| Re: MAKE_DLL for DLMs [message #42263] |
Fri, 21 January 2005 09:55 |
JD Smith
Messages: 850
Registered: December 1999
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Senior Member |
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On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 08:03:45 -0500, Haje Korth wrote:
> JD,
> I usually write all my software for myself and never worry about network
> installation. Why does every user need to compile the dlm separately? Can't
> you compile it and throw it in the idl binary directory for everyone to use?
> The only other possibility I see is that the user uses make_dll in a local
> directory and they set ! dlm_path to point to it.
The main reason MAKE_DLL exists is to provide a platform-agnostic way
to compile C files into DLMs, which will work on most systems which
have a compiler, now or in the future. Distributing IDL code is
relatively easy: take care not to use indistinct names that will
clash, tell the user to drop the package in with their other IDL
packages, and off you go, with nary a care about updated IDL versions,
etc.
Distributing externally compiled binaries raises the bar considerably,
as you now have to contend with various OS/compiler/library/IDL
exported interface versioning issues. So, compiling once and throwing
it in with the IDL source just doesn't cut it. You can either have a
tedious Makefile that the user is required to run, or simply use
MAKE_DLL. This solution is almost perfect, except that the default
user-writable location for compiled libraries (in
~/.idl/idl_blah/compile_dir) isn't visible to IDL's DLM search, which
means you have to move it somewhere which is, which means you have to
make assumptions about write permissions. Not pretty.
JD
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| Re: MAKE_DLL for DLMs [message #42266 is a reply to message #42263] |
Fri, 21 January 2005 08:02  |
David Fanning
Messages: 11724
Registered: August 2001
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Senior Member |
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Haje Korth writes:
>> Even projects don't help as much as you would hope. Often, my client
>> applications will include several different libraries or projects.
>> To get them distributed properly, I have to make a single project
>> for the client. But that means I have multiple copies of my
>> library on my machine. Aaaachhhh!
The worst, of course, is the client who never installs my software
updates in a single directory, but who makes a new directory for
everything I send him. Those programs *never* run correctly
(although I can't do any debugging since they run perfectly on
my machine). Usually, I have to go out there with a computer
vacuum cleaner and delete half his hard drive. :-(
Cheers,
David
--
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting, Inc.
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
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| Re: MAKE_DLL for DLMs [message #42267 is a reply to message #42266] |
Fri, 21 January 2005 07:28 |
Haje Korth
Messages: 651
Registered: May 1997
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Senior Member |
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David,
Hm, it looks like I avoid a whole set of problems by developing mainly for
myself instead of others. The problem with compiling for others starts with
UNIX OS. While on Windows, people are in a not always functioning but
controlled environment, while on UNIX you have fifty versions with a hundred
flavors each, and compling for all these combinations is a real pain. So I
decided to leave compiling to the experts on UNIX, and for idiots like me
using Windows I offer conveniently compiled versions...
Cheers,
Haje
"David Fanning" <davidf@dfanning.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1c5ab9fbe9b6529c9898e0@news.frii.com...
> Haje Korth writes:
>
>> I usually write all my software for myself and never worry about network
>> installation. Why does every user need to compile the dlm separately?
Can't
>> you compile it and throw it in the idl binary directory for everyone to
use?
>> The only other possibility I see is that the user uses make_dll in a
local
>> directory and they set ! dlm_path to point to it.
>
> I'll speak for JD, who is too busy counting parentheses this morning
> to answer.
>
> The problem with distributing software is that not all of your users
> are in the building. Some are in their own buildings, states, countries,
> etc. And most don't have the foggiest idea of what they are doing.
>
> So...you have to do it for them. Making someone change his own
> path is perilous. Half the users don't know how to. Of the other
> half, half of them will put the path in the wrong order. Perhaps
> half of one percent will actually know how to figure out which
> COLORBAR routine they are actually using.
>
> Even projects don't help as much as you would hope. Often, my client
> applications will include several different libraries or projects.
> To get them distributed properly, I have to make a single project
> for the client. But that means I have multiple copies of my
> library on my machine. Aaaachhhh!
>
> Life would be so much easier if we could just combine several
> projects in the same project file. Perhaps I'm going to have
> to go get the ol' Emacs manual out again. :-(
>
> Cheers,
>
> David
>
> --
> David Fanning, Ph.D.
> Fanning Software Consulting, Inc.
> Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
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| Re: MAKE_DLL for DLMs [message #42270 is a reply to message #42267] |
Fri, 21 January 2005 06:05 |
David Fanning
Messages: 11724
Registered: August 2001
|
Senior Member |
|
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Haje Korth writes:
> I usually write all my software for myself and never worry about network
> installation. Why does every user need to compile the dlm separately? Can't
> you compile it and throw it in the idl binary directory for everyone to use?
