• Claus D. Volko (61/61) Mar 26 Hi there,
• Claus D. Volko (33/33) Mar 26 Well, I've now used dub build and am basically getting the same
• Claus D. Volko (3/3) Mar 26 It did build without errors after I removed the line
• Claus D. Volko (4/4) Mar 26 Well, well.
• ryuukk_ (3/8) Mar 27 If you are using the shared library instead of the static
• Claus D. Volko (7/9) Mar 27 Judging from what's written on
• Richard (Rikki) Andrew Cattermole (9/18) Mar 27 Shared libraries on Windows (DLL)'s, produce when linked an import
• Mike Parker (25/30) Mar 27 Let's get our terminology straight here.
• Claus D. Volko (3/3) Mar 27 I got my program to work. The DLL files had been missing and I
• Mike Parker (4/9) Mar 27 What do you mean by "fails"? Did you mean you the function call

Claus D. Volko <cdvolko gmail.com> writes:

Hi there,

I cloned https://git.sleeping.town/BindBC/bindbc-sdl.git to get 
the latest SDL bindings for D. In addition I cloned bindbc-loader 
and bindbc-common and copied the files into the appropriate 
directories. Then I cloned SDL and SDL_net and built everything 
in Release mode using Visual Studio 2022. So basically now my 
project contains the following files:

C:\Users\Acer\source\repos\adokhugi\game-d

26.03.2025  18:30    \<DIR>          .
26.03.2025  17:47    \<DIR>          ..
26.03.2025  18:25    \<DIR>          source
26.03.2025  17:50               138 .gitignore
26.03.2025  18:27             5,214 app.obj
26.03.2025  18:25                46 build.bat
26.03.2025  18:27               288 dub.sdl
26.03.2025  18:20         2,515,968 SDL3.dll
26.03.2025  18:20           272,158 SDL3.lib
26.03.2025  18:21           128,000 SDL3_net.dll
26.03.2025  18:21             9,676 SDL3_net.lib

The contents of dub.sdl:

name "game-d"
description "A game coded in D using SDL"
authors "Claus D. Volko"
copyright "Copyright © 2025, Claus D. Volko"
license "proprietary"
dependency "bindbc-sdl" version="~>2.1.0"
versions "SDL_3_4" "SDL_Net_3_0"
libs "SDL3" "SDL3_net"
subConfiguration "bindbc-sdl" "staticBC"

The preliminary contents of source\app.d:

import bindbc.sdl;

void main(){
SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO);
//etc.
SDL_Quit();
}

So when I try to build this, I get:

     C:\Users\Acer\source\repos\adokhugi\game-d>dmd source\app.d 
-L SDL3.lib -L SDL3_net.lib
     app.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen10EnumMember9__xtoHashFNbNeKxSQCaQBwQBsQBnZm
     app.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen10EnumMember11__xopEqualsMxFKxSQCbQBxQBtQBoZb
     app.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen6FnBind6__initZ
     app.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen6FnBind9__xtoHashFNbNeKxSQBvQBrQBnQBiZm
     app.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen6FnBind11__xopEqualsMxFKxSQBwQBsQBoQBjZb
     app.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen8EnumIden9__xtoHashFNbNeKxSQBxQBtQBpQBkZm
     app.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen8EnumIden11__xopEqualsMxFKxSQByQBuQBqQBlZb
     app.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 7 unresolved externals
     Error: linker exited with status 1120
            C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual 
Studio\2022\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.40.33807\bin\HostX64\x64\link.exe
/NOLOGO "app.obj"   /DEFAULTLIB:"SDL3.lib" /DEFAULTLIB:"SDL3_net.lib"
/DEFAULTLIB:phobos64    /LIBPATH:"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual
Studio\2022\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.40.33807\lib\x64"
legacy_stdio_definitions.lib /LIBPATH:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
Kits\10\Lib\10.0.22621.0\ucrt\x64" /LIBPATH:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
Kits\10\lib\10.0.22621.0\um\x64"

Could anybody please tell me what I have to do in order to get 
this to work?

