VC++ or VC .net?

[gerbopel]

To develop AI code for a HL2 MOD do I need .NET or can I get by with VC++ 6.0? Is it designed for .NET or VC++ 6.0?

Cheers,
Gerb

[Cpl. Shrike]

Both can be used. Read this almost at bottom of page.

http://www.valve-erc.com/srcsdk/faq.html#faqCompiler2

[koraX]

don't use MSVC 6.0. It has many ugly bugs, mainly in STL and C++ core.

[@$3.1415rin]

there was something like 6.x after 6.0. ( you can't look up when you're not at home, that making me crazy ) that 6.x had a lot better browse functionality, in .net it's just luck if it works, and some functions were even removed.

and for slower computers .net isnt the best choice, the compiler is significantly slower, although some stuff like asm intrinsics etc are now working by default, no update needed there.

[stefanhendriks]

MSVC rocks. Its fast, it works, and i tried .Net , its slow as hell and it did not work as i wanted it to work.

Btw, the .net framework, sucks as well , imo. I don't need it, i don't even *want* to need it

[sfx1999]

I use MinGW. How would I use that with HL2?

[Whistler]

well unfortunately I don't think MinGW can be used with HL2 because it don't know what "__asm" is.
But for HL1 it's perfect and unlike MSVC6, it also complies with ANSI C/C++ Standards

M$ also has a "command-line compiler" which you can get for zero price, not sure if that works with HL2

(I don't want to touch a certain sensitive topic this time)

Originally Posted by @$3.1415rin

there was something like 6.x after 6.0. ( you can't look up when you're not at home, that making me crazy ) that 6.x had a lot better browse functionality, in .net it's just luck if it works, and some functions were even removed.

I don't think there is a MSVC 6.x - http://msdn.microsoft.com/visualc/
but there are several hhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuggggggeeeeeee service packs (really huge!!!) for MSVC6

[sfx1999]

Well, not all of it is ANSI compliant. A long long (64-bit int) is a POSIX thing I believe.

Anyway, it is possible to write alternative code. I bet it is already in there due to the Linux version.

[koraX]

DO NOT USE MSVC6.0.
Newset service pack for MSVC6.0 is version 6 and there is also a processor pack for MSVC6.0, but is is still buggy. If you insist on using MSVC6.0, download newest Platform SDK from Microsoft and patches for C++ from dinkumwares site.

If .NET is too slow for you, use MinGW.

About __asm, MinGW uses gcc style of asm.
Example between Microsofts style and MinGW :

#if defined __unix__ || ( defined _WIN32 && defined __GNUG__ )
	// this is for gcc and MinGW
	__asm__ __volatile__ (
		"rdtsc\n\t"
	: "=A" (cycles)
	: );
#endif

#if defined _WIN32 && !defined __GNUG__
	// this is for MSVC
	__asm { 
		push eax
		push edx
		rdtsc 
		mov dword ptr [cycles],eax 
		mov dword ptr [cycles+4],edx 
		pop edx
		pop eax
	}
#endif

long long is not defined in ISO C++ standard, but it is supported both by gcc/MinGW and MSVC.NET. However I recommned not using long, because it is represented differently in 64bit systems (ling is 64b in unix64 and 32b in WIN64)

And for those whiners who don't use MinGW because it does not have IDE, well look here http://www.bloodshed.net/dev/devcpp.html

[Whistler]

can't seem to open the bloodshed.net site but here is also the official download for Dev-Cpp:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/dev-cpp

There is also KDevelop for GNU/Linux (which is part of KDE) which can be used for editing the source code. You can also use GNU Emacs (with syntax highlighting, auto formatting the code and so on, for both GNU/Linux and Windows) but it's just an editor and not an IDE.

another thing is: do *NOT* use the MinGW version shipped with Dev-Cpp. it has bugs which can't compile HL bots. Download the MinGW which works for HL here:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/m...1.exe?download

P.S., actually the MinGW compiles kinda slowly... but the original GCC under GNU/Linux isn't slow, dunno if this is M$'s fault or MinGW hacker's fault. But I don't care about it due to the reasons some of you may already know