| # Visual Studio 2019 <!-- omit in toc --> |
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| You can use Visual Studio 2019 to examine the samples (compile them and run them in an SDL window) or to build your own apps for the 32blit API. |
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| See [Building & Running On 32Blit](32blit.md) if you want to compile examples/projects to run on 32Blit. |
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| - [Requirements](#requirements) |
| - [Option 1: Use the solution file](#option-1-use-the-solution-file) |
| - [Get started with your own game](#get-started-with-your-own-game) |
| - [Option 2: Use Visual Studio's built-in CMake support](#option-2-use-visual-studios-built-in-cmake-support) |
| - [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting) |
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| ## Requirements |
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| You will need Visual Studio 2019 (preferably version 16.4). |
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| Make sure you install C++ desktop development support. |
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| You will also need to download SDL2 development libraries from the [SDL homepage](https://www.libsdl.org/download-2.0.php). Here find the latest version of the VC development libraries (at the time of this writing SDL2-devel-2.0.10-VC.zip). Additionally, download SDL2_image from [here](https://www.libsdl.org/projects/SDL_image/) (SDL2_image-devel-2.0.5-VC.zip). |
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| Place these in the `vs\sdl\` folder. You will need to merge the include/lib directories. |
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| There are two methods of building with Visual Studio: |
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| ## Option 1: Use the solution file |
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| This should be the most familiar option for existing Visual Studio users. |
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| The solutions and projects are made to use toolset version c142. |
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| The solution file is located at `vs\32blit.sln`. It contains two static linked libraries, _32blit_ and _32blit-sdl_ and all the examples that will compile to .EXE. |
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| ### Get started with your own game |
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| There is also a skeleton game created for you in `template\game.sln`. This is an empty skeleton with some comments to get you started with your own game (if you do not want to start tweaking one of the examples). |
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| ## Option 2: Use Visual Studio's built-in CMake support |
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| This has the advantage of being closer to the build for the device. |
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| 1. Open Visual Studio |
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| 2. `File` > `Open` > `Folder` and open the folder where you cloned this repo. (Alternatively, if you haven't cloned the repo yet, use `File` -> `Clone or check out code`) |
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| 3. Build! |
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| To find the built files use `Project` > `CMake Cache` > `Open in Explorer`. |
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| [More info about using CMake with Visual Studio](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/cmake-projects-in-visual-studio?view=vs-2019) |
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| ## Troubleshooting |
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| If you see errors such as `Cannot open include file: 'SDL.h': No such file or directory` and `cannot open file 'SDL2.lib'` you've probably extracted the SDL development libraries wrong. Inside your sdl folder you should have the folders docs, include and lib not SDL2-2.0.10. |
