mame/3rdparty/genie/docs/scripting-reference.md
2015-04-16 14:16:14 +02:00

57 KiB

Scripting Reference

Table of Contents


Predefined Variables

Each of the following variables is available for use in any GENie script.

_ACTION

Name of the action to be performed on this execution run.

$ genie vs2005

produces

_ACTION: "vs2005"

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_ARGS

Any arguments to the current action.

$ genie vs2015 alpha beta

produces

_ARGS[0]: "alpha" _ARGS[1]: "beta"

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_OPTIONS

Current set of command line options and their values, if any.

$ genie vs2015 --gfxapi=directx

produces

_OPTIONS['gfxapi']: "directx"

Note: Options may be registered with newoption to fully integrate them into the CLI.

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_PREMAKE_COMMAND

Full path to the GENie (Premake) executable.

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_PREMAKE_VERSION

GENie (Premake) version.

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_SCRIPT

Full path to the currently executing script.

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_WORKING_DIR

Current working directory.

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Script Functions

buildaction(action)

Specifies what action should be performed on a set of files during compilation. Usually paired with a configuration filter to select a file set. If no build action is specified for a file, a default action will be used (chosen based on the file's extension).

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Note: only supported for .NET projects, and not for C or C++.

Arguments

action - the action to be performed. One of:

  • "Compile" - treat the file as source code: compile and run it
  • "Embed" - embed the file into the target binary as a resource
  • "Copy" - copy the file to the target directory
  • "None" - do nothing with this file

Examples

Embed all PNGs into the target binary

configuration "**.png"
    buildaction "Embed"

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buildoptions({options...})

Passes arguments direction to the compiler command line. Multiple calls in a project will be concatenated in order.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

options - list of compiler flags

Examples

Add some GCC-specific options

configuration {"linux", "gmake"}
    buildoptions {"-ansi", "-pedantic"}

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configuration({keywords...})

Limits subsequent build settings to a particular environment. Acts as a filter, only applying settings that appear after this function if the environment matches the keywords.

Arguments

keywords - list of identifiers to compare to the current runtime environment

Possible values:

  • Configuration names - configuration names passed to configurations
  • Action names - "vs2015", "gmake", etc.
  • Operating system names - "windows", "macosx", etc.
  • Platform names - "ps3", "xbox360", etc.
  • Command-line options - either built-in or custom
  • File names - very limited, but some settings can be applied to specific files

You may also use "*" and "**" wildcards, as well as "not" and "or".

Return

Current configuration object with the following fields:

  • buildaction - build action.
  • buildoptions - list of compiler options.
  • defines - list of compiler symbols.
  • excludes - list of excluded files.
  • files - list of files.
  • flags - list of build flags.
  • implibdir - import library directory.
  • implibextension - import library file extension.
  • implibname - import library base file name.
  • implibprefix - import library file name prefix.
  • implibsuffix - import library file name suffix.
  • includedirs - list of include file search directories.
  • keywords - list of keywords associated with the block.
  • kind - target kind.
  • libdirs - list of library search directories.
  • linkoptions - list of linker options.
  • links - list of libraries or assemblies to link against.
  • objdir - objects and intermediate files directory.
  • pchheader - target file name for precompiled header support.
  • pchsource - target source file name for precompiled header support.
  • prebuildcommands - list of pre-build commands.
  • prelinkcommands - list of pre-link commands.
  • postbuildcommands - list of post-build commands.
  • resdefines - list of symbols for the resource compiler.
  • resincludedirs - list of include file search paths for the resource compiler.
  • resoptions - list of resource compiler options.
  • targetdir - target output directory.
  • targetextension - target file extension.
  • targetname - target base file name.
  • targetprefix - target file name prefix.
  • targetsuffix - target file name suffix.
  • terms - filter terms passed to the configuration function to create the block (i.e. "Debug").

