Windows flags: -mwindows and -mconsole

[ArthurDenture]

I ran into this while hacking at the Makefile. It seems that -mwindows and -mconsole are added to the flags in different ways at various backend-specific places in the makefile. This is a bit surprising, as I would expect the logic not to have to be more complicated than:

# Choose between a windows console or windows GUI app type
ifeq ($(OSTYPE),mingw)
  ifneq ($(WIN32_CONSOLE),)
    CFLAGS += -mconsole
  else
    CFLAGS += -mwindows
  endif
endif

But instead that logic shows up within the various backends. I'm probably missing something here: is there a subtlety to those flags that I'm not aware of?

http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/i386-and-x86_002d64-Windows-Options.html has the docs for those flags, btw.

[Ters]

It may have evolved from a patching of the flags from SDL_CONFIG, because the assumed defaults are different. The structuring of the ifs seems to suggest an poorly controlled growth with a new branch here and a new branch there, solving a particular problem when it arrises without looking at the big picture.

[prissi]

As Ters wrote, there are probably even more such oddities in the Makefile.

[ArthurDenture]

Yeah, that all seems right, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I think the only time you want the console to be enabled (unless you explicitly enable it with WIN32_CONSOLE) is when you're running with the posix backend. If that's the only special case, then the attached patch should clean up that setting correctly.

[prissi]

Many people in the german forum requested the release with the console explicitely ... So it is not only for posix, but also for GDI an option.

[ArthurDenture]

Right: for posix it should be enabled by default, and with GDI it should be enabled if you set WIN32_CONSOLE.

My patch leaves the console behavior for GDI unchanged: it's still enabled if you set WIN32_CONSOLE and disabled otherwise.

[TurfIt]

The patch above seems fine to me. I'd probably not force it for posix though, if one wants a silent server, so be it...

[ArthurDenture]

Could someone kindly apply this? :-). I think I have responded to all suggestions.

I have no opinion on whether posix mode should default to -mconsole or -mwindow. If you think it should be -mconsole, then just remove the ifeq ($(BACKEND),posix) branch.

[prissi]

Applied this (accidently together with some changes I made of scr_coord, so don't wonder ...)

[kierongreen]

accidently together with

Glad I'm not the only one to do this!