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merge "strategies" page with devtips.h; add mention of Bakefile and wx presets in devtips.h; add explanation of the difference between static/shared builds; reorganize the main page of the manual to improve its usability.

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git-svn-id: https://svn.wxwidgets.org/svn/wx/wxWidgets/trunk@52928 c3d73ce0-8a6f-49c7-b76d-6d57e0e08775
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Francesco Montorsi
2008-03-31 13:27:33 +00:00
parent 471793175a
commit 0f660b35d9
5 changed files with 176 additions and 167 deletions
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docs/doxygen/mainpages/devtips.h
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@@ -9,22 +9,23 @@
/**
@page page_multiplatform Multi-platform development with wxWidgets
@page page_multiplatform Multi-platform development
This chapter describes the practical details of using wxWidgets. Please
see the file install.txt for up-to-date installation instructions, and
changes.txt for differences between versions.
This chapter describes some tips related to multi-platform development.
@li @ref page_multiplatform_includefiles
@li @ref page_multiplatform_libraries
@li @ref page_multiplatform_configuration
@li @ref page_multiplatform_makefiles
@li @ref page_multiplatform_windowsfiles
@li @ref page_multiplatform_winresources
@li @ref page_multiplatform_allocatingobjects
@li @ref page_multiplatform_architecturedependency
@li @ref page_multiplatform_conditionalcompilation
@li @ref page_multiplatform_cpp
@li @ref page_multiplatform_filehandling
@li @ref page_multiplatform_reducingerr
@li @ref page_multiplatform_gui
@li @ref page_multiplatform_debug
<hr>
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ The main include file is @c "wx/wx.h"; this includes the most commonly
used modules of wxWidgets.
To save on compilation time, include only those header files relevant to the
source file. If you are using precompiled headers, you should include
source file. If you are using @b precompiled headers, you should include
the following section before any other includes:
@verbatim
@@ -67,8 +68,33 @@ build environment up as necessary for the support.
@section page_multiplatform_libraries Libraries
Most ports of wxWidgets can create either a static library or a shared
library. wxWidgets can also be built in multilib and monolithic variants.
All ports of wxWidgets can create either a @b static library or a @b shared library.
When a program is linked against a @e static library, the machine code from the object
files for any external functions used by the program is copied from the library into
the final executable.
@e Shared libraries are handled with a more advanced form of linking, which makes the
executable file smaller. They use the extension @c <20>.so<73> (Shared Object) under Linux
and @c '.dll' (Dynamic Link Library) under Windows.
An executable file linked against a shared library contains only a small table of the
functions it requires, instead of the complete machine code from the object files for
the external functions.
Before the executable file starts running, the machine code for the external functions
is copied into memory from the shared library file on disk by the operating
system - a process referred to as @e dynamic linking.
Dynamic linking makes executable files smaller and saves disk space, because one copy
of a library can be shared between multiple programs.
Most operating systems also provide a virtual memory mechanism which allows one copy
of a shared library in physical memory to be used by all running programs, saving
memory as well as disk space.
Furthermore, shared libraries make it possible to update a library without recompiling
the programs which use it (provided the interface to the library does not change).
wxWidgets can also be built in @b multilib and @b monolithic variants.
See the @ref page_libs for more information on these.
@@ -77,15 +103,19 @@ See the @ref page_libs for more information on these.
When using project files and makefiles directly to build wxWidgets,
options are configurable in the file
@c "wx/XXX/setup.h" where XXX is the required platform (such as msw, motif, gtk, mac). Some
settings are a matter of taste, some help with platform-specific problems, and
others can be set to minimize the size of the library. Please see the setup.h file
@c "wx/XXX/setup.h" where XXX is the required platform (such as @c msw, @c motif,
@c gtk, @c mac).
Some settings are a matter of taste, some help with platform-specific problems, and
others can be set to minimize the size of the library. Please see the @c setup.h file
and @c install.txt files for details on configuration.
When using the 'configure' script to configure wxWidgets (on Unix and other platforms where
configure is available), the corresponding setup.h files are generated automatically
along with suitable makefiles. When using the RPM packages
for installing wxWidgets on Linux, a correct setup.h is shipped in the package and
When using the @c 'configure' script to configure wxWidgets (on Unix and other platforms
where configure is available), the corresponding @c setup.h files are generated automatically
along with suitable makefiles.
When using the RPM packages (or DEB or other forms of @e binaries) for installing
wxWidgets on Linux, a correct @c setup.h is shipped in the package and
this must not be changed.
@@ -93,43 +123,43 @@ this must not be changed.
@section page_multiplatform_makefiles Makefiles
On Microsoft Windows, wxWidgets has a different set of makefiles for each
compiler, because each compiler's 'make' tool is slightly different.
compiler, because each compiler's @c 'make' tool is slightly different.
Popular Windows compilers that we cater for, and the corresponding makefile
extensions, include: Microsoft Visual C++ (.vc), Borland C++ (.bcc),
OpenWatcom C++ (.wat) and MinGW/Cygwin (.gcc). Makefiles are provided
for the wxWidgets library itself, samples, demos, and utilities.
On Linux, Mac and OS/2, you use the 'configure' command to
generate the necessary makefiles. You should also use this method when
building with MinGW/Cygwin on Windows.
On Linux, Mac and OS/2, you use the @c 'configure' command to generate the
necessary makefiles. You should also use this method when building with
MinGW/Cygwin on Windows.
We also provide project files for some compilers, such as
Microsoft VC++. However, we recommend using makefiles
to build the wxWidgets library itself, because makefiles
can be more powerful and less manual intervention is required.