Thank you very much in advance!

PS: I don't know how to use dub.

Claus D. Volko <cdvolko gmail.com> writes:

Well, I've now used dub build and am basically getting the same 
issues:

     C:\Users\Acer\source\repos\adokhugi\game-d>dub build
         Fetching bindbc-sdl 2.1.0 (getting selected version)
         Fetching bindbc-common 1.0.5 (getting selected version)
         Fetching bindbc-loader 1.1.5 (getting selected version)
         Starting Performing "debug" build using 
c:\D\dmd2\windows\bin64\dmd.exe for x86_64.
         Building bindbc-common 1.0.5: building configuration 
[yesBC]
         Building bindbc-sdl 2.1.0: building configuration 
[staticBC]
         Building game-d ~master: building configuration 
[application]
          Linking game-d
     game-d.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen10EnumMember9__xtoHashFNbNeKxSQCaQBwQBsQBnZm
     game-d.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen10EnumMember11__xopEqualsMxFKxSQCbQBxQBtQBoZb
     game-d.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen6FnBind9__xtoHashFNbNeKxSQBvQBrQBnQBiZm
     game-d.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen6FnBind11__xopEqualsMxFKxSQBwQBsQBoQBjZb
     game-d.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen8EnumIden9__xtoHashFNbNeKxSQBxQBtQBpQBkZm
     game-d.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol 
_D6bindbc6common7codegen8EnumIden11__xopEqualsMxFKxSQByQBuQBqQBlZb
     
C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\dub\cache\game-d\~master\build\application-debug-4FODLXa9OHT8X
3ikm9oOA\game-d.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 6 unresolved externals
     Error: linker exited with status 1120
            C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual 
Studio\2022\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.40.33807\bin\HostX64\x64\link.exe
/NOLOGO "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\dub\cache\game-d\~master\build\application-debug-4FODLXa9OHT8XG
ikm9oOA\game-d.obj" /OUT:"C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\dub\cache\game-d\~master\build\application-debug-4FODLXa9OHT8XG
ikm9oOA\game-d.exe" 
/DEFAULTLIB:"C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\dub\cache\bindbc-sdl\2.1.0\build\staticBC-debug-R5AUcUVlHWC2H6QGJ2
qNw\BindBC_SDL.lib" /DEFAULTLIB:"C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\dub\cache\bindbc-common\1.0.5\build\yesBC-debug-V-NThw1EUFmiU6cRIF0tF
\BindBC_Common.lib" /DEFAULTLIB:"SDL3.lib" /DEFAULTLIB:"SDL3_net.lib"
/DEFAULTLIB:phobos64 /DEBUG  /LIBPATH:"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual
Studio\2022\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.40.33807\lib\x64"
legacy_stdio_definitions.lib /LIBPATH:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
Kits\10\Lib\10.0.22621.0\ucrt\x64" /LIBPATH:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
Kits\10\lib\10.0.22621.0\um\x64"
     Error c:\D\dmd2\windows\bin64\dmd.exe failed with exit code 1.

Claus D. Volko <cdvolko gmail.com> writes:

It did build without errors after I removed the line

subConfiguration "bindbc-sdl" "staticBC"

from dub.sdl.

Claus D. Volko <cdvolko gmail.com> writes:

Well, well.

Now my code builds but it seems that the call of SDL_Init fails. 
I wonder if SDL3.lib is okay since I built it myself using Visual 
Studio. Maybe there is some prebuilt version available somewhere?

ryuukk_ <ryuukk.dev gmail.com> writes:

On Thursday, 27 March 2025 at 06:17:28 UTC, Claus D. Volko wrote:
 Well, well.

