the FFmpeg Windows Help Forum at
@url{http://ffmpeg.arrozcru.org/}.
-@section Native Windows compilation
+@section Native Windows compilation using MinGW or MinGW-w64
FFmpeg can be built to run natively on Windows using the MinGW or MinGW-w64
toolchains. Install the latest versions of MSYS and MinGW or MinGW-w64 from
@end itemize
-@section Microsoft Visual C++ compatibility
+@section Microsoft Visual C++
-As stated in the FAQ, FFmpeg will not compile under MSVC++. However, if you
-want to use the libav* libraries in your own applications, you can still
-compile those applications using MSVC++. But the libav* libraries you link
-to @emph{must} be built with MinGW. However, you will not be able to debug
-inside the libav* libraries, since MSVC++ does not recognize the debug
-symbols generated by GCC.
-We strongly recommend you to move over from MSVC++ to MinGW tools.
+FFmpeg can be built with MSVC using a C99-to-C89 conversion utility and
+wrapper. At this time, only static builds are supported.
-This description of how to use the FFmpeg libraries with MSVC++ is based on
-Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition. If you have a different version,
-you might have to modify the procedures slightly.
+You will need the following prerequisites:
-@subsection Using static libraries
-
-Assuming you have just built and installed FFmpeg in @file{/usr/local}:
-
-@enumerate
-
-@item Create a new console application ("File / New / Project") and then
-select "Win32 Console Application". On the appropriate page of the
-Application Wizard, uncheck the "Precompiled headers" option.
-
-@item Write the source code for your application, or, for testing, just
-copy the code from an existing sample application into the source file
-that MSVC++ has already created for you. For example, you can copy
-@file{libavformat/output-example.c} from the FFmpeg distribution.
-
-@item Open the "Project / Properties" dialog box. In the "Configuration"
-combo box, select "All Configurations" so that the changes you make will
-affect both debug and release builds. In the tree view on the left hand
-side, select "C/C++ / General", then edit the "Additional Include
-Directories" setting to contain the path where the FFmpeg includes were
-installed (i.e. @file{c:\msys\1.0\local\include}).
-Do not add MinGW's include directory here, or the include files will
-conflict with MSVC's.
-
-@item Still in the "Project / Properties" dialog box, select
-"Linker / General" from the tree view and edit the
-"Additional Library Directories" setting to contain the @file{lib}
-directory where FFmpeg was installed (i.e. @file{c:\msys\1.0\local\lib}),
-the directory where MinGW libs are installed (i.e. @file{c:\mingw\lib}),
-and the directory where MinGW's GCC libs are installed
-(i.e. @file{C:\mingw\lib\gcc\mingw32\4.2.1-sjlj}). Then select
-"Linker / Input" from the tree view, and add the files @file{libavformat.a},
-@file{libavcodec.a}, @file{libavutil.a}, @file{libmingwex.a},
-@file{libgcc.a}, and any other libraries you used (i.e. @file{libz.a})
-to the end of "Additional Dependencies".
-
-@item Now, select "C/C++ / Code Generation" from the tree view. Select
-"Debug" in the "Configuration" combo box. Make sure that "Runtime
-Library" is set to "Multi-threaded Debug DLL". Then, select "Release" in
-the "Configuration" combo box and make sure that "Runtime Library" is
-set to "Multi-threaded DLL".
-
-@item Click "OK" to close the "Project / Properties" dialog box.
-
-@item MSVC++ lacks some C99 header files that are fundamental for FFmpeg.
-Get msinttypes from @url{http://code.google.com/p/msinttypes/downloads/list}
-and install it in MSVC++'s include directory
-(i.e. @file{C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\include}).
-
-@item MSVC++ also does not understand the @code{inline} keyword used by
-FFmpeg, so you must add this line before @code{#include}ing libav*:
-@example
-#define inline _inline
-@end example
-
-@item Build your application, everything should work.
+@itemize
+@item @uref{https://github.com/rbultje/c99-to-c89/, C99-to-C89 Converter & Wrapper}
+@item @uref{http://code.google.com/p/msinttypes/, msinttypes}
+@item @uref{http://www.mingw.org/, MSYS}
+@item @uref{http://yasm.tortall.net/, YASM}
+@item @uref{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/bc.htm, bc for Windows} if
+you want to run @uref{fate.html, FATE}.
+@end itemize
-@end enumerate
+To set up a proper MSVC environment in MSYS, you simply need to run
+@code{msys.bat} from the Visual Studio command prompt.
-@subsection Using shared libraries
+Caveat: Run @code{which link} to see which link you are using. If it is located
+at @code{/bin/link.exe}, then you have the wrong link in your @code{PATH}.
+Either move/remove that copy, or make sure MSVC's link.exe is higher up in your
+@code{PATH} than coreutils'.
-This is how to create DLL and LIB files that are compatible with MSVC++:
+Place @code{c99wrap.exe}, @code{c99conv.exe}, and @code{yasm.exe} somewhere
+in your @code{PATH}.
-@enumerate
+Next, make sure @code{inttypes.h} and any other headers and libs you want to use
+are located in a spot that MSVC can see. Do so by modifying the @code{LIB} and
+@code{INCLUDE} environment variables to include the @strong{Windows} paths to
+these directories. Alternatively, you can try and use the
+@code{--extra-cflags}/@code{--extra-ldflags} configure options.
