. I get 1 error, and 1 warning for each. I can't figure out whats wrong. Help me somebody.

[JOsephPataki]

I found the real VisualC.zip I was looking for. It had the SDL.dsw. I compiled the 2 projects, and found the files in their debug folders. SDL.dll, SDL.lib, SDLmain.lib. I delete the files in my old project, put these new ones in. Recompile and get 2 errors and a warning. The same errors as before.

[JOsephPataki]

heh, I had actually given up. I was looking how I would use SDL with DevC++ when I saw a post in the libsdl.org newsgroup with the same error as mine. I read this:

"The linker is looking for the entry point for a console application, but
the application is being compiled and linked as a windows application (i.e.
not a console application)."

and decided I would try one last time. In VisualC.html they had been saying to use a Win32 application, so this time I tried win32 console app. and... IT WORKED!!!!!! I just made this point to let you all know that dreams do come tru

[JOsephPataki]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my dream jsut became a nightmare!!!!!!!!!

#include "SDL.h"

int main( int argc, char* argv[] )
{
// Body of the program goes here.
return 0;
}

this compiled perfectly(got rid of those 2 errors, and warning above)

below, hoever, leads me to more linker errors.
SDLmain.lib(SDL_main.obj) : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol _SDL_main
Debug/SDLCAP1.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 1 unresolved externals

int main() {

printf("Initializing SDL.\n");

/* Initialize defaults, Video and Audio */
if((SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO|SDL_INIT_AUDIO)==-1)) {
printf("Could not initialize SDL: %s.\n", SDL_GetError());
return(-1);
}

printf("SDL initialized.\n");

printf("Quiting SDL.\n");

/* Shutdown all subsystems */
SDL_Quit();

printf("Quiting....\n");

return(0);
}

[JOsephPataki]

ok i got it, it was the differences in the declaring main. I guess I have to have
int argc, char *argv[], in my main from now on.

I guess I will close down this thread now.