Examples

Define debug symbol for debug configurations

configuration "Debug"
    defines { "DEBUG" }

Define a symbol based on a wildcard

configuration "vs*"
    defines { "VISUAL_STUDIO_2005" }

Define a symbol based on an "or"

configuration "linux or macosx"
    defines { "LINUX_OR_MACOSX" }

Define a symbol based on a "not"

configuration "not windows"
    defines { "NOT_WINDOWS" }

Reset the configuration filter

configuration {}

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configurations({names...})

Defines a set of build configurations, such as "Debug" and "Release". Must be specified before any projects are defined, so can't be called after a project has been defined.

Scope: solutions

Arguments

names - list of configuration names

Return Value

When called with no arguments - list of current configuration names

Examples

Specify configurations for a solution

solution "MySolution"
    configurations { "Debug", "Release" }

Add additional configurations

configurations{ "Debug", "Release", "DebugDLL", "ReleaseDLL" }

Retrieve current list of configurations

local cfgs = configurations()

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custombuildtask({input_file, output_file, {dependency,...},{command,...}},...)

Defines custom build task for specific input file, that generates output file, there can be additional dependencies, and for rule listed commands are executed.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

input_file - source file that should be "compiled" with custom task output_file - generated file name dependency - additional dependencies, that can be used as parameters to commands command - command list, special functions in commands are : $(<) - input file $(@) - output file $(1) - $(9) - additional dependencies

Examples

custombuildtask {
		{ ROOT_DIR .. "version.txt" , GEN_DIR .. "src/version.inc",   { ROOT_DIR .. "version.py" }, {"@echo Generating version.inc file...", "python $(1) $(<) > $(@)" }},
	}
	

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debugargs({args...})

Specifies a list of arguments to pas to the application when run under the debugger.

Note: Not implemented for Xcode 3, where it must be configured in a per-user config file.

Note: In Visual Studio, this can be overridden by a per-user config file (e.g. ProjectName.vcxproj.MYDOMAIN-MYUSERNAME.user). Removing this file (genie clean) will restore the default settings.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

args - list of arguments to pas to the executable while debugging

Examples

configuration "Debug"
    debugargs { "--append", "somefile.txt" }

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debugdir(path)

Sets the working directory for the integrated debugger.

Note: Not implemented for Xcode 3, where it must be configured in a per-user config file.

Note: In Visual Studio, this can be overridden by a per-user config file (e.g. ProjectName.vcxproj.MYDOMAIN-MYUSERNAME.user). Removing this file (genie clean) will restore the default settings.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

path - path to the working directory, relative to the currently-executing script file

Examples

configuration "Debug"
    debugdir "bin/debug"

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defines({symbols...})

Adds preprocessor or compiler symbols to the project. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

symbols - list of symbols

Examples

Define two new symbols

defines { "DEBUG", "TRACE" }

Assign a symbol value

defines { "CALLSPEC=__dllexport" }

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dependency({_main_file, depending_of}...)

GMAKE specific adds dependency between source file and any other file.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

_main_file - name of source file that depends of other file depending_of - name of dependency file

Examples

dependency { { ROOT_DIR .. "src/test.c", ROOT_DIR .. "verion.txt" } }

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deploymentoptions({options...})

Passes arguments directly to the deployment tool command line. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Note: Currently only supported for Xbox 360 targets.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

options - list of arguments

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excludes({files...})

Removes files added with the files function. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Note: May be set on the solution, project, or configuration, but only project-level file lists are currently supported.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

files - List of files to exclude. Paths should be relative to the currently-executing script file and may contain wildcards.

Examples

Add all c files in a directory, then exclude a specific file

files { "*.c" }
excludes { "a_file.c" }

Add an entire directory of C files, then exclude one directory

files { "*.c" }
excludes { "tests/*.c" }

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files({files...})

Adds files to a project. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Note: May be set on the solution, project, or configuration, but only project-level file lists are currently supported.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

files - List of files to include. Paths should be relative to the currently-executing script file and may contain wildcards.

