Removing Console Window?

[Chuckleluck]

Excuse me, I'm somewhat new to programming, and I have a question about this paragraph in the Window - Opening a Window tutorial:

Under Windows operating systems, you may have created a "Windows Application" project, especially if don't want the console to show up. In such case, to avoid replacing main by WinMain, you can link with SFML_Main static library and keep a standard and portable main entry point.

These are my 2 questions:
  1. What is a static library, and do I link it like any other lib file?
  2. What functions should I include: SFML_Main, WinMain, main, or a combination?

[slotdev]

Hi

1. A static library is where all the external libraries (such as SFML and Windows C run-time libraries) are compiled into the final executable produced by the compiler. This is the opposite to a "dynamic" situation where DLL files which contain the libraries are loaded automatically when your program run.

You'd use a static library when you cannot guarantee that any systems which your program may run on have the right version of the C run-time libraries installed. Most systems are kept reasonably up to date these days, but sometimes it's neccessary.

2.  For your main entry function, use this:

Code: [Select]


int _tmain()
{
// your code starts here...
}


You may need to include some Windows header files (Windows.h) so make sure you have the Windows SDK v7.1 (currently the latest) installed.

Hope that helps.

[slotdev]

I forgot to say:

and do I link it like any other lib file?

Yes :-)

[Chuckleluck]

Ok, so I linked the SFML_Main library, and changed "int main" to "int _tmain", and now it gives me the error:
" undefined reference to `WinMain@16' "

[Laurent]

Is _tmain() really needed? I don't think so, it's better to tell beginners about standard solutions and let them discover non-standard ones when they really need to.

Use main()

[Chuckleluck]

But using main() initializes the console window?

[Laurent]

It's not the entry point that decides if the console will show up or not. It's the the other way round: if you choose a console project your entry point will be main, if you choose a Win32 application your entry point will be WinMain -- but then with sfml-main you can use a regular main() and keep your code portable across OSes.

[Chuckleluck]

When I started my project, I just set it as an Empty Project.  What should I do about that?

[Laurent]

Change the "subsystem" option (in the linker settings) in your project properties, from "console" to "Windows".