SDL-0.5.0: WIN32

Building hsSDL on Win32
-----------------------
Bit Connor <bit@mutantlemon.com>


This is how I managed to get hsSDL working on Windows XP.
I used GHC version 6.6.1


1. Download the SDL mingw development package from the SDL website
   http://www.libsdl.org

   The file I used was SDL-devel-1.2.12-mingw32.tar.gz

2. Extract it somewhere. You will get a directory called SDL-1.2.12

   I used C:\SDL-1.2.12

3. Modify SDL.cabal file from hsSDL distribution.

   A. There is a line:

          Extra-Libraries: SDL

      Change it to:

          Extra-Libraries: SDL.dll SDLmain

   B. Add two new lines to the end of the file:

          Include-Dirs: C:\SDL-1.2.12\include
          Extra-Lib-Dirs: C:\SDL-1.2.12\lib

4. Modify C:\SDL-1.2.12\include\SDL.h

   Line 28 there is a line:

       #include "SDL_main.h"

   Comment this out by changing it to:

       /* #include "SDL_main.h" */

   (This step is needed so that hsc2hs will later work correctly. hsc2hs works
   by generating a C program that generates a haskell program when run.
   SDL_main.h uses a preprocessor macro to mangle the program's main function.
   This causes hsc2hs to fail)

5. Open a Windows Command Prompt (Start -> Run -> "cmd.exe")
   cd into the hsSDL distribution directory and run:

       runghc Setup.lhs configure

   I got an error at the end, about a missing sh:

       ...
       configure: Using hsc2hs: C:\ghc\ghc-6.6.1\bin\hsc2hs.exe
       configure: No c2hs found
       configure: No cpphs found
       configure: No greencard found
       Setup.lhs: Cannot find: sh

   I ignored the error, and didn't have any problems.

   Next run:

       runghc Setup.lhs build

   Finally, run:

       runghc Setup.lhs install

6. Compile the example program. Run:

       cd Examples
       ghc --make Test.hs

   You should get a Test.exe file.
   Before running it, copy the SDL.dll file into the directory. You can find
   it here:

       C:\SDL-1.2.12\bin\SDL.dll

   Now run Test.exe, press spacebar a few times to watch the smiley face jump
   around, and finally press Q to quit.

7. Using SDL from GHCi does not seem to work. This is the error I get trying to
   run Test.hs from GHCi:

       Prelude Main> main
       Loading package SDL-0.4.0 ... can't load .so/.DLL for: SDLmain (addDLL: unknown
       error)

Peace,
Bit Connor <bit@mutantlemon.com>