Torque3D/Engine/bin/bison-flex/custom_build_rules/README.md

How to setup custom build rules for Visual Studio 2010 and up.

First of all you should have the necessary files. Custom Build rules are separated into a file triplet of .xml, .targets and .props.

You find the custom build rules for win_flex_bison in the custom_build_rules directory of the win_flex_bison archive.

You may choose to install one of the following rule set

• the combined rules - alternative download:

  • win_flex_bison_custom_build.props
  • win_flex_bison_custom_build.targets
  • win_flex_bison_custom_build.xml

• flex only rules - alternative download:

  • win_flex_custom_build.props
  • win_flex_custom_build.targets
  • win_flex_custom_build.xml

• bison only rules - alternative download:

  • win_bison_custom_build.props
  • win_bison_custom_build.targets
  • win_bison_custom_build.xml

This documentation uses the combined rule-set but can be used for all rule-sets.

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Launch Visual Studio and open an VC/VC++ project. Open context menu for project item in Solution Explorer panel and select "Build Customizations..." menu item. (Note: newer VS versions have this below sub-menu "Build Dependencies...".)

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In popup dialog "Visual C++ Build Customization Files" press "Find Existing..." button.

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In Open File dialog select "win_flex_bison_custom_build.targets" file and press "Open". (Note: you may have to switch the file filter to "(.) all files".)

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You will see "Add Search Path?" message box, press "Yes".

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In "Visual C++ Build Customization Files" dialog check just added item win_flex_bison_custom_build and press "OK".

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Now you can add flex and bison files to the project...

... and build. In build output you should see something like this:

1>------ Rebuild All started: Project: ConsoleApplication1, Configuration: Debug Win32 ------
1>  Process sample bison file
1>  Process sample flex file
1>  stdafx.cpp
1>  ConsoleApplication1.cpp
1>  Generating Code...
1>  ConsoleApplication1.vcxproj -> C:\Users\ConsoleApplication1\Debug\ConsoleApplication1.exe
========== Rebuild All: 1 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 skipped ==========

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For sample.y bison file there are two output files: sample.tab.h and sample.tab.cpp. For sample.l flex file you'll got sample.flex.cpp.

Now you can add them to the project and build. (Don't forget to exclude cpp files from using precompiled headers)

1>------ Build started: Project: ConsoleApplication1, Configuration: Debug Win32 ------
1>  Process sample bison file
1>  Process sample flex file
1>  sample.tab.cpp
1>  sample.flex.cpp
1>  Generating Code...
1>  ConsoleApplication1.vcxproj -> C:\Users\ConsoleApplication1\Debug\ConsoleApplication1.exe
========== Build: 1 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========

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If your flex/bison file is incorrect and you've got an error. But you don't see actual error message, something like this:

1>------ Build started: Project: ConsoleApplication2, Configuration: Debug Win32 ------
1>  Process "grammar.y" bison file
1>C:...\custom_build_rules\win_flex_bison_custom_build.targets(55,5): error MSB3721: The command "
1>C:...\custom_build_rules\win_flex_bison_custom_build.targets(55,5): error MSB3721: start /B /WAIT /D "C:...\ConsoleApplication2\ConsoleApplication2\" win_bison.exe --output="grammar.tab.cpp" --defines="grammar.tab.h" --graph="1.dot" "grammar.y"
1>C:...\custom_build_rules\win_flex_bison_custom_build.targets(55,5): error MSB3721: exit /b %errorlevel%" exited with code 1.
========== Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========

You can change Build Output Verbosity from "Minimal" to "Normal" in "Options" dialog

Then you will see more detailed output:

1>BisonTarget:
1>  Process "grammar.y" bison file
1>  grammar.y:51.1-4: error: invalid directive: '%sdw'
1>C:...\custom_build_rules\win_flex_bison_custom_build.targets(55,5): error MSB3721: The command "
1>C:...\custom_build_rules\win_flex_bison_custom_build.targets(55,5): error MSB3721: start /B /WAIT /D "C:...\ConsoleApplication2\" win_bison.exe --output="grammar.tab.cpp" --defines="grammar.tab.h" --graph="1.dot" "grammar.y"
1>C:...\custom_build_rules\win_flex_bison_custom_build.targets(55,5): error MSB3721: exit /b %errorlevel%" exited with code 1.
1>
1>Build FAILED.
1>
1>Time Elapsed 00:00:01.21
========== Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========

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Also you can tune some flex/bison options in files properties dialog:

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To debug your scanner or parser you can set break points right into sample.y or sample.l code.

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To use the Visual C++ Code editor for Flex/Bison files instead of the text editor adjust your editor settings as follows:

• click Options on the Tools menu, expand the Text Editor node and select File Extension
• type extension l in the Extension field and choose Microsoft Visual C++ in the Editor drop-down field, click Add
• do the same for the extension y

You now have syntax highlighting, code-completion and show definition options in your Flex/Bison source.

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Enjoy!