Messages

1

General / Help understanding the tutorials?

« on: March 14, 2012, 09:38:36 pm »

I acknowledge that my first post was unfair. So, of course, I'm not upset about any rudeness.

For my part, I spent some six hours trying to make this stuff work, and ultimately, I was unable to compile the most basic program. This was somewhat humiliating for a person who has written working games in C++. I hope you will pardon my frustration.

In substantive response to Laurent, what I did not understand is that the DLLs are not needed until after compiling is complete. I thought this DLL copying was another step that needed to come before compiling (after all, it said, "Don't forget" like it's something that I should have done by now).

This post by VPellen is spectacular. I really appreciate the information.

EDIT:

I have fixed the problem. It's something I don't really understand; I'll try to explain it.

Yesterday, I thought I had to put the DLLs in the directory with my executable. I didn't have an executable yet, but I knew which directory Code::Blocks was going to put it in when I pushed "Build and Run". So I copied the DLLs to that target directory.

When I deleted those DLLs, the code ran fine. No more problems.

Again, I appreciate your time and effort.

2

General / Help understanding the tutorials?

« on: March 14, 2012, 05:34:55 am »

The tutorials are extremely unhelpful and unclear. Is it possible someone could write a coherent expanation of how to install SFML for use with Code::Blocks?

For an example of the uselessness of the tutorial, note this line:

"If you linked against the dynamic versions of the SFML libraries, donc forget to copy the corresponding DLLs (sfml-system.dll in this case) to your executable's directory, or to a directory contained in the PATH environment variable."

My executable's directory? I haven't made an executable yet; first I have to have code that compiles, THEN I have an executable. And what is this "PATH environment variable"?

Tutorials are supposed to be written for people who don't already know these things.

At present, I believe I have followed the tutorial as well as I can. I have added the "lib" and "include" directories under the "Search Directories" tab, and I have added the item "-lsfml-system-s" to the "Other linker options" list in the "Project build options" window. I used "-s" because I did not understand the instructions for using the dynamic libraries.

The code of my project in its entirety:

Code: [Select]

#include <SFML/System.hpp>
#include <iostream>

int main()
{
    sf::Clock Clock;
    while (Clock.GetElapsedTime() < 5.f)
    {
        std::cout << Clock.GetElapsedTime() << std::endl;
        sf::Sleep(0.5f);
    }

    return 0;
}


The errors:

undefined reference to `sf::Clock::GetElapsedTime() const
undefined reference to `sf::Sleep(float)
undefined reference to `sf::Clock::GetElapsedTime() const
undefined reference to `sf::Clock::Clock()

Please help?