Examples

Add two files to the current project

files { "hello.cpp", "goodbye.cpp" }

Add all C++ files from the "src/" directory to the project

files { "src/*.cpp" }

Add all C++ files from the "src/" directory and any subdirectories

files { "src/**.cpp" }

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flags({flags...})

Specifies build flags to modify the compiling or linking process. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

flags - List of flag names from list below. Names are case-insensitive and ignored if not supported on a platform.

  • EnableSSE, EnableSSE2 - Enable SSE instruction sets
  • ExtraWarnings - Sets compiler's max warning level.
  • FatalWarnings - Treat warnings as errors.
  • FloatFast - Enable floating point optimizations at the expense of accuracy.
  • FloatStrict - Improve floating point consistency at the expense of performance.
  • Managed - Enable Managed C++ (.NET).
  • MFC - Enable support for Microsoft Foundation Classes.
  • NativeWChar, NoNativeWChar - Toggle support for the wchar data type.
  • No64BitChecks - Disable 64-bit portability warnings.
  • NoEditAndContinue - Disable support for Visual Studio's Edit-and-Continue feature.
  • NoExceptions - Disable C++ exception support.
  • NoFramePointer - Disable the generation of stack frame pointers.
  • NoIncrementalLink - Disable support for Visual Studio's incremental linking feature.
  • NoImportLib - Prevent the generation of an import library for a Windows DLL.
  • NoManifest - Prevent the generation of a manifest for Windows executables and shared libraries.
  • NoMinimalRebuild - Disable Visual Studio's minimal rebuild feature.
  • NoPCH - Disable precompiled headers.
  • NoRTTI - Disable C++ runtime type information.
  • Optimize - Perform a balanced set of optimizations.
  • OptimizeSize - Optimize for the smallest file size.
  • OptimizeSpeed - Optimize for the best performance.
  • SEH - Enable structured exception handling.
  • StaticRuntime - Perform a static link against the standard runtime libraries.
  • Symbols - Generate debugging information.
  • Unicode - Enable Unicode strings. If not specified, the default toolset behavior is used.
  • Unsafe - Enable the use of unsafe code in .NET applications.
  • WinMain - Use WinMain() as the entry point for Windows applications, rather than main().

Note: When not set, options will default to the tool default.

Additional tool-specific arguments can be passed with buildoptions or linkoptions

Examples

Enable debugging symbols in the Debug configuration and optimize the Release configuration

configuration "Debug"
    flags { "Symbols" }

configuration "Release"
    flags { "OptimizeSpeed", "No64BitChecks" }

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framework(version)

Specifies a .NET framework version.

Note: Currently only applied to Visual Studio 2005+ and GNU Makefiles using Mono.

Scope: solutions, projects

Arguments

version - one of the following:

  • 1.0
  • 1.1
  • 2.0
  • 3.0
  • 3.5
  • 4.0

Examples

Use the .NET 3.0 framework

framework "3.0"

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iif(condition, trueval, falseval)

Implements an immediate if clause, returning one of two possible values.

Arguments

condition - logical condition to test trueval - value to return if condition evaluates to true falseval - value to return if condition evaluates to false

Examples

result = iif(os.is("windows"), "is windows", "is not windows")

Note that all expressions are evaluated before the condition is checked. The following expression cannot be implemented with an iif because it may try to concatenate a string value.

result = iif(x -= nil, "x is " .. x, "x is nil")

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imageoptions({options...})

Passes arguments directly to the image tool command line without translation. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Scope: solutions, project, configurations

Arguments

options - list of image tools flags and options

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imagepath(path)

Sets the file name of the deployment image produced by the build

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

path - the full path for the image file, relative to the currently-executing script

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implibdir(path)

Specifies the import library output directory. Import libraries are generated for Windows DLL projects. By default, the generated files will place the import library in the same directory as the compiled binary.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

path - the output directory for the library, relative to the currently-executing script file

Examples

implibdir "../Libraries"

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implibextension(extension)

Specifies the import library file extension. Import libraries are generated for Windows DLL projects. By default, the toolset static library file extension will be used (.lib with Windows tools, .a with GNU tools).

