Building PostgreSQL client library using Borland C++ Compiler (BCC) under WinXP

Preface

We already know how to build client library for PostgreSQL using MinGW from my previous post.

Today we’re going to play with Borland C++ Compiler (which is free by the way). Some people might find this very useful. Actually it was fun, for me it was some kind of a puzzle.

Installing BCC

You can download Borland C++ Compiler from here. Run installer. By default C:BorlandBCC55 path is used. I assume you used default path.

At last, you need to add C:BorlandBCC55Bin value to system PATH variable.

Getting sources

I decided to use fresh 8.4beta sources instead of official released 8.3 branch. Thus I need to get them using CVS. Comprehensive manual “Getting The Source Via Anonymous CVS” is a part of PostgreSQL documentation.

In my case E:pgsql is the repository folder.

Show Time!

According to PostgreSQL manual building client library using BCC is a two step action:

• change current directory to the src

$ cd E:pgsqlsrc

• and executing command:

$ make -N -DCFG=Release /f bcc32.mak

Let’s check output:

E:pgsql>cd src E:pgsqlsrc>make -N -DCFG=Release /f bcc32.mak MAKE Version 5.3 Copyright (c) 1987, 2008 CodeGear cd include if not exist pg_config.h copy pg_config.h.win32 pg_config.h 1 file(s) copied. if not exist pg_config_os.h copy portwin32.h pg_config_os.h 1 file(s) copied. cd .. cd interfaceslibpq make -N -DCFG=Release /f bcc32.mak MAKE Version 5.3 Copyright (c) 1987, 2008 CodeGear You must edit bcc32.mak and define BCB at the top Fatal bcc32.mak 12: Error directive: misssing BCB ** error 1 ** deleting ALL

Frak! One more step.

Open E:pgsqlsrcinterfaceslibpqbcc32.mak in your favorite text editor and change

# BCB=c:BorlandBcc55

line to

BCB=c:BorlandBcc55

So, we uncommented line where BCB variable defined and check appropriate path.

Repeat from the beginning:

E:pgsqlsrc>make -N -DCFG=Release /f bcc32.mak

... Borland C++ 5.5.1 for Win32 Copyright (c) 1993, 2000 Borland ....portdirent.c: Error E2451 ....portdirent.c 35: Undefined symbol 'INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES' in function opendir ...

What the fudge!

One more step

As you can see compiler have no idea what INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES is. OK, we’ll teach it. Open E:pgsqlsrcportdirent.c and add these lines after includes:

#if !defined (INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES) #define INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES ((DWORD)-1) #endif

One more try:

E:pgsqlsrc>make -N -DCFG=Release /f bcc32.mak

... Borland C++ 5.5.1 for Win32 Copyright (c) 1993, 2000 Borland ....portdirent.c: Error E2451 ....portdirent.c 56: Undefined symbol 'dirname' in function opendir ...

Oh, not again!

And one more step

Frankly speaking I spent almost three hours trying to fix this. And when I was ready to gave up suddenly solution came from the Internet. Do not remember where I read it, however that article have nothing common with PostgreSQL or BCB stuff, as like as chalk and cheese. Anyway. The idea was to exclude header file with the same name shipped with compiler from compiling.

Indeed. There is dirent.h header in the C:BorlandBCC55Include folder. Let’s just renamed it to _dirent.h.

Let’s make it:

E:pgsqlsrc>make -N -DCFG=Release /f bcc32.mak

... Borland C++ 5.5.1 for Win32 Copyright (c) 1993, 2000 Borland ....portopen.c: Error E2451 ....portopen.c 88: Undefined symbol 'O_RANDOM' in function pgwin32_open Error E2451 ....portopen.c 89: Undefined symbol 'O_SEQUENTIAL' in function pgwin32_open Error E2451 ....portopen.c 90: Undefined symbol '_O_SHORT_LIVED' in function pgwin32_open Error E2451 ....portopen.c 91: Undefined symbol 'O_TEMPORARY' in function pgwin32_open ...

Heh! Why I’m not even surprised? 🙂

And even one more step

Have no idea why, but compiler complains on undefined symbols. I checked fcntl.h and didn’t find these constants. OK, let’s make it happy. Edit E:pgsqlsrcportopen.c file. Add these lines after includes:

#ifndef O_RANDOM #define O_RANDOM 0x0010 // File access is primarily random #define O_SEQUENTIAL 0x0020 // File access is primarily sequential #define O_TEMPORARY 0x0040 // Temporary file bit #define O_SHORT_LIVED 0x1000 // Temporary storage file, try not to flush #define _O_SHORT_LIVED O_SHORT_LIVED #endif

Let’s make it:

E:pgsqlsrc>make -N -DCFG=Release /f bcc32.mak

Despite the numerous warnings we have one fatal error remain:

... Fatal: 'libpq-dist.rc' does not exist - don't know how to make it ...

The Final Step?

Nobody knows what libpq-dist.rc is… but libpq.rc.in is present at E:pgsqlsrcinterfaceslibpq. Rename it.

In God we trust:

E:pgsqlsrc>make -N -DCFG=Release /f bcc32.mak

... Borland Resource Compiler Version 5.40 Copyright (c) 1990, 1999 Inprise Corporation. All rights reserved. Fatal: 'blibpqdll.def' does not exist - don't know how to make it ...

The Final Step!

I’m seek and tired of this puzzle. 🙂 I found 4-year old blibpqdll.def. And put it to E:pgsqlsrcinterfaceslibpq.

The last chance:

E:pgsqlsrc>make -N -DCFG=Release /f bcc32.mak MAKE Version 5.3 Copyright (c) 1987, 2008 CodeGear cd include if not exist pg_config.h copy pg_config.h.win32 pg_config.h if not exist pg_config_os.h copy portwin32.h pg_config_os.h cd .. cd interfaceslibpq make -N -DCFG=Release /f bcc32.mak MAKE Version 5.3 Copyright (c) 1987, 2008 CodeGear Building the Win32 DLL and Static Library... Configuration "Release" brcc32.exe -l 0x409 -ic:BorlandBcc55include -fo".Releaselibpq.res" libpq-dist.rc Borland Resource Compiler Version 5.40 Copyright (c) 1990, 1999 Inprise Corporation. All rights reserved. ilink32.exe @MAKE0000.@@@ Turbo Incremental Link 5.00 Copyright (c) 1997, 2000 Borland implib -w ".Releaseblibpqdll.lib" blibpqdll.def ".Releaseblibpq.dll" CodeGear Implib Version 3.1.0 Copyright (c) 1991-2007 CodeGear Name: 'blibpqdll' Ext: '.dll' Base: 0x00000000 Name: 'BLIBPQ' Ext: '.dll' Base: 0x00000000 cd .... echo All Win32 parts have been built! All Win32 parts have been built!

Yahoo!

It’s alive! Alive!

The conclusion is: you must be the Master of Drums and Whistles to build PostgreSQL client library using Borland C++ Compiler. We have abnormal tendency here. There is only one compiler under Windows which may be used for PostgreSQL sources compiling – MS Visual Studio. Meanwhile using MinGW (GCC) and Borland C++ Compiler associated with troubles.

I want to appeal to PostgreSQL community for help. I think it is very important that open-source PostgreSQL database may be compiled with free compilers like MinGW (GCC) and Borland C++ Compiler.

Regards.