 Now my code builds but it seems that the call of SDL_Init 
 fails. I wonder if SDL3.lib is okay since I built it myself 
 using Visual Studio. Maybe there is some prebuilt version 
 available somewhere?

If you are using the shared library instead of the static 
library, you need to load it, call the `loadSDL` function

Claus D. Volko <cdvolko gmail.com> writes:

On Thursday, 27 March 2025 at 07:40:38 UTC, ryuukk_ wrote:
 If you are using the shared library instead of the static 
 library, you need to load it, call the `loadSDL` function

Judging from what's written on 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_library it should actually 
be a static library as it's a .lib file. Maybe the reason for the 
problem is that I compiled the library in Release mode while I 
built the D project in Debug mode? Anyway, I'll also try using 
the loadSDL function, thank you for the advice.

"Richard (Rikki) Andrew Cattermole" <richard cattermole.co.nz> writes:

On 28/03/2025 3:06 AM, Claus D. Volko wrote:
 On Thursday, 27 March 2025 at 07:40:38 UTC, ryuukk_ wrote:
 If you are using the shared library instead of the static library, you 
 need to load it, call the `loadSDL` function

 
 Judging from what's written on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 
 Shared_library it should actually be a static library as it's a .lib 
 file. Maybe the reason for the problem is that I compiled the library in 
 Release mode while I built the D project in Debug mode? Anyway, I'll 
 also try using the loadSDL function, thank you for the advice.

Shared libraries on Windows (DLL)'s, produce when linked an import 
library that happens to be a static library.

You link to the import library when you want to link against the shared 
library during compilation. It provides the information to the linker 
that it needs for this process.

The bindbc family of packages, usually can link against a shared library 
both during compilation (statically), or during runtime (dynamically).

The import library serves no purpose if you are linking dynamically.

Mike Parker <aldacron gmail.com> writes:

On Thursday, 27 March 2025 at 14:10:21 UTC, Richard (Rikki) 
Andrew Cattermole wrote:

 The bindbc family of packages, usually can link against a 
 shared library both during compilation (statically), or during 
 runtime (dynamically).

 The import library serves no purpose if you are linking 
 dynamically.

Let's get our terminology straight here.

BindBC supports static bindings and dynamic bindings.

Static bindings are used for both static and dynamic linking, 
i.e., there is a link-time dependency. Static linking means 
linking to the static library and there is no runtime dependency. 
Dynamic linking means linking with the import library on Windows 
and the dynamic library on other platforms, in which case there's 
a runtime dependency on the shared library.

Dynamic bindings are used for *dynamic loading*, not dynamic 
linking. This means there is no link-time dependency, but there 
is still a runtime dependency on the shared library. In this 
case, the shared library must be loaded manually at runtime.

In a static binding, the C function are declared as normal 
function declarations. When statically linking, the linker 
matches the symbols up. When dynamically linking, the system 
loader loads the shared library and then matches the symbols up.

In a dynamic binding, the C functions are declared as function 
pointers. The programmer must get a handle to the shared library 
via a system API call, then use the handle to fetch a pointer to 
each of the library's functions (or just the ones needed) and 
assign them to the function pointers declared by the binding. 
That's what bindbc-loader does, and why functions like `loadSDL` 
need to be called first when using the dynamic binding.

Claus D. Volko <cdvolko gmail.com> writes:

I got my program to work. The DLL files had been missing and I 
had to include a call to loadSDL. That was all that had to be 
done. Hooray! Thanks again for your help.

Mike Parker <aldacron gmail.com> writes:

On Thursday, 27 March 2025 at 06:17:28 UTC, Claus D. Volko wrote:
 Well, well.

 Now my code builds but it seems that the call of SDL_Init 
 fails. I wonder if SDL3.lib is okay since I built it myself 
 using Visual Studio. Maybe there is some prebuilt version 
 available somewhere?

What do you mean by "fails"? Did you mean you the function call 
happened but returned an error? Or was it something else, like a 
null pointer access?