Creating a first SFML Project

In my last post, I provided videos to show you how to build SFML 2.0 from the source in Visual Studio or Code::Blocks. I also provided some general textual instructions for the same purpose.

Well today I present to you two more videos: this time on how to make a first project using SFML 2.0 in Visual Studio or Code::Blocks. This will include configuring search directories and adding libraries to the linker list, as well as compiling some sample code.

Following are some basic textual instruction on this process. It is split into three sections:

1. Visual Studio/Visual C++
2. Code::Blocks
3. General (this applies to both, and hopefully other IDEs too)

Microsoft Visual Studio / Microsoft Visual C++ Express

1. Create a new empty project (File -> New -> Project, select Empty Project, click OK and follow the wizard)
2. Add the SFML 2.0 header files path to the project’s include directories
   1. Go to Project -> Properties
   2. Select Configuration Properties -> VC++ Directories
   3. Set the configuration to All Configurations
   4. Click Include Directories, click the arrow on the right hand side and select Edit
   5. In the new window add a new directory to the list:
      • your-root-sfml-2-directory/include/
3. Add the SFML 2.0 library files path to the project’s library directories
   1. Remain on the same screen as for step 2
   2. Click Library Directories, click the arrow on the right hand side and select Edit
   3. In the new window add a new directory:
      • your-root-sfml-2-directory/lib/
4. Still in all configurations, but only if you want to link statically, define the SFML_STATIC macro
   1. Go to Configuration Properties -> C/C++ -> Preprocessor
   2. Click Preprocessor Definitions, click the arrow on the right hand side and select Edit
   3. In the resulting window, add SFML_STATIC to the list and click OK
5. Add the libraries for debug configuration
   1. Change the configuration to Debug, confirming changes in the process
   2. Go to Configuration Properties -> Linker -> Input
   3. Click Additional Dependencies, click the arrow on the right and select Edit
   4. Add the following libraries if you want to link statically
      • sfml-graphics-s-d.lib
      • sfml-audio-s-d.lib
      • sfml-system-s-d.lib
      • sfml-window-s-d.lib
      • sfml-network-s-d.lib
   5. Add the following libraries if you want to link dynamically
      • sfml-graphics-d.lib
      • sfml-audio-d.lib
      • sfml-system-d.lib
      • sfml-window-d.lib
      • sfml-network-d.lib
   6. Click OK to finish
6. Add the libraries for release configuration:
   1. Change the configuration to Release, confirming changes in the process
   2. Remain in the same area as before
   3. Again select Additional Dependencies, click the arrow on the right hand side and select Edit
   4. Add the following libraries if you want to link statically
      • sfml-graphics-s.lib
      • sfml-audio-s.lib
      • sfml-system-s.lib
      • sfml-window-s.lib
      • sfml-network-s.lib
   5. Add the following libraries if you want to link dynamically
      • sfml-graphics.lib
      • sfml-audio.lib
      • sfml-system.lib
      • sfml-window.lib
      • sfml-network.lib
   6. Click OK to finish
7. Link to the appropriate version of the C runtime in both configurations.
   1. First, set configuration to debug and go to Configuration Properties -> C/C++ -> Code Generation and change Runtime Library
   2. If in the SFML 2.0 binaries build video, you linked statically to the C runtime (i.e. set STATIC_STD_LIBS to TRUE), choose Multithreaded Debug /MTd
   3. If you linked dynamically to the C runtime (i.e. set STATIC_STD_LIBS to FALSE) then chose Multithreaded Debug Dll /MDd
   4. If you are unsure which of the previous two instructions to follow, try 3. If that fails, do 2.
   5. Now change the configuration to release, and save changes in the process
   6. Change Runtime library to Multithreaded /MT if you linked statically to the C runtime, and Multithreaded Dll /MD if you linked dynamically
8. If you want to link dynamically, you must put the corresponding dll files in your project directory:
   1. The debug dlls
      • sfml-graphics-d-2.dll
      • sfml-audio-d-2.dll
      • sfml-system-d-2.dll
      • sfml-window-d-2.dll
      • sfml-network-d-2.dll
   2. The release dlls
      • sfml-graphics-2.dll
      • sfml-audio-2.dll
      • sfml-system-2.dll
      • sfml-window-2.dll
      • sfml-network-2.dll
9. Click OK to finish
10. Add a source code file (In the Solution Explorer - usually on the left hand side in Visual C++ Express and the right in Visual Studio - right click Source Files, select Add -> New Item, then C++ File (.cpp), choose a name and click Add
11. Whether linking dynamically or statically, if you are using audio functionality of SFML, you should also put the following other DLLs in your main project directory:

