When you start using a package in a project you always have to change the same settings in the project options - search path, used run-time packages, unit aliasses, probably more. I'm currently trying to "outsource" all these settings for a certain library into an option set (*.optset). For search path and unit aliasses I could easily configure that using the XE6 IDE. But I didn't find an entry for run-time packages. So I manually added the relevant line
<DCC_UsePackage>MyPackage;$(DCC_UsePackage)</DCC_UsePackage>
to the optset file in a text editor and it seems to work. But I'm worried because the IDE doesn't support this. Is there a hidden gotcha?
Related
I have downloaded a component that has many packages in it, then I have install all the design time packages and generated all the other dcu files.I have to assign its path in Delphi search path every time I create a new application. Is there a way to assign its path to Delphi compiler search path once and all application will get access to these unit, so that I need not to manually set every time the path for a new application.
If you want to have some component automatically available for every new projects you need to change the default Delphi IDE options - specifically path locations - so that Delphi IDE knows where to find needed files.
You do this by going into menu Tools -> Options. Then in the TreeView which is used for splitting the options into multiple categories you select Enviroment Options -> Delphi options -> Library.
On the right side of the window you will now have different options regarding the path locations for libraries and source files.
In order to allow Delphi to find needed precompiled units of your component you need to add the folder in which they are located to Library path.
In order to allow Delphi to find source files of your component you need to add the folder in which they are located to Browsing path.
You can read more information about these settings in the Delphi documentation which is also available online here:
http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/RADStudio/XE6/en/Library
Note if you don't own Delphi XE6 but one of the previous XE versions simply change the webpage URL by replacing "XE6" with the one you own.
EDIT: I have edited my answer to provide more specific information. Old post below:
If you got to Tools -> Options (or is it Enviroment Options in latest versions) you can set Default options for the Delphi IDE. These options also include the Default path settings which will be automatically used in all new projects.
The way I do this is to have a folder "Lib2" which I use as the unit output directory whenever I compile/install components - I let the components (I mean their source files, etc) be installed whereever they want).
(I call it "Lib2" because traditionally Delphi has placed its own DCUs in a folder called "Lib", and putting all the third-party ones in a folder separate from that one avoided having to re-install Delphi if my set-up got into a mess.)
If you do that, all you need do for new projects is to include the path to that folder in the project search path and set that as the default search path.
The way to do that varies with Delphi version - the D7 era it was just a question of ticking the "Default" checkbox on the Directories/Conditionals tab of Project | Options. The only minor problem is that sometimes the component needs a resource file; if the compiler complains about that, just copy it to there manually.
In XE4, there are several ways of getting Delphi to find compiled DCUs that you've send to Lib2 or whatever you care to call it:
The simplest seems to to do what the other answer suggests, namely add the Lib2 path to the list of Library paths under Tools | Options. The compiler will then use the DCUs it finds there without needing to be able to finds their sources, which is generally a good thing (see "btw" section below).
A second way is to create a project "Option Set" (see the OLH for details of what they are and how to create one, and then edit it (again, see OLH) to include Lib2 in the list of search paths. After that, you can apply that Option Set to any project which it suits. There may be a way to automatically apply your Option Set to new projects, but I haven't managed to find it yet. In any case ...
A third way is to add a project which has Lib2 amongst its search paths to the Delphi repository and then create new projects that you want to use Lib2's contents from this entry in the repository.
Btw, there is an important practical point to having 3rd party libraries and any of your own standard ones output their DCUs to your Lib2 or equivalent. Because the compiler can find the compiled DCUs there, it does not have to be able to find the source code of those libraries in order to be able to compile your project. Isolating the compiled DCUs in this way helps avoid the dreaded "unit x was compiled with a different version of y" error message (y usually being a bpl) which has been the cause of so many cries for help in Delphi newsgroups over the years.
I want to create *.bpl file but I am failing to do so.
Specifically, I am trying to make JEDI plugins, but I have tried an empty pure Delphi package, too.