-@item Add a call to @file{vcvars32.bat} (which sets up the environment
-variables for the Visual C++ tools) as the first line of @file{msys.bat}.
-The standard location for @file{vcvars32.bat} is
-@file{C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\bin\vcvars32.bat},
-and the standard location for @file{msys.bat} is @file{C:\msys\1.0\msys.bat}.
-If this corresponds to your setup, add the following line as the first line
-of @file{msys.bat}:
+Finally, run:
@example
-call "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\bin\vcvars32.bat"
+./configure --toolchain=msvc
+make
+make install
@end example
-Alternatively, you may start the @file{Visual Studio 2005 Command Prompt},
-and run @file{c:\msys\1.0\msys.bat} from there.
+Notes:
-@item Within the MSYS shell, run @code{lib.exe}. If you get a help message
-from @file{Microsoft (R) Library Manager}, this means your environment
-variables are set up correctly, the @file{Microsoft (R) Library Manager}
-is on the path and will be used by FFmpeg to create
-MSVC++-compatible import libraries.
+@itemize
-@item Build FFmpeg with
+@item If you wish to build with zlib support, you will have to grab a compatible
+zlib binary from somewhere, with an MSVC import lib, or if you wish to link
+statically, you can follow the instructions below to build a compatible
+@code{zlib.lib} with MSVC. Regardless of which method you use, you must still
+follow step 3, or compilation will fail.
+@enumerate
+@item Grab the @uref{http://zlib.net/, zlib sources}.
+@item Edit @code{win32/Makefile.msc} so that it uses -MT instead of -MD, since
+this is how FFmpeg is built as well.
+@item Edit @code{zconf.h} and remove its inclusion of @code{unistd.h}. This gets
+erroneously included when building FFmpeg.
+@item Run @code{nmake -f win32/Makefile.msc}.
+@item Move @code{zlib.lib}, @code{zconf.h}, and @code{zlib.h} to somewhere MSVC
+can see.
+@end enumerate
-@example
-./configure --enable-shared
-make
-make install
-@end example
+@item FFmpeg has been tested with Visual Studio 2010 and 2012, Pro and Express.
+Anything else is not officially supported.
-Your install path (@file{/usr/local/} by default) should now have the
-necessary DLL and LIB files under the @file{bin} directory.
+@end itemize
-@end enumerate
+@subsection Linking to FFmpeg with Microsoft Visual C++
-Alternatively, build the libraries with a cross compiler, according to
-the instructions below in @ref{Cross compilation for Windows with Linux}.
-
-To use those files with MSVC++, do the same as you would do with
-the static libraries, as described above. But in Step 4,
-you should only need to add the directory where the LIB files are installed
-(i.e. @file{c:\msys\usr\local\bin}). This is not a typo, the LIB files are
-installed in the @file{bin} directory. And instead of adding the static
-libraries (@file{libxxx.a} files) you should add the MSVC import libraries
-(@file{avcodec.lib}, @file{avformat.lib}, and
-@file{avutil.lib}). Note that you should not use the GCC import
-libraries (@file{libxxx.dll.a} files), as these will give you undefined
-reference errors. There should be no need for @file{libmingwex.a},
-@file{libgcc.a}, and @file{wsock32.lib}, nor any other external library
-statically linked into the DLLs.
+If you plan to link with MSVC-built static libraries, you will need
+to make sure you have @code{Runtime Library} set to
+@code{Multi-threaded (/MT)} in your project's settings.
FFmpeg headers do not declare global data for Windows DLLs through the usual
dllexport/dllimport interface. Such data will be exported properly while
-building, but to use them in your MSVC++ code you will have to edit the
+building, but to use them in your MSVC code you will have to edit the
appropriate headers and mark the data as dllimport. For example, in
libavutil/pixdesc.h you should have:
@example
extern __declspec(dllimport) const AVPixFmtDescriptor av_pix_fmt_descriptors[];
@end example
-Note that using import libraries created by dlltool requires
-the linker optimization option to be set to
-"References: Keep Unreferenced Data (@code{/OPT:NOREF})", otherwise
-the resulting binaries will fail during runtime. This isn't
-required when using import libraries generated by lib.exe.
+You will also need to define @code{inline} to something MSVC understands:
+@example
+#define inline __inline
+@end example
+
+Also note, that as stated in @strong{Microsoft Visual C++}, you will need
+an MSVC-compatible @uref{http://code.google.com/p/msinttypes/, inttypes.h}.
+
+If you plan on using import libraries created by dlltool, you must
+set @code{References} to @code{No (/OPT:NOREF)} under the linker optimization
+settings, otherwise the resulting binaries will fail during runtime.
+This is not required when using import libraries generated by @code{lib.exe}.
This issue is reported upstream at
@url{http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=12633}.
@enumerate
-@item Open @emph{Visual Studio 2005 Command Prompt}.
+@item Open the @emph{Visual Studio Command Prompt}.
Alternatively, in a normal command line prompt, call @file{vcvars32.bat}
which sets up the environment variables for the Visual C++ tools
-(the standard location for this file is
-@file{C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\bin\vcvars32.bat}).
+(the standard location for this file is something like
+@file{C:\Program Files (x86_\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC\bin\vcvars32.bat}).
@item Enter the @file{bin} directory where the created LIB and DLL files
are stored.
projects / ffmpeg / blobdiff