Thread: Dev-C++ distribution question

  1. #1
    Registered User Stonehambey's Avatar
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    Question Dev-C++ distribution question

    I made a program in MS visual C++ 2008 and put the program on my site for others to download. For a long time I thought it was working fine since I downloaded the program from my site and it was running ok (I was using my own comp)

    However, some people were telling me that they couldn't run the program as there was a library error. I fixed this by setting one of the properties of "code generation" in the Visual c++ IDE to something which didn't use dll (I don't really understand what I did, but it worked)

    Now, due to various reasons, I'm thinking of using the Dev-C++ compiler as opposed to the MS visual c++ one. I'm just wondering if I will have any similar distribution problem? Before I post any programs on my site which I've made from it.

    Kind Regards

    Stonehambey

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    I use Dev-C++, and to my knowledge, the .exe has always worked after it has been compiled, regardless of which computer did the compiling.

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    C++まいる!Cをこわせ!
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    Your problem was that you did not prompt your users to install the VC++ 2008 runtime. That, or statically link against the libraries (which I don't recommend).
    All C++ distributions are going to require you to bundle some sort of dlls or runtime that contains the Standard Library implementation or such. But they may also embed the code directly into the executable by default, which is bad, but doesn't require the bundling of runtime.

    That mentioned, I don't recommend switching from MS to Dev-C++. This is my own individual recommendation, however. I base it upon that MS IDE is easier to use and supports narrowing warnings, which GCC does not.
    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    io.h certainly IS included in some modern compilers. It is no longer part of the standard for C, but it is nevertheless, included in the very latest Pelles C versions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    You mean it's included as a crutch to help ancient programmers limp along without them having to relearn too much.

    Outside of your DOS world, your header file is meaningless.

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    Frequently Quite Prolix dwks's Avatar
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    Of course, I suggest trying Dev-C++, so there you have it. It's worth trying, anyway . . . .

    All C++ distributions are going to require you to bundle some sort of dlls or runtime that contains the Standard Library implementation or such. But they may also embed the code directly into the executable by default, which is bad, but doesn't require the bundling of runtime.
    Dev-C++ 4.0 generates tiny (like 72KB, for C++) executables, so I think it probably requires some DLL or another. However, I've run executables created with this version on a Windows 95 computer without requiring any extra DLLs, so I think the required DLLs are pretty standard.

    The latest version of Dev-C++ generates significantly larger executables (say, 200KB), so it's possible that the runtime is included in the executables generated with this version. I haven't really tested executables from this compiler, but I don't think you'd have too many troubles.
    dwk

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    I always wondered about the size of the executables. Code::Blocks v8.02 is generating an executable of about 900kb and the game Im making has only about 10 files and Im not even halfway finished yet.

  6. #6
    C++まいる!Cをこわせ!
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    Most likely it's embedding the runtime in the executable.
    Check the compiler and tell it not to do that.
    Better to install runtime once and never worry about it anymore than including it in every executable.
    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    io.h certainly IS included in some modern compilers. It is no longer part of the standard for C, but it is nevertheless, included in the very latest Pelles C versions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    You mean it's included as a crutch to help ancient programmers limp along without them having to relearn too much.

    Outside of your DOS world, your header file is meaningless.

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