We also provide project files for some compilers, such as Microsoft VC++.
However, we recommend using makefiles to build the wxWidgets library itself,
because makefiles can be more powerful and less manual intervention is required.
On Windows using a compiler other than MinGW/Cygwin, you would
build the wxWidgets library from the build/msw directory
which contains the relevant makefiles.
On Windows using a compiler other than MinGW/Cygwin, you would build the wxWidgets
library from the @c build/msw directory which contains the relevant makefiles.
On Windows using MinGW/Cygwin, and on Unix, MacOS X and OS/2, you invoke
'configure' (found in the top-level of the wxWidgets source hierarchy),
from within a suitable empty directory for containing makefiles, object files and
libraries.
from within a suitable empty directory for containing makefiles, object
files and libraries.
For details on using makefiles, configure, and project files,
please see docs/xxx/install.txt in your distribution, where
xxx is the platform of interest, such as msw, gtk, x11, mac.
please see @c docs/xxx/install.txt in your distribution, where
@c xxx is the platform of interest, such as @c msw, @c gtk, @c x11, @c mac.
All wxWidgets makefiles are generated using @link http://www.bakefile.org Bakefile @endlink.
wxWidgets also provides (in the @c build/bakefiles/wxpresets) the
<b>wxWidgets bakefile presets</b>: these files allow you to create bakefiles for
your own wxWidgets-based applications very easily.
@section page_multiplatform_windowsfiles Windows-specific files
@section page_multiplatform_winresources Windows Resource files
wxWidgets application compilation under MS Windows requires at least one
extra file: a resource file.
@subsection page_multiplatform_windowsfiles_resources Resource file
The least that must be defined in the Windows resource file (extension RC)
is the following statement:
@@ -308,4 +338,105 @@ which do the EOL conversions.
See also the @ref group_funcmacro_file section of the reference
manual for the description of miscellaneous file handling functions.
@section page_multiplatform_reducingerr Reducing programming errors
@subsection page_multiplatform_reducingerr_useassert Use ASSERT
It is good practice to use ASSERT statements liberally, that check for conditions
that should or should not hold, and print out appropriate error messages.
These can be compiled out of a non-debugging version of wxWidgets
and your application. Using ASSERT is an example of `defensive programming':
it can alert you to problems later on.
See ::wxASSERT for more info.
@subsection page_multiplatform_reducingerr_usewxstring Use wxString in preference to character arrays
Using wxString can be much safer and more convenient than using @c wxChar*.
You can reduce the possibility of memory leaks substantially, and it is much more
convenient to use the overloaded operators than functions such as @c strcmp.
wxString won't add a significant overhead to your program; the overhead is compensated
for by easier manipulation (which means less code).
The same goes for other data types: use classes wherever possible.
@section page_multiplatform_gui GUI design
@subsection page_multiplatform_gui_usesizers Use sizers
Don't use absolute panel item positioning if you can avoid it. Different GUIs have
very differently sized panel items. Consider using the @ref overview_sizer instead.
@subsection page_multiplatform_gui_useresources Use wxWidgets resource files
Use @c XRC (wxWidgets resource files) where possible, because they can be easily changed
independently of source code. See the @ref overview_xrc for more info.
@section page_multiplatform_debug Debugging
@subsection page_multiplatform_debug_positivethinking Positive thinking
It is common to blow up the problem in one's imagination, so that it seems to threaten
weeks, months or even years of work. The problem you face may seem insurmountable:
but almost never is. Once you have been programming for some time, you will be able
to remember similar incidents that threw you into the depths of despair. But
remember, you always solved the problem, somehow!
Perseverance is often the key, even though a seemingly trivial problem
can take an apparently inordinate amount of time to solve. In the end,
you will probably wonder why you worried so much. That's not to say it
isn't painful at the time. Try not to worry -- there are many more important
things in life.
@subsection page_multiplatform_debug_simplifyproblem Simplify the problem
Reduce the code exhibiting the problem to the smallest program possible
that exhibits the problem. If it is not possible to reduce a large and
complex program to a very small program, then try to ensure your code
doesn't hide the problem (you may have attempted to minimize the problem
in some way: but now you want to expose it).
With luck, you can add a small amount of code that causes the program
to go from functioning to non-functioning state. This should give a clue
to the problem. In some cases though, such as memory leaks or wrong
deallocation, this can still give totally spurious results!
@subsection page_multiplatform_debug_usedebugger Use a debugger
This sounds like facetious advice, but it is surprising how often people
don't use a debugger. Often it is an overhead to install or learn how to
use a debugger, but it really is essential for anything but the most
trivial programs.
@subsection page_multiplatform_debug_uselogging Use logging functions
There is a variety of logging functions that you can use in your program:
see @ref group_funcmacro_log.
Using tracing statements may be more convenient than using the debugger
in some circumstances (such as when your debugger doesn't support a lot
of debugging code, or you wish to print a bunch of variables).
@subsection page_multiplatform_debug_usedebuggingfacilities Use the wxWidgets debugging facilities
You can use wxDebugContext to check for
memory leaks and corrupt memory: in fact in debugging mode, wxWidgets will
automatically check for memory leaks at the end of the program if wxWidgets is suitably
configured. Depending on the operating system and compiler, more or less
specific information about the problem will be logged.
You should also use @ref group_funcmacro_debugging as part of a `defensive programming' strategy,
scattering wxASSERTs liberally to test for problems in your code as early as possible.
Forward thinking will save a surprising amount of time in the long run.
See the @ref overview_debugging for further information.
*/