Auto rename compiled file in Delphi XE2 - delphi

I use Delphi XE2 and I have a project called PGetBase. In this project, there is a module with a constant declaration. For example:
const
   FragH = 5;
   FragW = 4;
...
After compiling, the file is called PGetBase.exe. Is it possible to make the name of the build file dependent on the constants declared in the module, e.g. PGetBase_5_4.exe, by making use of a Post-Build event?

Add a project to the projectgroup which creates an executable that uses the same unit and changes the filename. Build and run that executable in the Post-Build event.

Microsoft Build knows nothing about the Pascal language and cannot parse the sources.
However you may extract "5" and "4" into some external text files.
const
FragH =
{$I Frag_h.txt}
;
FragW =
{$I Frag_W.txt}
;
Then make a simple program (or script: WSH, PowerShell, etc), that would be launched from post-build events.
You program would read those file and rename the Delphi-made PGetBase.exe to anything you wish.
PS. Of course one can parse the source unit to regain those constants, rather than offloading them into external storage. Comments hold the discussion pro et con.
PPS. NGLN came wit ha neat idea. Rather than parsing the file, you can just include that unit as part of your renamer project. Then you can add a pre-build event, that would compile(make) renamer and in post-buid the renamer would have those constants within itself. While calling make/dcc32 would probably be slower than just parsing the sources from inside the version-neutral pre-compiled renamer.exe, that NGLN's approach is elegant and self-contained in its own way.

Related

Export C functions for LabView with c++builder

I have a DLL that I have ported from VC2008 to C++ Builder XE2. The DLL is used in LabVIEW's TestStand.
TestStand, when importing the VC2008 DLL, can see the function names and their arguments. When using the C++ Builder DLL, all its sees are the function names and not the arguments. All exports are C functions and use extern "C" declspec( dllexport ).
Is there a way to get the exports correct?
I have read that adding a TLB file will do the job, if this is true, how do I create a TLB that exports only C functions?
TestStand can read a .c/.cpp file and derive parameters from that file. You still load the DLL and select the function you want to call. You then 'verify' the parameters and select the .c/.cpp file in the dialog. TestStand will find the function with the same name and insert the parameters itself.
The function must be very specific, I had to create a dummy .c file that contained the prototypes as TestStand could not handle the #defines for dllexport and dllimport. It likes a very specific format. For the function:
TESTAPI bool StartTest( long inNumber ) {}
where TESTAPIis either extern "C" __declspec( dllexport ) or extern "C" __declspec( dllimport I had to write the line below in my dummy file:
bool __declspec( dllexport ) StartTest( long inNumber ) {}
That does it.
DLL function parameters cannot be determined from exports alone, unless they are being decorated by the calling convention (which is unusual to do in a DLL). If a TLB (aka a Type Library) solves the problem, then the VC2008 DLL is likely an In-Process ActiveX/COM object rather than a flat C DLL. If so, then in C+Builder you can use the IDE wizards on the "File | New" menu to create an "ActiveX Library" project, then a "COM Object" to add to the library. Then you will have a TLB that you can define your object with, and the IDE will generate stub code that you can fill in with your object's implementation.
If that is not what LabViews is expecting, then I suggest you contact them and ask. If all it needs is a TLB with flat C functions (which is very unusual, because TLB's are object-oriented), then you can omit the "COM Object" portion and just create an "ActiveX Library" project to get a bare-bones TLB, then add your definitions to it as needed, an then add your exports to the project.
From the reference here:
Avoid using the extern "C" syntax to export symbols. The extern "C" syntax prevents the C/C++ DLL Adapter from obtaining type information for function and method parameters."
A little late to the game, but your problem may be that C++ Builder is decorating the exported function with a leading underscore. The TLIB command line utility should help prove this (assuming tlib still ships with C++Builder)
TLIB mydll.lib, mydll.lst
Look at the resulting lst file and see if it contains StartTest or _StartTest. LabView is probably expecting to find a function without the underscore.
You can add a DEF file to your C++Builder project that will suppress the leading underscore. Try this:
Use the __cdecl calling convention instead of __stdcall.
Export plain "C" functions. No C++ classes or member functions.
Make sure you have an extern "C" {} around your function prototypes.
Create a DEF file that aliases the exported functions to a Microsoft
compatible name. Alias the names so they don't contain a leading
underscore. The DEF file will look like this:
EXPORTS
; MSVC name = C++Builder name
StartTest = _StartTest
Foo = _Foo
Bar = _Bar
5- Add the DEF file to your BCB DLL project and rebuild it.
Check out these ancient articles for more details:
http://bcbjournal.org/articles/vol4/0012/Using_Visual_C_DLLs_with_CBuilder.htm
The reverse article (creating C++Builder DLLs that get called from VC++ created applications) is buried in this archive:
http://www.frasersoft.net/program/bcbdev.zip : /articles/bcbdll.htm. It describes the DEF file trick in more detail, plus some other options.
Note that my answer is based on the way thing were in 1998 or so. They may have changed since then. If they have, then the C++Builder command line tools impdef, tlib, tdump, plus the Microsoft equivalents of those tools, should be able to show you exactly what is in your DLL vs the MSVC one.
H^2
I suggest to use ActiveX object: you can create an automation object in C++Builder and in Labview / TestStand you can import this object. If you use automation, in Lavbiew you will have the correct parameter definition. Make sure you are using a set of compatible type variables with Labview / TestStand.
For example, this fragment of code is the implementation of an array passed from Labview to C++:
STDMETHODIMP TCanLibraryImpl::DataDownload(VARIANT Data, long* RV)
{
_precondition_cmodule();
*RV = 0;
TSafeArrayLong1 mySafeArray(Data.parray);
int dLen =mySafeArray.BoundsLength[0];
...
}
In Labview you will pass to this function an array of I64

