Setting up OpenGL dev environment in Window

Recently I have been interested in graphic programming. I read a few tutorials and have found opengl is where I should start.

So I start setting up the opengl dev environment, but its not easy since I am using window (and vscode)...

Preparation

• GLFW
  • Precompiled
  • https://www.glfw.org/download.html
• GLAD
  • https://glad.dav1d.de/
• Vscode C++
  • https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/cpp/config-mingw#_prerequisites
  • Compiler: MinGW-w64 via MSYS2
    • pacman -S --needed base-devel mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-toolchain
  • C/C++ Extension
  • https://medium.com/@vivekjha92/setup-opengl-with-vs-code-82852c653c43
  • Restart Vscode if needed

Setting up

glfw lib

https://www.glfw.org/docs/latest/build_guide.html#build_link_mingw

• Static (I am using this)
  • libglfw3.a
• For DLL version
  • add #define GLFW_DLL in the first line of code
  • use the libglfw3dll.a one in lib

vscode task.json arg

Make sure the flag order is correct

"args": [
        "-fdiagnostics-color=always",
        "-g",
        "${file}",
        "-o",
        "${fileDirname}\\${fileBasenameNoExtension}.exe",
        "src/glad.c",
        "-I./include",
        "-L./lib",
        "-lglfw3",
        "-lgdi32",
      ]

file structure

---

Now I think I can start learning opengl :)

Here some problems I encountered when figuring how to setup the environment

lglfw3 not found

• make sure the file structure is correct

"undefined reference to `glfwTerminate'"

• linker problem
• so make sure the compiler flag and order are correct

std::cout not working after adding glfw related functions

• probably linker problem also
• check the compiler flag and file structure are all correct

Ref

https://learnopengl.com/

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/22623087/undefined-reference-errors-when-linking-glfw-on-mingw