If I create a new package in Delphi XE3, I get an empty unit - if I "make" this project called "Package1.bpl", I get a .dcu file in "debug/win32/", but no .bpl file.
No error is reported by the compiler.
An empty JEDI plugin (bpl-style) only gives a .dcu, too, while an empty dll-style JEDI plugin gives a .cdu and a .dll file in "debug/win32/".
This is the first time I am trying to make a new package, so I am completely lost.
What am I missing?
Go to the Tools menu and navigate to Environment Options -> Delphi Options -> Library.
There you find the Package Output Directory and the DCP Output Directory. These directories are the default output directories for BPLs and DCPs, so the bpl will be created if your packages is compiled, but in a different directory from what you expect.
The JEDI plugins probably have their output directory configured otherwise in Project -> Options.
For those that don't want to travel into Delphi IDE/options etc, lately in Delphi XE it's something like this:
"C:\Users\Public\Documents\Embarcadero\Studio\17.0\Bpl;"
Your exact folder might be different based on 17.0
These folders also end up in the path environment variable of your system, bit dangerous and can lead to some mighty magic loading confusion ?!
"How's that BPL still loading after it was deleted from my local project folder ?" :)
Another solution is to add "." to your project settings without the "". Prevents you from having to modify your delphi environment options/settings, something you probably never want to do since JEDI and other projects may rely on these default settings to function properly. Only change it if you know what you are doing and how to correctly make JEDI and others work if it was changed, this may get tricky/hairy, probably requires search paths to be added.
In Delphi XE2, I have a single control in a pair of design/run time packages. Originally, everything was working fine. I've built each of them many times already. Suddenly without warning, the design time package started complaining in one of my units that the Graphics unit is missing when I build. Graphics is a standard unit, but it's not found from this one place. I haven't even made any changes to this unit, and as far as I know, any changes that could affect this.
Here's just the uses at the top (interface) of this unit:
uses
Graphics, ColorConv, Classes, Dialogs, ZLib;
As you can see, it's a very simple unit, and I only make very simple changes to this project. What could make it start complaining about this out of nowhere?
The strange thing is that it all works fine if I install it, it just doesn't build.
There's quite a bit of code, and I'd hate to have to post the entire thing.
Wild guess: it needs the Vcl. namespace prefix?
if there are several declaration of graphics(or other VCL units like:controls,forms ...)in your project, you can add VCL namespace to your project
as follows:
project menu-->options-->delphi compiler->>add in "unit scope names" value "Vcl"
Check your paths in Tools->Options->Environment Options->Delphi Options->Library, in particular the Library Path and Browsing Path settings. The defaults for my installation of XE2 (excluding those added by third-party components and my own stuff):
Library:
c:\program files (x86)\embarcadero\rad studio\9.0\lib\Win32\release;c:\program files (x86)\embarcadero\rad studio\9.0\Imports;C:\Users\Public\Documents\RAD Studio\9.0\Dcp;c:\program files (x86)\embarcadero\rad studio\9.0\include;
Browsing:
$(BDS)\SOURCE\VCL;$(BDS)\source\rtl\common;$(BDS)\SOURCE\RTL\SYS;$(BDS)\source\rtl\win;$(BDS)\source\ToolsAPI;$(BDS)\SOURCE\IBX;$(BDS)\source\Internet;$(BDS)\SOURCE\PROPERTY EDITORS;$(BDS)\source\soap;$(BDS)\SOURCE\XML;$(BDS)\source\db;$(BDS)\source\Indy10\Core;$(BDS)\source\Indy10\System;$(BDS)\source\Indy10\Protocols;$(BDS)\source\fmx;$(BDS)\source\databinding\components;$(BDS)\source\databinding\engine;$(BDS)\source\databinding\graph;$(BDS)\source\fmi;$(BDS)\source\data;$(BDS)\source\data\ado;$(BDS)\source\data\bde;$(BDS)\source\data\cloud;$(BDS)\source\data\datasnap;$(BDS)\source\data\dbx;$(BDS)\source\data\dsnap;$(BDS)\source\data\Test;$(BDS)\source\data\vclctrls;
Also, since you're new to XE2, you may want to check to see (outside the IDE) if you have an environmental variable for PLATFORM defined. Some PC manufacturers (HP as a particular example) define this variable on their computers, and it interferes with the IDE's requirements. (The IDE uses PLATFORM as a temporary environmental variable in paths used for different platforms, which fails if there's one predefined outside the IDE.) You can check by opening a command prompt and typing SET PLATFORM and hitting Enter. If there's one pre-defined, it can cause various hard to track down problems; you can remove it safely on every machine I've run across. (Right-click My Computer or Start->Computer, choose Properties, Advanced System Settings, Environmental Variables.)