Delphi .res file changer

I'm looking for a ready-to-use piece of code that would be able to read and modify Delphi .res files. The thing is that I need to create an application that will be compiling many Delphi projects at once (using the dcc32.exe file). However, it is necessary for me to change file version and language before compilation, and as far as I know, I have to modify the .res file to do that.
Have you come across any code that would give me an interface to .res files allowing me to modify the data contained in it? The thing is that I want to change only those two pieces of information keeping the rest unchanged. This is why I can't compile my own .res file based on a script.
An application executed from a command line would also be OK if it allows to be called with parameters and does what I need it to do.
Thank you very in advance!
If all you need is to add file version resource then create appver.rc file, compile it with brcc32 and in one of your app unit (for example appver.pas) add {$R appver.res} (as Marian noticed you must turn off Delphi project option to include version info).
I created command line programs that increase build numbers in .rc file, create new branch/tag in SVN with new version in branch name, compiles .rc to .res, and build application.
My .rc files with such info (Polish language) looks like:
#define IDR_VERSION1 1
IDR_VERSION1 VERSIONINFO LOADONCALL MOVEABLE DISCARDABLE IMPURE
FILEVERSION 7,28,7,17
PRODUCTVERSION 7,28,7,17
FILEFLAGSMASK VS_FFI_FILEFLAGSMASK
FILEFLAGS 0
FILEOS VOS_DOS_WINDOWS32
FILETYPE VFT_DLL
FILESUBTYPE 0
{
BLOCK "StringFileInfo"
{
BLOCK "041504E2"
{
VALUE "CompanyName", "xxx\0"
VALUE "FileDescription", "yyy\0"
VALUE "ProductName", "zzz\0"
VALUE "FileVersion", "7.28.7.17\0"
VALUE "ProductVersion", "7.28.7.17\0"
}
}
BLOCK "VarFileInfo"
{
VALUE "Translation", 0x0415, 1250
}
}
For all things .res, look at Colin Wilson's "XN Resource Editor", for which he provides the source code: http://www.wilsonc.demon.co.uk/d10resourceeditor.htm
And probably all you need is his resource utility library:
http://www.wilsonc.demon.co.uk/d9resourceutils.htm
I haven't used this source, but if I needed it, that's the first place I'd look. His resource editor is very useful, btw.
There is ChangeRes which seems to match your needs.
Check out sources:
http://code.google.com/p/gedemin/source/browse/trunk#trunk/Gedemin/Utility/IncVerRC
It is our utility which reads .RC file with version information and increments build number. We use it inside our build process. Here is an excerpt:
incverrc.exe ..\gedemin\gedemin.rc
"%delphi_path%\brcc32.exe" -fogedemin.res -i..\images gedemin.rc
"%delphi_path%\dcc32.exe" -b gedemin.dpr
The utility uses TIncVerRc class written by Chris Morris.
Check Resource Tuner Console on www.heaventools.com. They position that product for tasks like yours. Also there's a free rcstamp tool on CodeProject.

