newbie - hey walter, improvement potentials for installer

[Brad Anderson]

On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 9:40 AM, Sean Kelly <sean at invisibleduck.org> wrote:

> It does help that Visual Studio ships with a batch file to open a console
> configured for using vc++. Just don't use that when working on D apps.
>
>
While fixing up some PATH setting issues with the installer I've wondered
if a similar batch file for D would be helpful to anyone.  Is there any
interest in that option?  I'd probably change the installer to make setting
the PATH optional if I added that.  Right now there is no indication that
the installer is going to change your path which is a bit rude (especially
when the installer used to fail and erase the entire PATH in some cases).

Regards,
Brad Anderson


> On Feb 14, 2012, at 1:04 AM, Walter Bright <newshound2 at digitalmars.com>
> wrote:
>
> > On 2/14/2012 12:50 AM, Vincent wrote:
> >>>> * Improvement potential #3 -- Linker executable name.
> >>>>
> >>>> The name [link.exe] conflicts with Microsoft's linker. Please name it
> >>>> [optlink.exe].
> >>
> >>> This is why we switched away from relying solely on environment
> variables, such
> >>> as PATH, to find the programs and set options. Instead, sc.ini is used:
> >>
> >> Hi, Walter!
> >> I support Alf in renaming initiative. Even if you were so smart to use
> sc.ini,
> >> other vedors are not!
> >
> > It's fine if they do not, as sc.ini is designed to override any path set
> in the environment.
> >
> >
> >> I put dmd/bin in PATH where dmd.exe can be found (obvious solution), BUT
> >> link.exe sit at the same place!
> >> Despite what dmd.exe uses, MS tools will catch wrong link.exe or dmd
> will catch
> >> MS' link.exe (if you put MS tools first in PATH).
> >> So it's MUCH easier to rename link.exe (it's not a trademark, what a
> problem!),
> >> than spreading curses every time you get strange error from compiler.
> >> Situation is that MS is dominating on the market, so DM should adapt
> its tools
> >> to be most painless after you add 'em on computer.
> >>
> >> Good luck!
> >
> > I am loathe to break 20+ years of working makefiles.
> >
> > But there is a simple solution for your case. Create a batch file,
> dmd.bat, with the contents:
> >
> >   c:\dmd\windows\bin\dmd %1 %2 %3 %4
> >
> > and put it somewhere in your PATH. Then, dmd will run the correct
> dmd.exe without it being on the PATH, and it will find the correct link.exe
> (because of sc.ini). Meanwhile, if you just type link, it will find your
> MS-LINK.
> >
> > But what most people do is have multiple .bat files, one for each
> compiler, to switcheroo the environment for the compiler they wish to use
> at the moment. After all, it isn't just link.exe. It's all the tools, the
> .h files, the library files, etc.
> >
>
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