Search path for Synapse units
lazarus / 38-Networking and Web Programming

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RMS · 2014-07-27 04:52

I hope that you all will pardon some really basic questions.  I've
searched for answers before posting here, but they don't quite make
sense.

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I just installed Lazarus 9.30.2-2 and FPC 2.4.4 into a Asus factory
installation of Ubuntu Pangolin.  I let Ubuntu Software Center do the
installation so that it would be done right.  Using my newly installed
Lazarus, I can write and execute helloworld and other simple GUI
programs.  So I assume that it is installed correctly.

Next, I want to add Synapse units from Ararat.  It should be easy.
I've downloaded and unzipped them.  They are sitting in my download
directory.

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One option would be to put them where the compiler will look for
them.  However, when I try to figure out exactly where to put them, I
can't figure out where the compiler will look.  ( There are lots of
subdirectories with file.o and file.ppu in them.  Some appear to be
installation detritus, others are only visual components, etc  )

The Lazarus wiki suggests looking at the menu "Project / Project
Options / Compiler Options"
and "Tools / Options / Environment / Files / FPC source directory."

Unfortunately, neither of those menu/submenus exists on my copy of
Lazarus.

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The second option would be to put the units someplace, and then tell
the compiler to look there.

The Ararat.cz howto page says that you can put them anyplace, as long
as you tell the compiler where they are.  It  suggests
“Environment>CodeTools options”, and continues... 'there should be a
textbox at the top that says “Aditional source search path for all
projects”'

That menu>submenu does not exist on my copy of Lazarus either.

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I can't figure out what I am missing here. 

I've looked through all kinds of pull down menus, but I can't find
anything that allows me to do either option.  ( FWIW, my top level
menu looks like this: "File Edit Search Project Run Package Tools
Environment Window Help"  The submenus don't seem to match what other
people see. )

I have a brand new install - which works - and I don't want to muck it
up by experimenting with random placement of units.  I like clean,
logical, well organized directories.

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QUESTIONS:

1) I've come to the conclusion that this latest version of Lazarus has
a different menu structure.  Is this true?

2) How do I tell the compiler that I have an additional search path
for units?  ( This is my preferred option.  It seems to make
organization easier. )

3) If I can't tell the compiler to look in a particular place, where
should I put the Synapse units so that it will find them?

Thanks

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taazz · 2014-07-27 05:12

1) you have a really old version installed the latest lazarus version
is 1.2.4 with fpc 2.6.4. The repository you used fro installation
hasn't been update for at least a year.

2) lazarus does not have what is known from the other IDEs as a search
path. Every package that is use by an application adds its own path to
the application's search path build a very dynamic environment. The
only thing you have to do is to load the synapse packages and press
compile after than simple adding the synpase package the application's
requirements is enough for the ide to append the folder where the
synapse units are when compiling.

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eric · 2014-07-27 06:28

You can add the synapse path to the "Other unit files" section of
Project Options. The path is ...../synapse/source/lib

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BigChimp · 2014-08-02 13:16

Richard, is that you  ?

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snorkel · 2014-09-03 15:19

The easiest way to do this is to install the synapse_laz package that
is included with synapse, then in your project inspector just add a
new requirement for laz_synapse.   No need to mess with a library path
at all.