Use SSL with Delphi yet still having a single exe

We use Indy and we need SSL eMail support in our app., however we need to have our application in a single .Exe.
We know that the default Indy handler requires to have the dlls in the path. Extracting the Dlls from one of the EXE's resources would be the last resort.
Any better ideas?
Try SSLBlackBox.
TOndrey gave you a good answer. I use SecureBlackBox as well.
You may consider some other third party components:
StreamSec
SecureBridge from DevArt
Be aware: if you add SSL/TLS support inside your executable, it might become restricted for export. If you're in the USA, this could mean that your application cannot be sold or given to people outside the USA. This is why these DLL's aren't part of Indy or Delphi themselves.
The libraries that Delphi uses are actually compiled DLL's from the OpenSSL project. But if you have a good knowledge of C then you should be able to compile the source to .obj files and link them with your Delphi code instead. You would probably need to modify part of the Indy code for this too. Of course, others could have done this too, but that makes the export of those Indy components (or even Delphi itself) more complex, because of those export restrictions.
Funnily enough, source code is protected by the first amendment which basically allows you to print the code in a book and then send it to some rogue nation. While if you'd send it in digital form (compiled or not) then you're committing a federal offence and probably will have to be careful when picking up the soap in the shower for at least a year... No one claimed that laws make sense. They can just be a pain in the [beep]...
Other SSL solutions don't work together with the Indy components, which would mean you'd have to rewrite part of your code to support those other solutions.
This link tells how you can load a DLL from memory, so you don't need to have it on disk. It's an alternate solution which I haven't tried. I don't think it will work, since the two DLL's depend on each other, but it might be worth a try...
Is the "Single EXE" requirement for distribution purposes or must it also be a single .EXE file when running on the client's machine?
If it's only for distribution purposes, you can append the DLL files to the end of your .EXE file and then - when the program starts - extract them from the .EXE file and store them locally as .DLL files, something like this:
VAR F,O : FILE;
VAR BUF : ARRAY[1..<MaxSizeOfDLLs>] OF BYTE;
ASSIGN(F,ParamStr(0)); RESET(F,1);
SEEK(F,<OriginalExeSize>);
BLOCKREAD(F,BUF,<FirstDllSize>);
ASSIGN(O,<NameOfFirstDLL>); REWRITE(O,1);
BLOCKWRITE(O,BUF,<FirstDllSize>); CLOSE(O);
BLOCKREAD(F,BUF,<SecondDllSize>);
ASSIGN(O,<NameOfSecondDLL>); REWRITE(O,1);
BLOCKWRITE(O,BUF,<SecondDllSize>); CLOSE(O);
SEEK(F,<OriginalExeSize>); TRUNCATE(F); CLOSE(F)
Quick'n'Dirty, not properly formatted, etc., but should give you the basic idea.
Have you tried compiling the OpenSLL source yourself and importing the object files into Delphi?
Recommended reading: Using C object files in Delphi - explains how to create a program that does not need a DLL, and can be deployed in one piece
I use Microsoft's CAPICOM for SSl3 and it solved my needs... It's freely redistributable but discontinued
If you try other components maybe you should look to SYNAPSE(at http://synapse.ararat.cz/) (I also use) it can work with StreamSec(and others) to send emails over ssl. Its free and easy to work.
Const
cdoSendUsingMethod = 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing';
cdoSMTPServer = 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver';
cdoSMTPServerPort = 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserverport';
cdoSendServerPort = '25';
cdoSendUsingPort = 2;
cdoSMTPConnectionTimeout = 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpconnectiontimeout';
cdoSMTPAuthenticate = 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpauthenticate';
cdoAnonymous = '0';
cdoBasic = '1';
cdoSMTPUseSSL = 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpusessl';
cdoSendUserName = 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusername';
cdoSendPassword = 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendpassword';
cdoURLGetLatestVersion = 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/urlgetlatestversion';
...
function SensCDOMail (ASubject, AFrom, ATo, ABody, ASmtpServer : WideString): String;
var
cdoMessage:OleVariant;
cdoConfiguration: OleVariant;
begin
//Configuration Object
cdoMessage:= CreateOleObject('CDO.Message');
cdoConfiguration:= CreateOleObject('CDO.Configuration');
try
cdoConfiguration.Fields(cdoSendUsingMethod):= cdoSendUsingPort;
cdoConfiguration.Fields(cdoSMTPServer):= ASmtpServer;
cdoConfiguration.Fields(cdoSMTPServerPort):= cdoSendServerPort;
cdoConfiguration.Fields(cdoSMTPAuthenticate):= cdoAnonymous;
cdoConfiguration.Fields(cdoSMTPUseSSL ):= True; // use SSL
cdoConfiguration.Fields.Update;
cdoMessage.Configuration:= cdoConfiguration;
cdoMessage.To := ATo;
cdoMessage.From := AFrom;
cdoMessage.Subject := ASubject;
//cdoMessage.HTMLBody := ABody; //Want to send in Html format
cdoMessage.TextBody := ABody; //Want to send in text format
cdoMessage.Send;
finally
VarClear(cdoMessage);
VarClear(cdoConfiguration);
end;
end;
It is possible to include these DLLs into the program's executable as resources and either export them to files when used or even use them without exporting them first by relocating the code and searching the entry points in memory. I have got code somewhere for doing the latter....

Delphi: EReadError with message 'Property Persistence does Not Exist'

My program written with Delphi 7 compiles OK, but when I run it it gives me the error message:
Project1.Exe raised exception class EReadError with Message 'Property Persistence does Not Exist'. Process Stopped.
This only started after I installed the TMS Component Pack to use with this project. Thanks for any help.
Open the Form in Delphi IDE
Use Alt + F12 to edit the .DFM source
Search the "Persistence" property
Delete the line with "Persistence" property
DFM example:
SomeComponent1 = TSomeComponent
OtherProperty = OtherValue
Persistence = True
AnotherProperty = AnotherValue
end
Also you can use the great DFMCheck 1.4 tool, by Andreas Hausladen. To check any other missing property like that:
http://andy.jgknet.de/blog/?page_id=177
This is most likely caused by the compiled & installed package being out of sync with the actual .pas file. If you have source code then rebuilding the packages will probably fix it.
Set a breakpoint(F5) and step the program(F7/F8).Get to the location where you get that exception and then give us more information about it(show some code).
This error means that it's trying to load something (usually a form) from a DFM resource and it comes up with a value for a property that the component it's creating doesn't have.
If it only happened when you started using TMS components, the solution is simple: don't use them. Send as much information as you can about the error and the project that caused it to the authors and see if they can find a way to fix it. Until then, use something else.
If you're using text DFMs (right click on the form, check "Text DFM", save), you can use Search|Find in Files to find all instances of Persistence in your DFM files. Just set the search string to "Persistence" (I usually tell it to ignore case), the file mask to "*.dfm", and check the "All files in project" checkbox.
If you're not already using text DFMs and don't want to manually open all forms and check the box and then resave them, you can use CONVERT.EXE (in the ($DELPHI)\Bin folder) to convert them en-masse. Run CONVERT with no parameters from any command prompt to see the options. By default, CONVERT will save .DFM as .txt, but you can have it work in-place (rewriting the binary .DFM as the text .DFM) by using the -i switch. (I usually back up the .DFMs to a different folder first, then convert them. If no errors are reported, I can then delete the backed up .DFMs later.)
I had similar problem with TMS when I upgraded to a new version:
If you think that some particular component is causing the problem,
delete it , compile project without it, place it on the form/frame again.
If that doesn't work for you:
Things you need to do in order to fix the problem , so you can use Designer and new properties, because that's what you really want , don't you ? :-) :
Uninstall TMS Component Pack ( or whatever you're using )
Re-Install TMS Component Pack
Build & Install the packages
Add appropriate TMS .lib files to your Application Project ( I'm using C++ Builder )
Add appropriate TMS .pas files to your Application Project . For example I had a problem with TAdvSmoothCalendar component , so I've added the AdvSmoothCalender.pas to my project.
Cheers!
I hope it works for everyone with a similar problem :)
I had similar problem with nuiGui Delphi Framework,
To Solve this, create a include file with some properties and use it in your class.
/// include class 'Basic.inc'
private
function GetWidth: Integer;
published
property ClientHeight : Integer Read FHeight Write FHeight;
//property ClientWidth : Integer Read FWidth Write FWidth;
//property OldCreateOrder : Boolean Read FOldCreateOrder Write FOldCreateOrder;
end;
...
/// main class like this
TuMemoFrame = class(TUniFrame)
UniMemo1: TUniMemo;
UniMemo2: TUniMemo;
UniButton1: TUniButton;
procedure UniButton1Click(Sender: TObject);
private
public
{$Include Basic.inc } // <---
end;

LIB file output locations for Delphi 2009 packages

When building a Delphi 2009 component package, how do you specify which directory should contain the resulting .hpp and .lib files needed for C++ Builder users?
On the Project|Options|Delphi Compiler|Linking page, the first two items are C++Builder .hpp output directory and C++Buidler .obj output directory should do what you want. The .lib and .bpi files. However, it seems that there is a bit of a bug in how these options are passed to the compiler... I'll speak with the engineer responsible about it.
From the command-line DCC32 you can use the following to control where to place these items:
-N0<path> = unit .dcu output directory
-NH<path> = unit .hpp output directory
-NO<path> = unit .obj output directory
-NB<path> = unit .bpi output directory
Note that the -NB switch AFAICR, also controls where the .lib file goes as well.
There is a known bug: http://qc.embarcadero.com/wc/qcmain.aspx?d=67513
This is /expected/ to be fixed in the forthcoming Update 3. (Don't worry about the 10.0 resolved in build number, that is a mistake that will be corrected when Update 3 is released and all the bug fixes get synchronized back to QC)
As far as I know, you can't. None of the directory options seem to control it. However, you could probably define a post-build event (Project->Options->Build events) which would copy the files to where you wanted them.

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