Hi guys,
I've been using Microsoft Visual Studio Code to edit my CONNECT SDK applications.
At the moment I need to run the BMAKE command externally using the supplied SDK shell.
It's a bit tedious and does not allow me the option to click on an error and be taken directly to the affected code.
Is there any way to configure VSCODE to run the BMAKE command using its integrated terminal?
Are there other alternatives to VSCODE that offer this functionality?
Regards,
Benzi
Hi Benzi,
Benzi Papo said:Is there any way to configure VSCODE to run the BMAKE command using its integrated terminal?
I have not tried to use Visual Studio Code for "full MicroStation app development", so I am not able to provide an advice. But I guess it's about to run VSC from MicroStation SDK dev shell and to (somehow) start bmake as background process.
Benzi Papo said:Are there other alternatives to VSCODE that offer this functionality?
The only officially supported development environment for SDK shell is Visual Studio 2015 Professional (when talking about the current MicroStation CONNECT Edition Update 7). I did not try it, but I guess also VS 2015 Community edition can be used also.
In Visual Studio, C/C++ project has to be created as General > Makefile project and properly configured, so when Build is started, it calls not MSBuild but bmake. This system is quite flexible, because in such case VS works as editor plus allows to organize files, but it's compiled using tools defined in bmake.
I have no live native CE project now, but I have several V8i projects coded in the same way: VS 2017 is used as editor and as compiler for NET 3.5 code and other projects in the solution(s) are configured as NMake projects and compiled using bmake and VS2005 compiler.
With regards,
Jan
Bentley Accredited Developer: iTwin Platform - AssociateLabyrinth Technology | dev.notes() | cad.point
Answer Verified By: Benzi Papo
As Jan says, some people use Viz Studio purely as a language-sensitive editor, and leave project build to bmake. I turned to that approach some years ago because the Viz Studio 2005 compiler was taking hours to build what bmake could build in 20 minutes. The Viz Studio 2015 compiler is much better.
If you want to use Viz Studio to execute other code, then look in your project properties Build Events...
Regards, Jon Summers LA Solutions
Jon Summers said:some people use Viz Studio purely
A short note to make the discussion clear: Benzi's original question has been about Visual Studio Code that is great multiplatform multilanguage lightweighted generic but extendable editor. Bentley supports Visual Studio only (primarily because required C/C++ compiler) that is heavy -weighted Windows-only development suite.
Jan Šlegr said:A short note to make the discussion clear
Benzi Papo said:I've been using Microsoft Visual Studio Code
You're quite right to make that distinction!
I hadn't come across Visual Studio Code before this discussion. I had assumed that Benzi was using Visual Studio.
Benzi,
As mentioned the only fully supported build environment is using the (admin) MicroStation Developer Shell with Microsoft Visual Studio 2015. However this past summer we have been investigating Visual Studio Code workflows as a multiplatform editor. In our review and discovery we did find a Visual Studio Code Extension - bmake - that you may also like to review, test, and provide the community (and developer) feedback on your experience if you like. View > Extensions. Search: bmake.
Please note we have not fully tested nor support this workflow/configuration at this time.
HTH,Bob
Robert Hook said:Visual Studio Code Extension - bmake
In my opinion (but not fully sure) the bmake extensions only adds Bentley makefile syntax coloring to VSC, but does not add any new functionality how bmake process is started. On the other hand, even without it, this extension is really useful as it's the only bmake coloring I am aware about and the coloring makes mke file edit easier.
Correct Jan. This extension supports syntax highlighting only at this time and a build process would need to be community added/contributed. Thank you for adding this clarification.
Bob
Good day! Couldn't find bmake in the list of extensions in VSC. Is it available for use? You may need to request an additional license. I have this extension really helped!
Hi Sergey,
because the original discussion is about a year old, it's recommended in such case to create a new post. Especially when your question (bmake extension availability) is different than was the original one (how to configure VSC to compile app).
Sergey Belomestnykh said:Couldn't find bmake in the list of extensions in VSC.
It seems the extension was removed from VSC marketplace.
Sergey Belomestnykh said:Is it available for use?
It's not official product of Bentley Systems, so you should ask the extension author directly (I guess it was guillaume.croteau@bentley.com personal project).
Sergey Belomestnykh said:You may need to request an additional license.
Sorry, but I do not understand whether it's information or question or something else...
I can only tell you what I do as your mileage may vary. I run the MicroStationDeveloperShell.bat file in the VSC terminal and pass the command line options of where MicroStation Connect is installed and where the MicroStation Connect SDK is installed. Once that is done I am able to run bmake against my make file and ctrl click on the error to jump to that source location. It is not perfect as it tends to open a new copy of the source file but it works ok for now.
HTH,
mark anderson