The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5)

Open Watcom C

Hi all.
I have discovered this forum via google and want to ask a question. It's about the compiler Watcom C, I was an user of Turbo C (only 1 year, and I'm new to programming too). Now I have watcom C. I can't compile with watcom C.
I have three file
fractal.c
image.h
image.lib

I have read the compiler manual, but the documentation doesn't tell you how to link your own library.
how to compile and link them?
Can anyone help??

Victor
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

If you're just looking to compile C code, it'd be better to look into compilers with better support. If you're on windows, you can get a basic Visual C++ setup pretty easily (it will compile C). On Linux, gcc will do the job well. Both have good, easily available documentation on building libraries.

H. Lally Singh
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

You might be best creating a project in the IDE bundled with version 11. The command line switches for WCL32 will be somewhere in the documentation but Watcom always did have a bewildering switch set.

So, I'd read the Getting Started Manual and follow the couple of Tutorials in the Graphical Tools User Guide, Sybase speak for the IDE documentation.

Simon Lucy
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

Is image.lib a library file that you made yourself? Or is a third party library you grabbed form somewhere. You'll have a fun time linking in the library if it was made with a different compiler.

To include a LIB file in your project, the easiest way to do it is simply add the LIB file to your project. You do have a project file right?

If not, go to the IDE and create a project. Then you can add all the C, H, and LIB files to the project.

Also, I'm assuming that you know what target this library was compiled for.

BTW, I'm assuming you're using OpenWatcom for a specific reason. It's not exactly the best choice for Win32 development. It rocks for 16/32-bit DOS stuff though.

Myron A. Semack
Wednesday, February 4, 2004