Visual D 0.50.0 released

[Rainer Schuetze]

On 25/06/2019 14:24, a11e99z wrote:
> On Sunday, 23 June 2019 at 17:58:27 UTC, Rainer Schuetze wrote:
>> today a new version of Visual D has been released.
> 
> before I used VS2017 with VD 0.49. was ok. then I uninstalled it both.
> then installed VS2019 (.NET only), installed VD 0.50, installed Build
> Tools for 2019 (C++), installed DMD & LDC as unpack distros to some
> folder and added PATH to their bin dirs

That's where your troubles start.

> - CLI is working now.
> 
> and now I have some issues with new VD 0.50:
> - (weird but can live with it) mode "betterC" looks in settings like
> "remove some runtime info and helper functions"

That's the description given by dmd in the CLI help.

 - not clear too much coz
> I thoughts that this option decrease compiled EXE size. please give to
> it more clear text like "betterC"

I can add betterC/worseD to the description if that helps. The VC++
integration already calls the option "Better C".

> - (in concert) Visual D Settings\Updates\Base directory
> for what needed that directory? for D projects? (oh, we are in tab
> "Updates") then what I should point here DMD directory (that can be in
> ProgramFiles if i used DMD installer)? LDC directory (that can be in any
> other user dir)? or I should point just "C:\"? weird name and option.

There is not a lot of space for verbose descriptions in this dialog, the
installer explains it a bit less terse. But I'll try to cover it in a
line above or below the option.

> - Path to VS Linker exists only in DMD Directories tab for x64. What for
> GDC and LDC in case I dont install DMD at all?

GDC uses ld and LDC the Microsoft linker, nothing from the dmd installation.

> 
> and now main troubles: I cant build any D project any more from VS.
> - compiling as "DMD x64": OPTLINK can not build EXE coz VD gives to it
> probably weird option. OPTLINK points to "/OUT:.." option and I dont
> used any nonASCII chars. dunno whats wrong. DMD still can build EXE from
> CLI.

That's probably because link.exe cannot be found in the standard
locations (Build tools not supported, as probably C++ integration
doesn't do aswell). Then PATH is searched, but the dmd folder contains
some badly named executables, link.exe being the worst.

> - compiling as "LDC x64": again used OPTLINK. why? LDC has own lld-link.
> - ok. remove DMD from VS options and from PATH var. LDC tried to use
> link.exe. why? it has own lld-link again. see next point.

lld-link is pretty new, and is unlikely to work well enough in
combination with C++. For example, Microsoft keeps adding new debug
information records.

> - coz I installed Build Tools(C++) separate form VS my folder to libs
> and tools located at "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual
> Studio\2019\BuildTools" not in the "..\Community". Probably its MS
> problem but I have what I have. so using VCINSTALLDIR is not good option
> for all cases. Try to check folder BuildTools too and VCINSTALLDIR for
> lastest build tools and libs. I can point VD settings manually but VD
> can do it automatically - just to check two folders instead one.

Sorry, can't support all possible combinations of installations. I think
it's not too bad if you can still configure the odd cases.