Projects

Intro

Lightsoft make an excellent point (in the PowerFantasm User Manual) regarding creating all your programs as `modular' projects. Initially I found this a bit of a pain.
By a pain, I mean, it takes a couple of minutes to set up the project file and the other folders. But it is a good way to structure your work.

What Is A Project?
A project is simply a 'hitching post' where all your source files are tied to.
It's probably easiest to think of a project as 'something that holds it all together'. When you have set your programs project file up all your settings are saved in your programs project file. This makes it very easy to pick up where you left off.

Those of you who have had some experience with other compilers will be familiar with this concept. For those new to programming the Mac with PowerFantasm, well, this is for you. I'll walk you through the process.

BTW: My documents merely present some guidelines to (hopefully) assist you when creating your PowerFantasm projects. This is not `the law', use whatever structure you prefer. Throughout this document I assume you are fairly Mac-savvy - you know how to navigate through folders, select text and so on. To add a sense of reality to all this I made up a fictional name for my fictional program - SuperEdit. Whenever you see SuperEdit mentioned just replace with the name of your program.

Setting Up The Folders
For the purposes of this discussion my program is called "SuperEdit". So I create a new folder and name it "SuperEdit Folder". Double-click to open the "SuperEdit Folder" and inside it create 4 more new folders called "SuperEdit Source", "SuperEdit Globals", "SuperEdit Libraries" and "SuperEdit Output".

Below is a diagram showing how your program folder might look like.

The Four (Easy) Steps To Project SetUp

Step 1 : The Folders
Create the folders. Use the structure outlined in the (beautiful) diagram above. Remember, it is only an example.

BTW: My personal choice is to keep everything related to a program in one folder (i.e.: I leave the Project `loose' in the main program folder). If you like you could place all your Project files in another folder (on your hard disk) so that if you want to work on a program you only have to find and double-click the associated Project file and off you go. It's up to you.

Step 2 : The Build Control File
Launch Eddie (LightSoft's super-duper text editor) or any other plain-Jane text editor (as long as it supports tabs). From the File menu select `New...', again from the File menu select `Save as...' - name the file "SuperEdit.BCF" and save it in the `SuperEdit Source' folder.

FYI: The Build Control File, or BCF for short, is the centre of the universe. Well, the centre of the PowerFantasm universe anyway. Basically, the BCF tells PowerFantasm what source files to assemble and then what source files to link in order to create your application.
We'll go into more detail next time.

Step 3 : Set Up The Paths

Launch PowerFantasm. From the Project menu select Project Setup then select `Paths'. Set the Paths up as follows by clicking on the relevant button:

PATH NAME                           SET PATH TO

Build Control File                  SuperEdit Source folder and
                                    select your BCFfile
                                    (e.g.: SuperEdit.BCF)

Source file                         SuperEdit Source folder

Global Includes                     SuperEdit Globals folder

Output                              SuperEdit Output folder

Shared Incbins                      Not used here

SA Output                           Not used here

Standard Libraries                  LS Standard Libraries

User Libraries                      SuperEdit Libraries folder

Headers                             V4 Headers

At this stage it is not vital to know what the LS Standard Libraries and V4 Headers contain - we will come back to those later. Just make sure the paths for them are set as detailed above.

BTW: While you do not have to go to all this trouble. I recommend it so you avoid the `paths not set' error messages that can sometimes cause confusion - especially if you are new to PowerFantasm.

Step 4 : Creating The Project File

Immediately after setting up the Paths click OK to exit the Paths dialog. From the File menu select `Save project set-up as...' - save it as `SuperEdit.P'. The `.P' is the extension I give my project files, you may wish to use another method. The title of the main PowerFantasm window will change to reflect the Project name. Finally, go back and double check that the paths are set up correctly.

FYI: Remember before I said the BCF file was the centre of the universe (as far as PowerFantasm is concerned)? Um - I sort of lied! The project file is the centre of the universe.
No, truly!

The project file remembers your paths, preferences and it is a very convenient way of picking up where you left off. The BCF file controls how the various source files are assembled and linked.

Finally... Not so bad was it? Yeah, pretty elementary stuff I know. It aint rocket science!
If you are new to PowerFantasm and you have this little lot under your belt, well, you will avoid any elementary errors and you will have a solid foundation for my future dissertations. (That's if Stu lets me write again :-)). (No probs my man! - SB)

Next time around I'll expand on some of the points that have been raised here and start exploring our very first program. Stay tuned!

Copyright Lightsoft 1996.