Doom source code editing problems

Hi!

I'm using Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 Standard Edition on Windows XP Home and I've done these things for now:

- downloaded SDL Doom source code and extracted it
- downloaded SDL source code for Win32 and extracted it
- created a Win32 application project in MS C++ 6.0 SE
- added all c and h files into the project
- tried to build Doom.exe, but failed due to an error:

C:\C++\sdldoom-1.10\i_net.c(54) : fatal error C1189: #error :  You should hack this file...
Error executing cl.exe.

Doom.exe - 1 error(s), 0 warning(s)

And I have cl.exe in my file system and all the directories to include files, library files and executable files in MS C++ 6.0 SE's Options are set right. In one of these directories I have cl.exe. I even tried to run it, and there were no problems.

I can't solve this one out. It's the only thing that has been in my way compiling Doom.exe

Firstly, you would be much better using one of the more popular and supported ports.

If you really want to use SDL Doom, add a #define in the project called __WIN32__.

I actually started with SDL Doom because I have been able to make an EXE file of it but it was for Symbian mobile phone environment (Nokia 9210). But if there are easier and more supported ports, let me know what they are :)

What is your goal? You should choose the soureport you want to base your project on depending on your goal and requirements.

Fun. I want to modify the port to achieve some nice, easy-codable features, like
- maximum health limit 500 %
- slow rocket launcher rockets
- no shotgun reloading after shot
- maximum ammo limit more than it is with each weapon

And some others. I'm not a codehead so this kind of easy coding is great to start with.

I bet you could do all of that with a dehacked patch

RTC_Marine said:

I bet you could do all of that with a dehacked patch

Very easily.

Sorry I expressed myself badly earlier. I forgot to clarify that I would like to edit the source code, not to do the job with anything else (like patching).
Editing Doom source code is a fun way to learn C++. Patching doesn't teach me C++, if I have understood correctly.

Back to fraggle's message, could you be more specific with the sentence "If you really want to use SDL Doom, add a #define in the project called __WIN32__."
I don't follow you with this. A project called __WIN32__? #define? W...where do I put those?

- Not a codehead kind of Sera

BTW. Thank you all for the information you have provided. I first thought this subject wouldn't get any replies. Thank you, truly.

If you have to ask how to do what fraggle suggested then to be honest, you probably don't have the requisite knowledge to make much sense of the DOOM source code. DOOM's source is not the easiest to understand for the beginner programmer.

You would be much better served by choosing a more modern port to learn with (if you're really taken with the idea of using DOOM).

Do understand that I'm not in any way trying to discourage you and please don't be offended by what I've said.

Asteroids for VB6 does a good job for learning programming too...

Oh Doom will learn you, it'll learn you the hard way. Like getting put in a cell with Bubba while you're in on a 2 week sentence for felony littering :P

Note that Doom is in C, and not C++. If you're looking to learn classes and object-oriented programming, you'll be disappointed. About the fanciest thing Doom does is achieve polymorphism via embedding structs into other structs as the first item and then casting pointers back and forth ;)

DaniJ and Quasar, that's very bad to hear... You got me into other thoughts... Maybe I should give this one up and try learning with other games.

Not necessarily. What you really need to do is first buy a good book on C programming -- there are many of these (but stay far far away from anything that says "Learn C in x Days" -- you won't using THOSE books). Read it front to back and write and modify any example programs or exercises it has yourself. This should give you the background necessary to understand the Doom source code.

Unless you just have a natural knack for the technical, which some people do. Then you might indeed be able to pick up the source code straight and understand it immediately.

Quasar said:
What you really need to do is first buy a good book on C programming

I've heard good things about this, probably because I was written by the same guys who invented the language. I've always meant to pick it up myself, but as of right now I haven't...

I agree with Quasar, buying a book, reading some tutorials on the net or maybe take a short course in C will put you on the right track.

Once you get things compiling and running with the C code the way you want, you should check out chocolate-doom's source (which is all C and uses SDL).

EDIT: I found a somewhat decent tutorial here: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/C_programming

CODOR said:

I've heard good things about this, probably because I was written by the same guys who invented the language. I've always meant to pick it up myself, but as of right now I haven't...

K&R is a requirement for any C programmer, in my opinion.