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

extension - the extension, including the leading dot

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implibname(name)

Specifies the import library base file name. Import libraries are generated for Windows DLL projects. By default the target name will be used as the import library file name.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

name - new base file name

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implibprefix(prefix)

Specifies the import library file name prefix. Import libraries are generated for Windows DLL projects. By default the system naming convention will be used (no prefix on Windows, lib prefix on other systems).

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

prefix - new file name prefix

Examples

implibprefix "plugin"

The prefix may also be set to an empty string for no prefix

implibprefix ""

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implibsuffix(suffix)

Specifies the file name suffix for the import library base file name. Import libraries are generated for Windows DLL projects.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

suffix - the new filename suffix

Examples

-- Add "-d" to debug versions of files
configuration "Debug"
    implibsuffix "-d"

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include(directory)

Includes a file named premake4.lua from the specified directory. This allows you to specify each project in its own file, and easily include them into a solution.

Arguments

directory - path to the included directory, relative to the currently-executing script file.

Return Value

Any values returned by the script are passed through to the caller

Examples

-- runs "src/MyApplication/premake4.lua"
include "src/MyApplication"

-- runs "src/MyLibrary/premake4.lua"
include "src/MyLibrary"

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includedirs({paths...})

Specifies include file search paths. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

paths - list of include file search directories, relative to the currently-executing script file.

Examples

Define two include file search paths

includedirs { "../lua/include", "../zlib" }

You can also use wildcards to match multiple directories.

includedirs { "../includes/**" }

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kind(kind)

Sets the kind of binary object being created by the project, such as a console or windowed application.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

kind - project kind identifier. One of:

  • ConsoleApp - console executable
  • WindowedApp - application that runs in a desktop window. Does not apply on Linux.
  • SharedLib - shared library or DLL
  • StaticLib - static library

Examples

kind "ConsoleApp"

You can also set different kinds for each configuration. Not supported by XCode.

solution "MySolution"
    configurations { "DebugLib", "ReleaseLib", "DebugDLL", "ReleaseDLL" }

project "MyProject"
    configuration "*Lib"
        kind "StaticLib"

    configuration "*DLL"
        kind "SharedLib"

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language(lang)

Sets the programming language used by a project. GENie currently supports C, C++, and C#. Not all languages are supported by all of the generators. For instance, SharpDevelop does not currently support C or C++ development, and Code::Blocks does not support the .NET languages (C#, managed C++).

Scope: solutions, projects

Arguments

lang - language identifier string ("C", "C++", or "C#"). Case insensitive.

Examples

language "C++"

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libdirs({paths...})

Specifies the library search paths. Library search directories are not well supported by the .NET tools. Visual Studio will change relative paths to absolute, making it difficult to share the generated project. MonoDevelop and SharpDevelop do not support search directories at all, using only the GAC. In general, it is better to include the full (relative) path to the assembly in links instead. C/C++ projects do not have this limitation.

Multiple calls are concatenated.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

paths - list of library search directories, relative to the currently-executing script file

Examples

libdirs { "../lua/libs", "../zlib" }

You can also use wildcards to match multiple directories.

libdirs { "../libs/**" }

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linkoptions({options...})

Passes arguments to the linker command line. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

options - list of flags and options to pass

Examples

Use pkg-config-style configuration when building on Linux with GCC.

configuration { "linux", "gmake" }
    linkoptions { "`wx-config --libs`"}

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Specifies a list of libraries and projects to link against. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

references - list of library and project names

When linking against another project in the same solution, specify the project name here, rather than the library name. GENie will figure out the correct library to link against for the current configuration and will also create a dependency between the projects to ensure proper build order.

When linking against system libraries, do not include any prefix or file extension. GENie will use the appropriate naming conventions for the current platform.

