README.md
1Projects for various integrated development environments (IDE)
2==============================================================
3
4#### Included projects
5
6The following projects are included with the lz4 distribution:
7- `cmake` - CMake project
8- `VS2010` - Visual Studio 2010 project (which also works well with Visual Studio 2012, 2013, 2015)
9- `VS2017` - Visual Studio 2017 project
10
11
12#### How to compile lz4 with Visual Studio
13
141. Install Visual Studio e.g. VS 2015 Community Edition (it's free).
152. Download the latest version of lz4 from https://github.com/lz4/lz4/releases
163. Decompress ZIP archive.
174. Go to decompressed directory then to `build` then `VS2010` and open `lz4.sln`
185. Visual Studio will ask about converting VS2010 project to VS2015 and you should agree.
196. Change `Debug` to `Release` and if you have 64-bit Windows change also `Win32` to `x64`.
207. Press F7 on keyboard or select `BUILD` from the menu bar and choose `Build Solution`.
218. If compilation will be fine a compiled executable will be in `build\VS2010\bin\x64_Release\lz4.exe`
22
23
24#### Projects available within lz4.sln
25
26The Visual Studio solution file `lz4.sln` contains many projects that will be compiled to the
27`build\VS2010\bin\$(Platform)_$(Configuration)` directory. For example `lz4` set to `x64` and
28`Release` will be compiled to `build\VS2010\bin\x64_Release\lz4.exe`. The solution file contains the
29following projects:
30
31- `lz4` : Command Line Utility, supporting gzip-like arguments
32- `datagen` : Synthetic and parametrable data generator, for tests
33- `frametest` : Test tool that checks lz4frame integrity on target platform
34- `fullbench` : Precisely measure speed for each lz4 inner functions
35- `fuzzer` : Test tool, to check lz4 integrity on target platform
36- `liblz4` : A static LZ4 library compiled to `liblz4_static.lib`
37- `liblz4-dll` : A dynamic LZ4 library (DLL) compiled to `liblz4.dll` with the import library `liblz4.lib`
38- `fullbench-dll` : The fullbench program compiled with the import library; the executable requires LZ4 DLL
39
40
41#### Using LZ4 DLL with Microsoft Visual C++ project
42
43The header files `lib\lz4.h`, `lib\lz4hc.h`, `lib\lz4frame.h` and the import library
44`build\VS2010\bin\$(Platform)_$(Configuration)\liblz4.lib` are required to
45compile a project using Visual C++.
46
471. The path to header files should be added to `Additional Include Directories` that can
48 be found in Project Properties of Visual Studio IDE in the `C/C++` Property Pages on the `General` page.
492. The import library has to be added to `Additional Dependencies` that can
50 be found in Project Properties in the `Linker` Property Pages on the `Input` page.
51 If one will provide only the name `liblz4.lib` without a full path to the library
52 then the directory has to be added to `Linker\General\Additional Library Directories`.
53
54The compiled executable will require LZ4 DLL which is available at
55`build\VS2010\bin\$(Platform)_$(Configuration)\liblz4.dll`.
56