Support building CEGUI and its deps on Windows with MSVC for 64-bit.

[Yaron Cohen-Tal]

Basically, this just requires using a 64-bit generator with CMake to build CEGUI and its deps. All left to be done is check this actually works... Once this works, would be nice if it were included in the automated builds, and if some1 actually checked that it works from time to time.

[Lukas Meindl]

Please link to the discussion that lead to this ticket making. For a person not involved in every discussion going on in the comments of PR's, it is not possible to figure out what this is about as you don't provide enough information. Please add what you want to do exactly and how. Do we provide this via a CMake option? What is broken right now about it? etc etc

[Lukas Meindl]

Same question for the deps btw.. Also we DO already support building it in 64 bit, so you should emphasise on what you want to add (to make it easier or whatever).

[Yaron Cohen-Tal]

@Ident8: I'm sorry, but I don't understand what's unclear in the description or how our discussion would add information to this issue. Building for 64-bit with CMake by principle doesn't require, in general, any change to the source files or CMake files. All that's required is calling CMake with a 64-bit generator. This is a general fact that has nothing to do with CEGUI. This is true for every CMake project, CEGUI and its deps included. So all that's left to do is to check that it actually works and if anything needs fixing - fix it. Then - include it in the automated builds, and have some1 actually check that it works from time to time. If there's anything which u think is still unclear, or any detail u think is worth adding, plz b more specific.

[Lukas Meindl]

I was thinking more alongside an option that does something like this: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/h2k70f3s.aspx

Can you link the generator or a general place (stackoverflow) where it is described?

[Yaron Cohen-Tal]

https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.4/generator/Visual%20Studio%2014%202015.html

Seems like now it's done using "cmake -A":

https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.4/variable/CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM.html#variable:CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM

https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.4/manual/cmake.1.html#manual:cmake(1) (see doc for "-A")

[Lukas Meindl]

Do you think this should be activated via a CMake option such as "CEGUI_BUILD_x64" which would default be FALSE or how should this be triggered?

Or asked differently: What changes are you suggesting?

[Yaron Cohen-Tal]

@Ident8: When u configure CEGUI with cmake, do u use "cmake-gui" or "cmake" (command line)?

[Yaron Cohen-Tal]

I only just realized that u might not know what I mean by "generator".. So I'll explain. Here is my suggestion:

1) Don't make any change to CEGUI files.

2) Configure CEGUI for MSVC (say 2015) targetting 64-bit using CMake, by doing one of the following:

• To use the command line CMake, run:

cmake -G "Visual Studio 14 2015 Win64" <other-options> <src-dir>

• To use the GUI CMake, run "cmake-gui", press "configure", and under "Specify the generator for this project, choose "Visual Studio 14 2015 Win64"

Either way, the "Visual Studio 14 2015 Win64" is called the CMake generator that u use. So it's not part of the CMake files, but part of how u run CMake.

3) Build (e.g. by opening the created solution in Visual Studio and building it). Fix any build errors.

4) Run. Fix any bugs.

Only steps 3 and 4 actually change anything in CEGUI files. Theoretically, it's possible that building and running will just work out of the box, in which case there'll b no need to change anything in CEGUI files!

When the described above is done, I consider the issue resolved. Then, as an extra, would be nice if it were included in the automated builds, and if some1 actually checked that it works from time to time.

[Lukas Meindl]

@yaronct can this issue be marked fixed? What is missing?

[Yaron Cohen-Tal]

Actually I've indeed tested MSVC targetting 64-bit and it simply works.. I haven't checked all dependencies / renderers, but still I guess u can mark it is resolved and say that CEGUI officially supports building with MSVC targetting 64-bit.

[Lukas Meindl]

Okay cool, I will mark this resolved then.

Regarding official support: Where should we say that? Does the docu or website say otherwise?

[Lukas Meindl]

Resolved, thanks to @yaronct

[Yaron Cohen-Tal]

here we say we support 64-bit, but the supported compilers aren't listed, they prolly should be (including MinGW).

here we don't mention 64-bit or MinGW, we prolly should. And btw we say we support XCode. Does any1 atually test it Perhaps I would if I managed to install Hackintosh..

[Lukas Meindl]

1. Fixed: http://cegui.org.uk/features

2. Fixed in a16beed

[Lukas Meindl]

Mac OS was tested by CrazyEddie. It should still work ( I see no reason it would not) and we had no complaints yet ;) (which does't mean much consider the low share of MacOS users)

[Yaron Cohen-Tal]

@Ident8: Sorry for the trouble, but I think in (1) and (2) we better replace "MinGW" with "MinGW-w64", to prevent a possible misunderstanding for those still using the old MinGW.

[Lukas Meindl]

@yaronct : Thanks for the info, I didn't know this is how it is called now

1. Fixed: http://cegui.org.uk/features

2. Fixed in 02f895b

[Yaron Cohen-Tal]

@Ident8: thanx!