complete beginner sdl including

[thick halo]

so i already spent my whole day trying to get sdl to work with my c++, heres what i have now
makefile:

    g++ -I src\include -L C:\Users\48608\Desktop\cpp\sdlproject\src\x64lib -o main main.cpp -lSDL2main -lSDL2```
c++ tutorial code 💀:
```#include <iostream>
#include <SDL2/SDL.h>

const int WIDTH = 800, HEIGHT = 800;

int main( int argc, char *argv[] ) {
    SDL_Init( SDL_INIT_EVERYTHING);

    SDL_Window *window = SDL_CreateWindow("sdl lol", SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, WIDTH, HEIGHT, SDL_WINDOW_ALLOW_HIGHDPI);

    if (NULL == window) {
        std::cout << "Couldnt create window: " << SDL_GetError() << std::endl;
        return 1;
    }

    SDL_Event windowEvent;

    while (true) {
        if (SDL_PollEvent(&windowEvent)) {
            if (SDL_QUIT == windowEvent.type) {
                break;
            }
        }
    }

    SDL_DestroyWindow( window );
    SDL_Quit();

    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}```

directories (check image)

[earnest cape]

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[thick halo]

yeah so it gives an error, i was trying and trying with chatgpt until it recognizes the directories, but now it says that it doesnt recognize the functions used

g++ -I src\include -L C:\Users\48608\Desktop\cpp\sdlproject\src\x64lib -o main main.cpp -lSDL2main -lSDL2
C:\Users\48608\AppData\Local\Temp\ccWRK8ae.o:main.cpp:(.text+0xf): undefined reference to `SDL_Init'
C:\Users\48608\AppData\Local\Temp\ccWRK8ae.o:main.cpp:(.text+0x43): undefined reference to `SDL_CreateWindow'
C:\Users\48608\AppData\Local\Temp\ccWRK8ae.o:main.cpp:(.text+0x51): undefined reference to `SDL_GetError'
C:\Users\48608\AppData\Local\Temp\ccWRK8ae.o:main.cpp:(.text+0x96): undefined reference to `SDL_PollEvent'
C:\Users\48608\AppData\Local\Temp\ccWRK8ae.o:main.cpp:(.text+0xb7): undefined reference to `SDL_DestroyWindow'
C:\Users\48608\AppData\Local\Temp\ccWRK8ae.o:main.cpp:(.text+0xbc): undefined reference to `SDL_Quit'
c:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/6.3.0/../../../libmingw32.a(main.o):(.text.startup+0xa0): undefined reference to `WinMain@16'
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status
make: *** [Makefile:2: all] Error 1```

chatgpt couldnt help me further...

[thorny thicket]

are you using WSL2 ?

[thick halo]

never heard of that... so probably not

[thorny thicket]

where did you get the command g++ from

[thick halo]

mingw

[thorny thicket]

right, to learn how to add external libraries to your porgram like SDL you need to read the documentation of the command g++ and learn what the comand line arguments you passed are actually doing

[thorny thicket]

where are the headers of SDL in your filesystem

[thick halo]

uhhhhh.....

[thorny thicket]

where is the file SDL.h located in your filesystem

[thick halo]

well, i didnt put the download in a special place, i one of them is still in the downloads and another is in the directories of the project...

[thorny thicket]

so how about you properly move your SDL files in the home directory of your project first and not in downloads...

here you need to learn how include works

when you use #include "header.h"

the compiler will try to look for the current directory first, and then it will look in the include directories that were specified

to specify an include directory you use -I<insert full path_here>

this parameter is described in g++ docs

do not use relative apths in the filesystem, use full paths there

[thick halo]

as i said i already put a copy inside the project (look at the image attached)

[thorny thicket]

hold on

[thick halo]

yes?

[thorny thicket]

the headers you use are taken from ./include/SDL2/

they get recognised

so compilation phase passes, but

the linking phase

where you need to specify where exactly is the implementation of SDL2's functions and so on

is not passing because the linker can't find the implementation of the functions from the error message

meaning, you have a missing linker parameter

[thorny thicket]

send me a link to the tutorial you are following

you are missing some of SDL2's libraries

[thick halo]

well i completely modified the makefile command but everything else like in the tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUZZC9UXyFs

[thorny thicket]

if you are building in 64-bit mode, you need these libraries

you don't have them

@thick halo
https://github.com/SonarSystems/SDL-2-Tutorials/tree/master/Tutorial 001_Setup/Windows/Visual Studio Code/SDLTemplate/src/lib
these

[thick halo]

...

okay lemme download them

[thick halo]

BOOM WORKED!!!

so i had to download the same sdl as the guy in the video...

[thorny thicket]

show me your command in the makefile

[thick halo]

i edited it so its the same as in the video

    g++ -I src\include -L src\lib -o main main.cpp -lmingw32 -lSDL2main -lSDL2

[thorny thicket]

it looks like to run hello world these are all of the needed dynamic libraries used, they are passed with -l individually and are taken from the directories passed in -L

[thick halo]

?

[thorny thicket]

-L src\lib

[thick halo]

i still dont understand

also i just realized that the .exe doesnt run.....

[thorny thicket]

what do you mean doesn't run

[thick halo]

it means "the application wasnt opened correctly" (?)

[thorny thicket]

switch to english plz

[thick halo]

i already changed my system language to english but windows leaves some polish things sometimes...

[thick halo]

idk what to do now 💀

!solved