> The only other possibility I see is that the user uses make_dll in a local
> directory and they set ! dlm_path to point to it.
I'll speak for JD, who is too busy counting parentheses this morning
to answer.
The problem with distributing software is that not all of your users
are in the building. Some are in their own buildings, states, countries,
etc. And most don't have the foggiest idea of what they are doing.
So...you have to do it for them. Making someone change his own
path is perilous. Half the users don't know how to. Of the other
half, half of them will put the path in the wrong order. Perhaps
half of one percent will actually know how to figure out which
COLORBAR routine they are actually using.
Even projects don't help as much as you would hope. Often, my client
applications will include several different libraries or projects.
To get them distributed properly, I have to make a single project
for the client. But that means I have multiple copies of my
library on my machine. Aaaachhhh!
Life would be so much easier if we could just combine several
projects in the same project file. Perhaps I'm going to have
to go get the ol' Emacs manual out again. :-(
Cheers,
David
--
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting, Inc.
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
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| Re: MAKE_DLL for DLMs [message #42271 is a reply to message #42270] |
Fri, 21 January 2005 05:03 |
Haje Korth
Messages: 651
Registered: May 1997
|
Senior Member |
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JD,
I usually write all my software for myself and never worry about network
installation. Why does every user need to compile the dlm separately? Can't
you compile it and throw it in the idl binary directory for everyone to use?
The only other possibility I see is that the user uses make_dll in a local
directory and they set ! dlm_path to point to it.
Cheers,
Haje
"JD Smith" <jdsmith@as.arizona.edu> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.01.20.16.58.37.149684@as.arizona.edu...
> On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 08:09:09 -0500, Haje Korth wrote:
>
>> JD,
>> yes, I have used it and I did not have to spend much though on it to get
it
>> running. Some example code is located here:
>> http://dysprosium.jhuapl.edu/idltoaacgm/. Download the UNIX version,
Windows
>> is binaries only.
>
> Your solution is the one I stumbled on as well: rather than let
> MAKE_DLL build the shared library in its ~/.idl/idl_blah/compile_dir
> (!MAKE_DLL.COMPILE_DIRECTORY) directory, output it instead to the
> directory which contains the .dlm file. However, this isn't really
> ideal for site-wide, read-only setups, in which the source directories
> aren't writable. Any other thoughts? I suppose I could add
> !MAKE_DLL.COMPILE_DIRECTORY to the !DLM_PATH on startup, but I hate to
> muck with people's paths.
>
> JD
>
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| Re: MAKE_DLL for DLMs [message #42279 is a reply to message #42271] |
Thu, 20 January 2005 08:58 |
JD Smith
Messages: 850
Registered: December 1999
|
Senior Member |
|
|
On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 08:09:09 -0500, Haje Korth wrote:
> JD,
> yes, I have used it and I did not have to spend much though on it to get it
> running. Some example code is located here:
> http://dysprosium.jhuapl.edu/idltoaacgm/. Download the UNIX version, Windows
> is binaries only.
Your solution is the one I stumbled on as well: rather than let
MAKE_DLL build the shared library in its ~/.idl/idl_blah/compile_dir
(!MAKE_DLL.COMPILE_DIRECTORY) directory, output it instead to the
directory which contains the .dlm file. However, this isn't really
ideal for site-wide, read-only setups, in which the source directories
aren't writable. Any other thoughts? I suppose I could add
!MAKE_DLL.COMPILE_DIRECTORY to the !DLM_PATH on startup, but I hate to
muck with people's paths.
JD
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| Re: MAKE_DLL for DLMs [message #42284 is a reply to message #42279] |
Thu, 20 January 2005 05:09 |
Haje Korth
Messages: 651
Registered: May 1997
|
Senior Member |
|
|
JD,
yes, I have used it and I did not have to spend much though on it to get it
running. Some example code is located here:
http://dysprosium.jhuapl.edu/idltoaacgm/. Download the UNIX version, Windows
is binaries only.
Cheers,
Haje
"JD Smith" <jdsmith@as.arizona.edu> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.01.19.22.39.13.418876@as.arizona.edu...
>
>
> Has anyone used MAKE_DLL for DLMs? I've used it with CALL_EXTERNAL
> with no problem, but I'm confused about the DLM search path. Is
> !MAKE_DLL.COMPILE_DIRECTORY included on it by default? It seems not.
> If so, what's the typical way people are discovering and loading DLMs
> that end up in ~/.idl/idl_6_X_X_linux_x86_m32_f64/compile_dir or the
> like? I suppose you can reference it directly with DLM_REGISTER, but
> isn't that defeating the purpose?
>
> JD
>
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