Windows porting problems

[Zach Wegner]

As I'm trying to get around to making my program fully Windows-compatible, I'm running into problems. I've compiled it fine in the past on a computer that didn't have the SDK installed on it, i.e. there isn't a Windows.h. This just meant I couldn't use some functions I needed for input and SMP. But now that I've tried again with the SDK to use these functions, I realize that the Windows.h file clashes with many of my constant names. First, there is the BOOL, but that is not hard to change. But then there are things like TESTING, which I use in an enum. I'd rather not have to change this constant name throughout my whole program. Is there any technique that you know of to help a port to windows? Perhaps only including more specific header files?

[Dann Corbit]

Separate the Windows specific routines into their own files.
Include only the API to the windows specific routines as a header to your chess program.

[Zach Wegner]

Separate the Windows specific routines into their own files.

Hmmm... Probably not possible, and rather ugly too. I wonder if I could somehow separate the parts of the program that need it though...

Include only the API to the windows specific routines as a header to your chess program.

What do you mean by this? Like using

Code: Select all

extern LPVOID SomeStupidWindowsFunctionWithLongName(HANDLE *hAndle, DWORD dwUselessParameter...);

for each function I use?

I hope my bias isn't showing through that example...

[Gerd Isenberg]

Separate the Windows specific routines into their own files.

Hmmm... Probably not possible, and rather ugly too. I wonder if I could somehow separate the parts of the program that need it though...

Include only the API to the windows specific routines as a header to your chess program.

What do you mean by this? Like using

Code: Select all

extern LPVOID SomeStupidWindowsFunctionWithLongName(HANDLE *hAndle, DWORD dwUselessParameter...);

for each function I use?

I hope my bias isn't showing through that example...

I guess Dann means to make your interfaces (h-files) windows (os) independent and only include windows.h in one c(pp) file with all os-dependent stuff implemented. Don't be afraid to rename some symbols. You may use namespaces inside your program, and you may try
#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
before including windows.h

Gerd

[Dann Corbit]

What I mean is like this:
Probably one or two functions are operating system specific.
Natural common examples are keyboard input and timing functions.
All the other functions in the chess program do not care at all about the operating system.

So take the functions that need headers that are not owned by ANSI/ISO C and put them in a separate translation unit.
Examine (for instance) the files of Dr. Hyatt's chess engine Crafty. You will find a single C file that contains:
#include <windows.h>
and the name of that file is utility.c

All other C files do not contain Windows specific headers because they are not needed. As you can see, this file from crafty is designed to run against a large number of client platforms:

Code: Select all

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdarg.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <ctype.h>
#include "chess.h"
#include "data.h"
#if !defined(AMIGA)
#  include <limits.h>
#endif
#if defined(OS2)
#  include <sys/select.h>
#endif
#if defined(NT_i386)
#  include <windows.h>
#  include <winbase.h>
#  include <wincon.h>
#  include <io.h>
#  include <time.h>
#else
#  include <sys/times.h>
#  include <sys/time.h>
#endif
#if defined(UNIX)
#  include <unistd.h>
#  include <sys/types.h>
#  if !defined(LINUX) && !defined(ALPHA) && !defined(HP) && !defined(CRAY1) && \
   !defined(FreeBSD) && !defined(NetBSD) && !defined(__EMX__)
#    if defined(AIX)
#      include <sys/termio.h>
#      include <sys/select.h>
#    else
#      if defined(NEXT)
#        include <bsd/termios.h>
#        include <sys/ioctl.h>
#      else
#        include <sys/filio.h>
#      endif
#    endif
#    if !defined(NEXT)
#      include <stropts.h>
#    endif
#    include <sys/conf.h>
#  else
#    include <sys/ioctl.h>
#  endif
#  include <signal.h>
#  include <sys/wait.h>
#endif
#if defined(UNIX)
#  include <sys/ipc.h>
#  include <sys/shm.h>
#endif

#if defined(__EMX__)
#  define INCL_DOS
#  define INCL_KBD
#  include <os2.h>
#endif

This is a very good idea in general. We do it at CONNX.COM all the time since our tools run on everything under the sun (including the sun).