Windows Vista DLL Creation

The following are the 24 steps needed to build a .dll & 4 steps to test it. This is hopefully foolproof!

1. Open ViualStudio

2. File -> New Project

2.a Ensure VisualC++ and Win32 Project buttons are highlighted

3. Give it name of the New class and location of current class files (ElasticPPcpp and C:\???\OpenSeesDeveloper\material\cpp)

4. Select OK.

5. New windows pops up, Select Application Settings

6. Select DLL AND select Empty Project

7. Select Finish

a new project pops up in the workspace with class name (ElasticPPcpp)

8. Right click on source files, select add Existing Item.

9. browse to the class file (should be up 1 directory, select it (ElasticPPcpp.cpp)

10.Right click on header files, select add existing item.

11. browse to header file, select it (ElasticPPcpp.h)

12. right click on Project (ElasticPPcpp), select build.

It fails in compilation, as cannot find file elementAPI.h

13. right click on Project (ElasticPPcpp), select Properties.

14. select C/C++ folder icon

15. In Configuration pull down menu, select all Configurations

16. Click 3 dots to right of Additional Include Directories

17. In window that pops up, select folder

18. add to line ..\..\core (this directory contains the elementAPI.h file .. NOTE you may need more ..\ with VisualStudio2010!).

19. select ok.

20. right click on project (ElasticPPcpp), select build

It fails in Linking, a lot of unresolved external symbols.

21. Right click on source files, select add Existing Item.

22. browse to the core directory (should be 1 directory up)

23. select all the .cpp files here

24. right click on Project (ElasticPPcpp), select build.

IT SHOULD WORK! .. IF IT FAILS GET MY ATTENTION.

Now test it,

1. using windows finder, copy the .dll (C:\??\OpenSeesDeveloper\material\ElasticPPCPP\Debug) into the class directory (C:\???\OpenSeesDeveloper\material\)

2. run OpenSees (2.2.0) (C:\??\OpenSeesDeveloper\bin)

3. cd into directory containing example (cd ..\material)

4. source an example script containing your new command, i.e. type: "source example1.tcl"

IT SHOULD RUN THE SCRIPT! .. IF IT FAILS GET MY ATTENTION.