VC++ compiler for Qt Creator

Question

Hi,

I want to use the VC++ toolset to build programs for XP and Vista, but I do not want to buy the IDE, because I want to use Qt Creator.

I would download the Windows SDK and the Windows Debugging Tools, but I'm not sure if this includes everything that I need (i.e: compiler, linker, nmake, debuggers). Has anyone used this approach? How did it go?

Note: I know about VC++ Express, but that version of the compiler has certain features disabled AFAIK.

Later edit:

I want to know if I can use the SDK + Debugtools before I download 2GB of data. Personal experiences are highly appreciated. MSDN links are not. :)

Answer 1

With VC++ Express, You get whole SDK, You can use it to build ewerything. You don't need to use MS VS at all to build Your app.

Here is a MS toolchains & sdk+IDE set listed:

MS Toolchain

I'm not shure does MS release stand alone toolchain for compiler+linker, but this could be found on MSDN certainly.

More info about SDKs:

MSDN

Summarize, You can have any binutils & toolsets installed on Your development machine. However You need to set up Your project properly, to build it succesfully. For ex. setting environment variables properely (pointing INCLUDE, LIB, LIB_PATH to proper SDK directories). You could compile and link Your project manually. Totally ignoring IDE (and certainly You will in future).

Simply try to automate Your build.

Read about SCONS (since You use QT - it support MOC objects), CMAKE or Qt's QMAKE for that. Then the IDE problem is less significant problem. And You shouldn't stick to Your IDE.

Answer 2

You need to reconfigure Qt to use this compiler -- see Deployment on Windows in the Qt docs.

It is pretty straightforward but you have to do this re-configuration first as shown in the docs.

Answer 3

I am now using the CDB + WinSDK approach and it works.

The SDK includes everything that is needed for building C++ code (make, CRT headers, STL, etc); Qt sees it a MSVC 9. The Debugging tools for Windows kit includes CDB, but make sure that you're using the latest version, it didn't work for me with older ones.

I managed to avoid compiling Qt by downloading the developpez.com binaries (thanks guys!).

In conclusion: Windows Xp/Vista SDK + Debugger Tools For Windows + Qt Creator + Qt binaries from developpez.com can be used as an alternative to the Qt MinGW SDK.