To run the
Make Application wizard
- To start the wizard, choose File Make
Application New Application Wizard from the
VLISP menu.
- Select Expert mode and choose Next.
The wizard
prompts you to specify the directory in which to store files
created by Make Application, and to name your application. Make
Application produces two output files: a .vlx
file containing your program executable, and a .prv file containing the options you specify to Make
Application. The .prv file is also known as a
make file. You can use the make file to
rebuild your application, when necessary.
- Specify your Tutorial\VisualLISP\MyPath
directory as the application location, and call the application
gardenpath. VLISP uses the
application name in the output file names (in this instance,
gardenpath.vlx and gardenpath.prv.)
Choose Next
to continue.
- The application options are not covered in this tutorial.
Accept the defaults and choose Next. (For information on separate
namespace applications, see “Running an Application in Its Own
Namespace” in the AutoLISP Developer's
Guide.)
- In this step, the wizard is prompting you to identify all the
AutoLISP source code files that make up the application. You could
individually select the LISP source files, but there is an easier
way. Change the pull-down file type selection box so that “Visual
LISP Project file” is shown, then choose the Add button. Select the
Gpath project file and choose Open.
NoteDepending on
how you worked through the tutorial, you may have several
Gpath project files showing up. Select the
most recent file. If you copied in the completed source code from
Lesson 7, the project name to select should be Gpath7.prj.
After
selecting the project file, choose Next to continue.
One advantage
of compiled VLX applications is that you can compile your dialog
control files (.dcl) into the complete
application. This reduces the number of individual source files
your end users need to deal with, and eliminates any of the search
path problems when loading a DCL file.
- Change the pull-down file type selection box so that “DCL
files” is shown, then choose the Add button. Select the gpdialog.dcl file, then choose Open.
Choose Next
to continue building the application.
- Compilation options are not covered in this tutorial. Accept
the defaults and choose Next. (For information on compile options,
see “Optimizing Application Code” in the AutoLISP
Developer's Guide.)
- The final step is used to review the selections you've made. At
this point, you can select Finish. VLISP will begin the build
process, displaying the results in the Build Output window. Several
intermediate files will be produced, as your individual source code
files are compiled into a format that can be linked into the single
VLX application.
When it is
all complete, you'll have an executable file named gardenpath.vlx. To test it, do the following:
- From the Tools menu in AutoCAD, select Load Application.
- Load the gardenpath.vlx application that
was just created and is found in the Tutorial\VisualLISP\MyPath directory.
- Run the gpath command.