Hello, Is there a special way to interface with the free pascal compiler, for example via a DLL/API ?

Just use the compiler unit in your project.

Hello,

Is there a special way to interface with the free pascal compiler, for example via a DLL/API ?

Or is an IDE supposed to interface via the FPC executable, command line parameters, and input files and console output with possibly output re-direction to files or so ?

For example, I build a small IDE and now I would like to do something for example:

1. Get a list of files tried by the compiler so I don't have to compile those again.

2. Get a list of error messages, possibly per tried file, or simply one big file for chronological programming mistakes.

Bye,
Skybuck.

I want to develop the IDE in Delphi 2007.

Is it still possible to interface via the compiler unit ???

Bye,
Skybuck.

Op Mon, 11 Feb 2008, schreef Skybuck Flying:

No, because Delphi cannot compile the compiler. You can work around this, build a DLL which exposes the compiler unit, then use that DLL from Delphi.

Daniël

Ok,

I will open source my little IDE so other people can help with it. Or use it in their own IDE.

For now I am looking for:

1. A replacement for RichEdit which has syntax highlighting for pascal/delphi. Line numbers are a big plus.

2. Some help with a DLL/API interface/specification.

For example would it be possible to pass Delphi classess to Free pascal libraries and vice versa ?

(My bet is: probably not :))

So then some other way has to be found to do what I want... I/We will have to give it some thought.

For now I put it on my webdrive but I have little space... so later I will switch to source forge for more space.

Take a look:

http://members.home.nl/hbthouppermans/SkybuckIDE/version%200.02/

For those not on Windows I shall include screenshot as well:

http://members.home.nl/hbthouppermans/SkybuckIDE/version%200.02/SkybuckIDEVersion002Screenshot.JPG

Bye,
Skybuck :)

Esteemed Skybuck,

I've read your messages and I think you didn't understood what Free Pascal is (or may be I didn't understood your questions).

Free Pascal is an Object Pascal compiler, like Delphi, so it's mostly compatible with it but they're quite different since FP doesn't include a RAD IDE nor a component library. They have also some internal differences as compilers; i.e. Delphi creates GUI applications by default while FPC creates console applications by default, also FPC doesn't support the <USES unitname AT "path/unitname.pas"> construction, Delphi can't manage exported variables from dynamic linking modules (DLL, so, dylib...) but FPC does it, etc.

If you're looking for a cross-platform RAD IDE with a component library to use with it you should try Lazarus
(http://www.lazarus.freepascal.org/), which is a RAD IDE that uses Free Pascal and includes a library which is similar than the VCL. But remember that Lazarus isn't Delphi. There are libraries you can use with Delphi that are compatible with FPC/Lazarus (such as Indy, JEDI/SDL or Allegro.pas) but there are a lot of them that aren't.

There's also a copyright problem. Most of the Delphi Library is open sourced, but the license forces to use that sources only with Borland/Code Gear's compilers. So it isn't "possible to pass Delphi classes to Free pascal libraries" (well, it is possible but you mustn't). The other way (use FPC/Lazarus libraries and classes in Delphi) YES IT IS possible.

I hope that helps in your quest.

Guillermo "Ñuño" Martínez

also FPC doesn't support the <USES unitname AT "path/unitname.pas"> construction, Delphi can't manage exported variables from dynamic linking modules (DLL, so, dylib...) but FPC does it, etc.

FPC supports:

uses
   unit1 in "../foo/bar/somefile.pas";

I am using this so I don't have to ship FPC config files in examples and demos for Powtils 1.7.X. (no -Fu search path needed for relative directories when using this trick).

You can even go:

uses
   newname in "someunit.pas";
begin
   newname.callfunction();
end.

You are right though that there are still differencecs between FPC such as not being able to export overloaded functions and minor things that are still feature tweaks.

library example;
exports
   overloaded(param)
   overloaded(different params);
   overloaded(other different params);
end.

Regards,
L505