[SDL] compile error under vc++ - unresolved external symbol

[Peter Mulholland]

Albert Ridolfi wrote:
> Hello Peter,
> 
> I was using the pre-compiled libraries, but now I have built them all by
> myself, and this didn't fix the problem.
> 
> I modified just the main function and the signature, and removed #include
> "stdafx.h", now it is just int main()

How have you created the project ? The correct setting to use is "Win32 
Project", "Windows Application", and IMHO you are best ticking "Empty 
Project"

One thing I have noticed is that VS2005 now defaults to using Unicode 
character set. I doubt this is a problem but you can always try setting 
it back to Multibyte (the default in previous versions), in the project 
property pages under General.

> The compiler output:
> main.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _Mix_LoadWAV_RW
> referenced in function "int __cdecl SDL_main(void)" (?SDL_main@@YAHXZ)
> main.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _SDL_RWFromFile
> referenced in function "int __cdecl SDL_main(void)" (?SDL_main@@YAHXZ)

I don't get this. These should be available if you are linking with 
SDL.lib and SDL_mixer.lib. For some reason VS2005 is not doing so. Are 
you sure that the place where these lib files are is in VS2005's library 
  search path?

> MSVCRTD.lib(crtexe.obj) : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _main
> referenced in function ___tmainCRTStartup

That means that the wrong project setting (Console Application most 
likely, in Unicode mode) was chosen.

Windows Apps typically have a WinMain() entry point. SDL hides this 
through SDLmain.lib so that it can set itself up, and it makes it appear 
that a standard main() is supported. This shows up (through some 
preprocessor tricks) as SDL_main().

Pete.