Examples

Link against some system libraries

configuration "windows"
    links { "user32", "gdi32" }

configuration "linux"
    links { "m", "png" }

configuration "macosx"
--- OS X frameworks need the extension to be handled properly
    links { "Cocoa.framework", "png" }

In a solution with two projects, link the library into the executable. Note that the project name is used to specify the link. GENie will automatically figure out the correect library file name and directory and create a project dependency.

solution "MySolution"
    configurations { "Debug", "Release" }
    language "C++"

    project "MyExecutable"
        kind "ConsoleApp"
        files "**.cpp"
        links { "MyLibrary" }

    project "MyLibrary"
        kind "SharedLib"
        files "**.cpp"

You may also create links between non-library projects. In this case, GENie will generate a build dependency (the linked project will build first) but not an actual link. In this example, MyProject uses a build dependency to ensure that MyTool gets built first. It then uses MyTool as part of its build process

solution "MySolution"
    configurations { "Debug", "Release" }
    language "C++"

    project "MyProject"
        kind "ConsoleApp"
        files "**.cpp"
        links { "MyTool" }
        prebuildcommands { "MyTool --dosomething" }

    project "MyTool"
        kind "ConsoleApp"
        files "**.cpp"

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location(path)

Sets the destination directory for a generated solution or project file. By default, project files are generated into the same directory as the script that defines them.

Note: Does not automatically propagate to the contained projects. Projects will use their default location unless explicitly overridden.

Scope: solutions, projects

Arguments

path - directory into which files should be generated, relative to the currently-executing script file.

Examples

solution "MySolution"
    location "../build"

If you plan to build with multiple tools from the same source tree, you might want to split up the project files by toolset. The _ACTION global variable contains the current toolset identifier, as specified on the command line. Note that Lua sytax requires parentheses around the function parameters in this case.

location ("../build/" .. _ACTION)

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newaction(description)

Registers a new command-line action argument.

Arguments

description - a table describing the new action with the following fields:

  • trigger - string identifier of the action; what the user would type on the command line
  • description - short description of the action, to be displayed in the help text
  • execute - Function to be executed when the action is fired

Examples

newaction {
    trigger     = "install",
    description = "Install the software",
    execute     = function()
        os.copyfile("bin/debug/myprogram", "/usr/local/bin/myprogram")
    end
}

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newoption(description)

Registers a new command-line option argument.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

description - a table describing the new option with the following fields:

  • trigger - string identifier of the option; what the user would type on the command line
  • description - short description of the option, to be displayed in the help text
  • value - (optional) provides a hint to the user as to what type of data is expected
  • allowed - (optional) list of key-value pairs listing the allowed values for the option

Examples

newoption {
    trigger     = "gfxapi",
    value       = "API",
    description = "Choose a particular 3D API for rendering",
    allowed     = {
        { "opengl",   "OpenGL" },
        { "direct3d", "Direct3D (Windows only)"},
        { "software", "Software Renderer" }
    }
}

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objdir(path)

Sets an object and intermediate file directory for a project. By default, object and intermediate files are stored in a directory named "obj" in the same directory as the project.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

path - directory where the object and intermediate files should be stored, relative to the currently-executing script file.

Examples

project "MyProject"
    objdir "objects"

Set object directories per configuration

configuration "Debug"
    objdir "../obj_debug"

configuration "Release"
    objdir "../obj_release"

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os.chdir(path)

Changes the working directory

Arguments

path - path to the new working directory

Return Value

true if successful, otherwise nil and an error message

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os.copyfile(source, destination)

Copies a file from one location to another.

Arguments

source - file system path to the file to be copied destination - path to the copy location

Return Value

true if successful, otherwise nil and an error message

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os.findlib(libname)

Scans the well-known system locations looking for a binary file.

Arguments

libname - name of the library to locate. May be specified with (libX11.so) or without (X11) system-specified decorations.

Return Value

The path containing the library file, if found. Otherwise, nil.

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os.get()

Identifies the currently-targeted operating system.

Return Value

One of "bsd", "linux", "macosx", "solaris", or "windows"

Note: This function returns the OS being targeted, which is not necessarily the same as the OS on which GENie is being run.

