zint/frontend_qt/howto_build_qzint_using_msvs2015.txt

Harald Oehlmann
2021-06-24

How to build qzint.exe using:
- QT 5.15.2 source package
- MS Visual Studio 2015 (VC14)

Build static Qt:
---------------
- Go to: https://www.qt.io/offline-installers
- Download the zip "Qt 5.15.x source packages" (nearly 1 GB):
  http://download.qt.io/official_releases/qt/5.15/5.15.2/single/qt-everywhere-src-5.15.2.zip
- Unzip to C:\qt resulting in having the source in c:\qt\qt-everywhere-src-5.15.2
- Install Python (https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/) and make it available within the path.

- Start the VS2015 x86 native console by the start menu entry:
Visual Studio 2015\Visual Studio Tools\Windows Desktop Command Prompts\VS2015 x86 Native Tools-Eingabeaufforderung
  ("Eingabeaufforderung" = "Command Prompt")

Note: if "rc.exe" not available, install a Windows Kit and update PATH (e.g.):
- set "PATH=C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.19041.0\x86;%PATH%"

- cd C:\qt\qt-everywhere-src-5.15.2
- configure.bat -static -release -prefix c:\qt\5.15.2static -qt-zlib -qt-pcre -qt-libpng -qt-libjpeg -qt-freetype -opengl desktop -no-openssl -opensource -confirm-license -make libs -nomake tools -nomake examples -nomake tests -mp
  One may set another destination folder after the -prefix option.
  Attention, the upper command is one long line.
- nmake
- nmake install
  The last 3 commands run around 3 hours.
  Make sure, that python may be found in the path.
- the huge source folder may be deleted to save around 6GB of space.

Zint Folder structure:
----------------------
- zint source files in $ZH
  -> this file is in $ZH\frontend_qt
- png1620.zip unzipped in $ZH\..\lpng
  -> $ZH\..\lpng\png.h exists
- zlib128.zip unzipped in folder $ZH\..\zlib
  -> $ZH\..\zlib\zlib.h exists

Build libpng:
-------------
Open $ZH\..\lpng\projects\vstudio with VS2015 gui and convert the project
Set Project settings->C++->Code Generation->Library: Multi-Threadded DLL /MD
Copy the zlib source as required by the make file (in my case: zlib-1.2.8)
Build targets "Release Library" for zlib and libpng.

Build zint:
-----------
- Start in the start menu: "VS2015 x86 Native Tools-Eingabeaufforderung"
- set QTDIR=C:\Qt\5.15.2static
- set PATH=C:\Qt\5.15.2static\bin;%PATH%
- set QMAKESPEC=win32-msvc
- cd $ZH

Note: if "rc.exe" not available, install a Windows Kit and update PATH (e.g.):
- set "PATH=C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.19041.0\x86;%PATH%"

- cd backend_qt
- qmake backend_qt.pro
- nmake clean
- nmake release

- cd ..\frontend_qt
- qmake frontend_qt.pro
- nmake clean
- nmake release
  -> qtZint.exe is in the release folder

Note:
For me, qt5core.lib was not found in the last step.
I only found the solution to add:

QMAKE_LIBDIR += C:/qt/5.15.2static/lib

into frontend_qt.pro

There is for sure a better solution.