From: Bob Calco <robert.calco@...>
Date: 2002-05-27T23:23:18+09:00
Subject: RE: compilation ignorance

 Repeater:

% hello Bob, thanks for replying !

:)

% <snipped very useful info, info -> brain>
% thanks for explaining the extconf system

:)

% > If having generated my Makefile using rb32 (the mswin32 distro) I
% > attempt to
% > use 'make all' instead of 'nmake all', I get:
% >
% > make: ***No rule to make target 'coolrapi.obj', needed by 'coolrapi.so'.
% > Stop.
% >
% > Which looks alot like your error. But if I use 'nmake all' it
% > compiles just
% > fine.
%
% yep it seems to be a valid analysis of my error.
%
% so if i understand correctly, visual c++ is needed for the pragprog distro
% library compilation
% on the other hand, if i wish to compile any library available on the net
% (like NArray that i would really like to use)
% i must switch to the cygwin distro.
%

Well if I recall the pragprog distro *is* a cygwin distribution (I could be
wrong - it's been a while since I've used anything but the source; I have
both distros up and running on my machine, customized the way I like them).

Before giving up on GCC, try setting the $CFLAGS and $LDFLAGS as I did for
cygwin... I don't think you've tried that yet, have you? That may be what
it's looking for - correct compiler options.

% this would be unfortunate since i've become rather attached to my pragprog
% distro, and cygwin has never appealed to me that much.

Like I said I think the pragprog distro is a cygwin distro...

from the command line, do

	ruby -v

It should say either mswin32, cygwin or mingw somewhere... if it says
cygwin, set the compiler flags in your extconf.rb, or go into the generated
makefile and make sure CC=gcc and not CC=cl.

%
% thus it seems that i'm probably not cut out as a code compiler,
% since i lack
% the basic qualifying factor...the compiler !

You can get the Dietel & Dietel book on C++ programming for $60 at any
bookstore, and it comes with the "introductory" edition of Visual C++ 6.0,
which should be good enough for compiling Ruby. You can't statically link to
MFC, and you don't have as wide a range of IDE project types, but the
compiler and standard libraries are all there. It's definitely sufficient
for console apps like Ruby.

But first see if you can't get the GCC working by setting the flags.

-Bob

% so perhaps someone knows the location of a fitting mswin32 NArray binary ?
% please, i really need it
%
% #or perhaps a fitting mswin32 compiler ;-)
%
% thanks
% repeater
%
%