Example

if os.get() == "windows" then
    -- do something windows-specific
end

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os.getcwd()

Gets the current working directory.

Return Value

The current working directory

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os.getversion()

Retrieves version information for the host operating system

Note: Not implemented for all platforms. On unimplemented platforms, will return 0 for all version numbers, and the platform name as the description.

Return Value

Table containing the following key-value pairs:

Key Value
majorversion major version number
minorversion minor version number
revision bug fix release or service pack number
description human-readable description of the OS version

Examples

local ver = os.getversion()
print(string.format(" %d.%d.%d (%s)",
    ver.majorversion, ver.minorversion, ver.revision,
    ver.description))

-- On Windows XP: "5.1.3 (Windows XP)"
-- On OSX: "10.6.6 (Mac OS X Snow Leopard)"

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os.is(id)

Checks the current operating system identifier against a particular value

Arguments

id - one of "bsd", "linux", "macosx", "solaris", or "windows"

Note: This function returns the OS being targeted, which is not necessarily the same as the OS on which GENie is being run.

Return Value

true if the supplied id matches the current operating system identifer, false otherwise.

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os.is64bit()

Determines if the host is using a 64-bit processor.

Return Value

true if the host system has a 64-bit processor false otherwise

Examples

if os.is64bit() then
    print("This is a 64-bit system")
else
    print("This is NOT a 64-bit system")
end

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os.isdir(path)

Checks for the existence of a directory.

Arguments

path - the file system path to check

Return Value

true if a matching directory is found false if there is no such file system path, or if the path points to a file

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os.isfile(path)

Checks for the existence of a file.

Arguments

path - the file system path to check

Return Value

true if a matching file is found false if there is no such file system path or if the path points to a directory instead of a file Back to top


os.matchdirs(pattern)

Performs a wildcard match to locate one or more directories.

Arguments

pattern - file system path to search. May wildcard patterns.

Return Value

List of directories which match the specified pattern. May be empty.

Examples

matches = os.matchdirs("src/*")     -- non-recursive match
matches = os.matchdirs("src/**")    -- recursive match
matches = os.matchdirs("src/test*") -- may also match partial name

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os.matchfiles(patterns)

Performs a wildcard match to locate one or more directories.

Arguments

pattern - file system path to search. May contain wildcard patterns.

Return Value

List of files which match the specified pattern. May be empty.

Examples

matches = os.matchfiles("src/*.c")  -- non-recursive match
matches = os.matchfiles("src/**.c") -- recursive match

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os.mkdir(path)

Creates a new directory.

Arguments

path - path to be created

Return Value

true if successful nil and an error message otherwise

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os.outputof(command)

Runs a shell command and returns the output.

Arguments

command - shell command to run

Return Value

The output of the command

Examples

-- Get the ID for the host processor architecture
local proc = os.outputof("uname -p")

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os.pathsearch(fname, paths...)

description

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

fname - name of the file being searched, followed by one or more path sets to be searched

paths - the match format of the PATH environment variable: a colon-delimited list of path. On Windows, you may use a semicolon-delimited list if drive letters might be included

Return Value

Path to the directory which contains the file, if found nil otherwise

Examples

local p = os.pathsearch("mysystem.config", "./config:/usr/local/etc:/etc")

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os.rmdir(path)

Removes an existing directory as well as any files or subdirectories it contains.

Arguments

path - file system path to be removed

Return Value

true if successful nil and an error message otherwise

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os.stat(path)

Retrieves information about a file.

Arguments

path - path to file for which to retrieve information

Return Value

Table of values:

Key Value
mtime Last modified timestamp
size File size in bytes

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os.uuid()

Returns a Universally Unique Identifier

Return Value

A new UUID, a string value with the format xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx

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path.getabsolute(path)

Converts relative path to absolute path

Arguments

path - the relative path to be converted

Return Value

new absolute path, calculated from the current working directory

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path.getbasename(path)

Extracts base file portion of a path, with the directory and extension removed.

