vcbuild and visual C++ compiler toolkit 2003

[Jonathan Wilson]

Is it possible to use vcbuild with the free MS compiler toolkit, as in can
someone with just the MS toolkit and no access to a copy of Visual Studio
itself use vcbuild to compile a Visual Studio .NET 2003 project?

Assuming it is possible, I can then work on getting my specific project to
compile under vcbuild+platform SDK+Visual C++ compiler toolkit

[Jonathan Wilson]

ok, after some experimentation, the short answer is that it is possible.
However, the following Visual C++ .NET 2003 files are needed to make it go:
the .vcstyle files under vc7\VCProjectDefaults
vcspawn.exe under common7\tools
vcprojectengine.dll under vc7\vcpackages
vcprojectui.dll under vc7\vcpackages\1033

I have managed to get my particular program (a windows DLL with no ATL or
MFC) building using just these files plus the VC Compiler Toolkit and
Platform SDK so it is possible as-is with a bit of hackery to put files
where vcbuild and friends expect to find them.
If you were to modify the relavent things to look for the files in the
right places (VC Compiler toolkit and Platform SDK folders) somehow, it
would probobly work even better...

Of course, this doesnt help most people since the only (legal) way to get
the Visual C++ .NET files you need is to buy Visual C++ .NET.

BTW, this test was on a Windows XP SP1 system with whatever version of the
..NET runtime is installed by Visual C++ .NET 2003.

[Carl Daniel [VC++ MVP]]

Jonathan Wilson wrote:

Is it possible to use vcbuild with the free MS compiler toolkit, as
in can someone with just the MS toolkit and no access to a copy of
Visual Studio itself use vcbuild to compile a Visual Studio .NET 2003
project?

Assuming it is possible, I can then work on getting my specific
project to compile under vcbuild+platform SDK+Visual C++ compiler
toolkit

I would think so. Of course, without Visual Studio you don't really have a
tool for creating .vcproj files, but I assume you're looking for a zero-cost
way for someone else to build your code, while you create and maintain the
..vcproj file using Visual Studio.

Why don't you try it out and report back with what you find?

-cd

[Jonathan Wilson]

I havent checked it on a blank (i.e. no Visual Studio stuff installed)
system but assuming you had vcspawn.exe, vcprojectengine.dll,
vcprojectui.dll and the contents of VCProjectDefaults, it appears to be
possible to compile stuff with just the Visual C++ Compiler Toolkit, the
Platform SDK and the .NET runtime installed.

Of course, in order to (legally) get vcspawn.exe, vcprojectengine.dll,
vcprojectui.dll and the contents of VCProjectDefaults, you need to own a
..NET 2003 licence (since the files in question dont appear to be listed in
the "files its ok to redistrubute list")

Perhaps someone at Microsoft can look at getting a "stand-alone" vcbuild
package (which includes the needed stuff) for those using the VC compiler
toolkit and platform SDK.

I can provide details of how I got it working using just those files (I
dont know if other files would be required in other circumstances though)