[SDL] Correct way of including SDL?

[KHMan]

neil at cloudsprinter.com wrote:
>> What Win32 compiler do you use ?
> 
> i find the simplest way to get using SDL in the windows is to use 
> bloodshed dev
> c++ which has progect packages for SDL so you can download them easilly and
> then all you need is a list like
> -lmingw32
> [snip]
> in the progect option -> parameters - linker window

Not really very good advice. Experienced coders will go for
configuration files: autoconf, Makefile or whatever VC has. On
Win32, I'd recommended following Torsten's advice; get MinGW/Msys
and learn how to write Makefiles. Running "make" in a shell window
is just as easy as clicking buttons on spiffy IDEs; you can use
for favourite editor, I use SciTE for instance.

Since "Managing Projects with GNU Make" is freely downloadable
now, there's really no more reason to continue to do any manual
project configuration using GUI dialog boxes. Are we going to ask
prospective developers to "set this" "set that" on an IDE for our
project, whether commercial or open source? That's an adoption
barrier. Surely, the earlier one learns how to write configuration
files or Makefiles, the better.

> then you are away, there are a few downsides to this, one, the packages 
> are not
> kept up to date ( i should probably deal with this for SDL as i am 
> always using
> it ;) ) and the bloodshed devc++ IDE is no longer active and as a few minor
> bugs, but they rearely affect productrivity too much.

All the more reason to stay away from it. Lots of people survive
fine without IDEs... :-)

-- 
Cheers,
Kein-Hong Man (esq.)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia