README.md
1 Projects for various integrated development environments (IDE)
2 ==============================================================
3
4 #### Included projects
5
6 The following projects are included with the lz4 distribution:
7 - `VS2010` - Visual Studio 2010 project (which also works well with Visual Studio 2012, 2013, 2015)
8
9
10 #### How to compile lz4 with Visual Studio
11
12 1. Install Visual Studio e.g. VS 2015 Community Edition (it's free).
13 2. Download the latest version of lz4 from https://github.com/lz4/lz4/releases
14 3. Decompress ZIP archive.
15 4. Go to decompressed directory then to `visual` then `VS2010` and open `lz4.sln`
16 5. Visual Studio will ask about converting VS2010 project to VS2015 and you should agree.
17 6. Change `Debug` to `Release` and if you have 64-bit Windows change also `Win32` to `x64`.
18 7. Press F7 on keyboard or select `BUILD` from the menu bar and choose `Build Solution`.
19 8. If compilation will be fine a compiled executable will be in `visual\VS2010\bin\x64_Release\lz4.exe`
20
21
22 #### Projects available within lz4.sln
23
24 The Visual Studio solution file `lz4.sln` contains many projects that will be compiled to the
25 `visual\VS2010\bin\$(Platform)_$(Configuration)` directory. For example `lz4` set to `x64` and
26 `Release` will be compiled to `visual\VS2010\bin\x64_Release\lz4.exe`. The solution file contains the
27 following projects:
28
29 - `lz4` : Command Line Utility, supporting gzip-like arguments
30 - `datagen` : Synthetic and parametrable data generator, for tests
31 - `frametest` : Test tool that checks lz4frame integrity on target platform
32 - `fullbench` : Precisely measure speed for each lz4 inner functions
33 - `fuzzer` : Test tool, to check lz4 integrity on target platform
34 - `liblz4` : A static LZ4 library compiled to `liblz4_static.lib`
35 - `liblz4-dll` : A dynamic LZ4 library (DLL) compiled to `liblz4.dll` with the import library `liblz4.lib`
36 - `fullbench-dll` : The fullbench program compiled with the import library; the executable requires LZ4 DLL
37
38
39 #### Using LZ4 DLL with Microsoft Visual C++ project
40
41 The header files `lib\lz4.h`, `lib\lz4hc.h`, `lib\lz4frame.h` and the import library
42 `visual\VS2010\bin\$(Platform)_$(Configuration)\liblz4.lib` are required to compile a
43 project using Visual C++.
44
45 1. The path to header files should be added to `Additional Include Directories` that can
46 be found in Project Properties of Visual Studio IDE in the `C/C++` Property Pages on the `General` page.
47 2. The import library has to be added to `Additional Dependencies` that can
48 be found in Project Properties in the `Linker` Property Pages on the `Input` page.
49 If one will provide only the name `liblz4.lib` without a full path to the library
50 then the directory has to be added to `Linker\General\Additional Library Directories`.
51
52 The compiled executable will require LZ4 DLL which is available at
53 `visual\VS2010\bin\$(Platform)_$(Configuration)\liblz4.dll`.
54