Iam using Delphi 2005 and i have included a unit to the main unit using compiler directive i.e.{$I sample.pas} whenever I try to build the main pas file I get the below error . F 1026 File not found and it shows the path where the sample.pas file is available. I tried different options like tried adding the path of the pas file in the project options- search path and also in the tools-options -library path and it doesnt work. I googled it and found a solution which says to do the following:
In the IDE from the main menu, navigate to
“Tools|Options|Environment Options|Compiling and Running”
switch “Show Commandline” ON
AND set sure you have “Verbosity” set to “Diagnostic”.
The problem is Iam using Delphi 2005 and unable to find the “Verbosity” option in Delphi 2005. It would be great if some one can help me
In Delphi 2009 it is right under the Show Commandline setting:
However, unfortunately for you the verbosity option isn't present in D2006, so I guess it was introduced in either 2007 or 2009.
Oh, and as far as the include directive goes: if your sample pas isn't in the same folder as the unit in which it is included, you could try adding the path to the $I directive:
{$I ..\..\General\sample.pas}
Put the file in the same folder as your project units, and change its extension to ".inc" ( not mandatory but I think that by convention directives files are named like this).
A possible solution could be to get the code working in a package and then have the package keep that part of things compiled. I have been able to use include files in other paths with packages, but it is quite tempermental. It can start rejecting them even with packages for reasons I don't know. This is indeed a VERY annoying problem.
You might also look into doing your builds via your own batch files where you can take full control of the command-line settings that are being used.
Is it possible to set the "Version Info" settings from code? I'd like to set the version numbering and the value for the "Comments" property without using the project options dialog.
Rather than editing the binary RES file that the IDE manages for you, you may find it easier to maintain a text RC file that contains the version-info resource. Write the resource-script file, and then include it in your project with a line like this:
{$R resources.res resources.rc}
You should remove the {$R *.RES} line from your project's DPR file, or else you'll get duplicate version resources. Do not use your project name as the name of your custom resource file; that name is reserved by the IDE.
The IDE-managed resource file also contains the project icon, so you'll need to include that in your resource script as well.
You can edit the resource script by hand, or you can write a program to edit it or regenerate it as one of your build steps.
Using a text resource script has the added side effect that it's easier to track changes to it in whatever source-control system you use, like CVS.
Solution would be to edit a project resource file. Check this c++ example http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cpp/UpdateVersion.aspx
I would recommend using a build tool, like FinalBuilder (which I use a lot), which can do this for you according to an appropriate scheme. Then you know that the build options are all as you wish, your numbers are incremented appropriately, and you can do things like upload to FTP site and lots more. In my scripts, the build number is included all the way through from EXE to installer and all.
You have to write wizard for that. Check out IOTAProjectOptions in D7IOTA.HLP file, source code of ToolsAPI unit and this thread
You'll need to overwrite the application resources.
Good starting point would be probably XN Resource Editor which comes with source code http://www.wilsonc.demon.co.uk/d10resourceeditor.htm
worth reading is also Inno Setup (which does set icon for executable output) - http://jrsoftware.org/isdl.php