• libsndfile-1.dll
• openal32.dll
• (they will be found in your-root-sfml-2-directory/extlibs/bin/x86 (32bit) or your-root-sfml-2-directory/extlibs/bin/x64 (64bit) – use the 32bit ones if you are unsure)

Code::Blocks

1. Configure the search directories:
   1. Go to Settings -> Compiler and Debugger, select Global Compiler Settings, go to the Search Directories tab and finally the inner Compiler tab.
   2. Click Add and
      • type your-root-sfml-2-directory/include/
      • If you have any include paths for older versions of SFML, use the arrows on the right to move this one above them
   3. Click OK to confirm
   4. Go to the Linker tab, click Add again and enter
      • type your-root-sfml-2-directory/lib/
      • If you have any library paths for older versions of SFML, use the arrows on the right to move this one above them
        
   5. Click OK to confirm
2. Create a new project by going to File -> New -> Project, selecting Empty Project and clicking Go
3. Enter a title for your project, choose its location, click Next and finally click Finish
4. If you want to link statically, define the SFML_STATIC macro in each configuration/target (Debug and Release)
   1. Go to Project -> Properties, click Project’s Build Options, select the Compiler settings tab, and finally the #defines sub tab
   2. Select the Debug target on the left hand side and enter SFML_STATIC in the box
   3. Change the target to Release, confirming changes in the process, and again enter SFML_STATIC in the box
5. Add the libraries for debug configuration
   1. Change the configuration to Debug, confirming changes in the process
   2. Go to the Linker settings tab
   3. Click Add to add a library and enter the first of the appropriate names below, before clicking OK and repeating for the other libraries
      • For static builds in particular, pay attention to the order in which the libraries are given, as it does matter
   4. Add the following libraries if you want to link statically
      1. sfml-graphics-s-d
      2. sfml-audio-s-d
      3. sfml-window-s-d
      4. sfml-network-s-d
      5. sfml-system-s-d
   5. Add the following libraries if you want to link dynamically
      1. sfml-graphics-d
      2. sfml-audio-d
      3. sfml-window-d
      4. sfml-network-d
      5. sfml-system-d
6. Add the libraries for release configuration:
   1. Change the configuration to Release, confirming changes in the process
   2. Remain in the same area as before
   3. Again click Add to one by one add the libraries, before confirming with OK
   4. Add the following libraries if you want to link statically
      1. sfml-graphics-s
      2. sfml-audio-s
      3. sfml-window-s
      4. sfml-network-s
      5. sfml-system-s
   5. Add the following libraries if you want to link dynamically
      1. sfml-graphics
      2. sfml-audio
      3. sfml-window
      4. sfml-network
      5. sfml-system
7. Click OK to finish
8. If you want to link dynamically, you must put the corresponding dll files in your project directory:
   1. The debug dlls
      1. sfml-graphics-d-2.dll
      2. sfml-audio-d-2.dll
      3. sfml-system-d-2.dll
      4. sfml-window-d-2.dll
      5. sfml-network-d-2.dll
   2. The release dlls
      1. sfml-graphics-2.dll
      2. sfml-audio-2.dll
      3. sfml-system-2.dll
      4. sfml-window-2.dll
      5. sfml-network-2.dll
9. Whether linking dynamically or statically, if you are using audio functionality of SFML, you should also put the following other DLLs in your main project directory:
   • libsndfile-1.dll
   • openal32.dll
   • (they will be found in your-root-sfml-2-directory/extlibs/bin/x86 (32bit) or your-root-sfml-2-directory/extlibs/bin/x64 (64bit) – use the 32bit ones if you are unsure)

General

At this stage, you hopefully have a project set up ready for use with SFML, as well as a source file awaiting SFML code. Well we won’t discuss how to write SFML source code in today’s lesson, but if you want some sample code, you can copy and paste this in, and compile and run it!

#include <SFML/Graphics.hpp>

int main()
{
	sf::RenderWindow Window(sf::VideoMode(800, 600, 32), "SFML Sample Application");

	while (Window.isOpened())
	{
		sf::Event Event;
		while (Window.pollEvent(Event))
		{
			switch (Event.type)
			{
			case sf::Event::Closed:
				Window.close();
				break;
			default:
				break;
			}
		}

		Window.clear(sf::Color(0, 255, 255));
		Window.display();
	}

	return 0;
}

Note: If you are using only the graphics and windowing functionality of SFML, there is no need to link any of the other libraries – audio, network, system – nor to provide the corresponding dlls for a dynamic build. In fact remove whichever libraries you aren’t using, but bear in mind that if you are using the graphics module, then you also require the windowing module as well. And I suggest you always link the system library, as that is probably used in most if not all of the other modules.

Anyway, that’s all for now. See you next time!

Related articles

• Building SFML 2.0 (sfmlcoder.wordpress.com)

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