CODEWITHSUNDEEP
valagnome-builder
v1nce
v1nce

Reputation: 801

Can't build vala with GnomeBuilder

Where can I find the hello world equivalent of "building a vala in Gnome-Builder" ?

I mean I can write and compile a simple helloworld.vala outside of gnome-builder. But I'd like to do it in a real IDE so I tried Gnome-Builder 3.26.1.

Using VS (or monodevelop) + C# is damn easy and I'd expected gnome-builder + vala to be the FOSS equivalent but it looks like it's not.

With VS you choose your template, you add (/organize) your source files wherever you want in the solution, you add your breakpoints, you hit F5 and that's it.

With GB I start with an empty template autotools + VALA. But then when I try to add a file in src directory I can only add an "empty file" (why can't I add a VALA file when it is the template I chose ?) Anyway I added a new vala file. I can compile it using the integrated terminal. But when I try to build it/debug it using ctrl f7, F5 it says the build is successful but does nothing. Even if I add errors in the file the build is still OK. So, clearly, Gnome-Builder is not building anything (but the files that were in the template at the very start).

Did I expected too much from Gnome-builder ? I wanted it to manage all the painfully uninteresting stuff for me (makefile...) so that I can concentrate on program core.

Is this what GB is supposed to do ? Or am I supposed to tweak some makefile.am or any esoteric file by hand ?

If so Why doesn't it see my vala file ?

Is this issue vala specific ? (VALA being a second class choice after C)

If I understand it well there's an alternative to autotools which is called meson ; will it help if I used MESOn instead of autotools ? (There's no meson template when I create a new project, is it normal ?) ? How to activate MESON ?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1057

Answers (1)

Jens Mühlenhoff
Jens Mühlenhoff

Reputation: 14873

Disclaimer: I am using Emacs, not Builder. I have kept an eye on its development though.

I would highly recommend that you take a look at Meson. It's a great and modern build system. I am using it for a mixed Vala / C / C++ / protobuf project and it's working great there.

All of the GNOME packages are currently moving towards Meson and away from autotools as a modernization process.

Builder is still in its early stages of development, Christian Hergert et al. are working hard at creating a modern IDE for GNOME app development.

Builder was started as a crowdfunding campaign in 2015 and it will still take a while to catch up with a product as old and mature as Visual Studio. So don't lose hope there, it's still changing a lot.

Builder 3.28 will have improved Meson support.

You are welcome to help out yourself or talk with the devs on IRC.

Christian Hergerts blog is also worth a read.

Upvotes: 1

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