How to compile SDL_bgi programs with CodeBlocks

These instructions show how to compile an SDL_bgi program using CodeBlocks; we will use fern.c, provided in the demo/ directory.

Let’s assume that CodeBlocks is installed in C:\CodeBlocks, and that the SDL2 development libraries for MinGW are installed in C:\SDL2-*. If you installed the software in different directories, change the following instructions accordingly.

The procedure was tested with CodeBlocks 20.03 and SDL2-devel-2.24.2-mingw.tar.gz.

Links:

http://codeblocks.org/

https://libsdl.org/download-2.0.php

Installing SDL_bgi

• copy bin/CodeBlocks/SDL_bgi.dll to
  C:\CodeBlocks\MinGW\bin

• copy SDL_bgi.h to
  C:\SDL2-*\x86_64-w64-mingw32\include\SDL2

• copy graphics.h to
  C:\SDL2-*\x86_64-w64-mingw32\include

How to compile

• start CodeBlocks and click on Create a new project

• click on SDL2 project, then proceed

• in the wizard, provide a project name (fern), pick a folder to store the project, then click on Next>

• in the next window (SDL2 location), pick C:\SDL2-*\x86_64-w64-mingw32, then click on Next>

• in the next window, uncheck Create "Debug" configuration, check Create "Release" configuration, then click on Finish

• in the panel Projects/Workspace/fern/Sources, delete main.cpp (Remove file from project)

• in the panel Projects/Workspace/fern: right click, click on Add files..., pick fern.c, then click on Ok

• from the menu Project/Build options... select the Search directories tab, click on Add, pick the directory
  C:\SDL2-*\x86_64-w64-mingw32\include, then select No when asked to Keep this as a relative path?. Click on Ok

• from the menu Project/Build options... select the Linker settings tab, click on Add, pick the files
  C:\CodeBlocks\MinGW\bin\SDL_bgi.dll and
  C:\SDL2-*\x86_64-w64-mingw32\bin\SDL2.dll, then select No when asked to Keep this as a relative path?. Click on Ok

• from the menu Build, select Build. The executable fern.exe will be compiled.

• if you don’t need to set environment variables, close the
  Global variable editor window

• run fern.exe.

Note 1: if you release your compiled program, you must also provide SDL2.dll and SDL_bgi.dll in the same directory.

Note 2: if your code uses functions provided by stdio.h (e.g. printf(), scanf(), etc.) you must also run a terminal. From the menu "Project/Set program's arguments..., check the box Run host in terminal.

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