Getting started with TheIDE

by Jan Wilmans

1. After installation, start the Ultimate++ IDE.

2. Assembly and Packages

You can create a new assembly by right-clicking on the assembly list and choosing "new assembly". If you select an existing assembly before this, the directory settings from the existing assembly will be used.

If you're just getting started, leave this as it is and continue creating a package.

enter a package name, for this example we'll type "main", leave the "create in" directory as it is for now and press the "Create" button on the bottom of the window.

leave Template <empty> for now.

3. Configure the package and add files.

3.1 First, if this is your main package (if you don't know what a main package is, just assume it IS :) select "Main package configuration" from the "Workspace" menu.

Here you should set the compiler directives your program needs.

For the main package, you must at least specified "GUI" or "CONSOLE" to tell the compiler what kind of program your what to create.

Note for windows users: If you add "GUI" here, the standard cin / cout / cerr will not be connected to anything. (so even if you start the program from the commandline you will not see any text-output).

Just add "CONSOLE" for now, and leave the "optional name" empty (or enter something meaningful, for your own reference).

Press OK

If you forget this step, you close the Ultimate++ IDE and start it again, you will not see your new package listed under the "MyApps" assembly unless you check to "all packages" box. (because only main-packages are listed by default)

3.2 You can now add files to you package, for this example, add a new file "main.cpp" to the package

rightclick on the lower-left part of the IDE and choose "Insert package directory file(s)", type "main.cpp" and click "open" if the file does not exist, it will be created.

type or copy this into the newly created file:

// -- example --     

    #include <iostream>

    int main(){

        char dummy;

        std::cerr << "Hello, platform! " << std::endl;

        std::cin >> dummy;

    }

// -- example --

If you have configured your compiler previously, you can you press F5 to compile and start the program in the debugger. (typing any letter followed by enter will end the program)

-- to be continued ?

Some explaining about the TheIDE:

What is stored where ?

When first using the TheIDE, it can be confusing to see that settings like static/shared building, execute-, include- and linker- paths can be set in multiple places (for instance, in Workspace->Package Organizer, in Setup->Build methods and by clicking on the current build method in the mainscreen (top of the screen ie. "GCC Debug").

Workspace->Package organizer:

Everything set here is stored in the .upp file of the package.

You can use you own (or existing) compiler switches to include different things for different builds here.

Examples:

Setup->Build methods:

Look carefully at the settings here, you can create different build methods

for different compilers.

Each method will store it's settings in a .bm file, the .bm (build method) files are stored in ~/.theide on posix systems and in the exe-path of TheIDE on windows.

The boxes at the top of the windows called "Debug mode default" and "Release mode default" do NOT contain the options actually used for the current build. (they are not in effect when your press F5). These are the default values used for new projects, the options for the current build can be set by clicking on the current build method in the mainscreen (top of the screen ie. "GCC Debug").

Notice that it has two "pull-down" arrows, the left one selects the build method, the right one sets the current build-mode (debug of release).

Output mode

Link mode

All static - static libraries are preferred.

Shared libs - shared libraries are preferred but the program's packages will be linked static.

All shared, both the external libraries and the program's packages will be compiled and linked shared.

Target override

You can specify a target-location for the resulting binary here, by default it will be writing to (for example:)

C:\upp\out\$target\MINGW.Blitz.Debug.Shared.So.Win32\foo.exe

This file is a work of progress, if you have suggestions for it, please post them on the forum.