Arguments

path - path to be split

Return Value

Base name portion of the path

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path.getdirectory(path)

Extracts directory portion of a path, with file name removed

Arguments

path - path to be split

Return Value

Directory portion of the path

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path.getdrive(path)

Returns drive letter portion of a path

Arguments

path - path to be split

Return Value

Drive letter portion of the path, or nil

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path.getextension(path)

Returns file extension portion of a path

Arguments

path - path to be split

Return Value

File extension portion of the path, or an empty string

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path.getname(path)

Returns file name and extension, removes directory information.

Arguments

path - path to be split

Return Value

File name and extension without directory information

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path.getrelative(src, dest)

Computes relative path from one directory to another.

Arguments

src - originating directory dest - target directory

Return Value

Relative path from src to dest

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path.isabsolute(path)

Returns whether or not a path is absolute.

Arguments

path - path to check

Return Value

true if path is absolute false otherwise

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path.iscfile(path)

Determines whether file is a C source code file, based on extension.

Arguments

path - path to check

Return Value

true if path uses a C file extension false otherwise

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path.iscppfile(path)

Determines whether a file is a C++ source code file, based on extension.

Arguments

path - path to check

Return Value

true if path uses a C++ file extension false otherwise

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path.isresourcefile(path)

Determines whether a path represends a Windows resource file, based on extension.

Arguments

path - path to check

Return Value

true if path uses a well-known Windows resource file extension false otherwise

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path.join(leading, trailing)

Joins two path portions together into a single path.

Note: if trailing is an absolute path, then leading is ignored and the absolute path is returned.

Arguments

leading - beginning portion of the path trailing - ending portion of the path

Return Value

Merged path

Examples

-- returns "MySolution/MyProject"
p = path.join("MySolution", "MyProject")

-- returns "/usr/bin", because the trailing path is absolute
p = path.join("MySolution", "/usr/bin")

-- tokens are assumed to be absolute. This returns `${ProjectDir}`
p = path.join("MySolution", "$(ProjectDir)")

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path.rebase(path, oldbase, newbase)

Takes a relative path and makes it relative to a different location.

Arguments

path - path to be modified oldbase - original base directory, from which path is relative newbase - the new base directory, from where the resulting path should be relative

Return Value

Rebased path

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path.translate(path, newsep)

Converts the separators in a path.

Arguments

path - path to modify newsep - new path separator. Defaults to current environment default.

Return Value

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pchheader(file)

Sets the main header file for precompiled header support.

Scope: projects

Arguments

file - name of the header file, as it is specified in your #include statements

Examples

pchheader "afxwin.h"
pchsource "afxwin.cpp"

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pchsource(file)

Sets the main source file for precompiled header support. Only used by Visual Studio.

Scope: projects

Arguments

file - name of the source file, relative to the currently-executing script file

Examples

pchheader "afxwin.h"
pchsource "afxwin.cpp"

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platforms({identifiers...})

Specifies a set of target hardware platforms for a solution.

Platform support is a new, experimental feature. The syntax and behavior described here might change as we sort out the details

Scope: solutions

Arguments

identifiers - list of hardware platform specifiers from this list:

  • Native - general build not targeting any particular platform. If your project can be built in a generic fashion, you should include this as the first platform option
  • x32 - 32-bit environment
  • x64 - 64-bit environment
  • Universal - OS X universal binary, target both 32- and 64-bit versions of x86 and PPC. Automated dependency generation must be turned off, and always do a clean build. Not supported by Visual Studio.
  • Universal32 - like Universal above, but targeting only 32-bit platforms
  • Universal64 - like Universal above, but targeting only 64-bit platforms
  • PS3 - Playstation 3
  • Xbox360 - Xbox 360 compiler and linker under Visual Studio

Return Value

Current list of target platforms for the active solution

Examples

Generic build, as well as OS X Universal build

solution "MySolution"
    configurations { "Debug", "Release" }
    platforms { "native", "universal" }

Prove 32- and 64-bit specific build targets. No generic build is provided so one of these two platforms must always be used. Do this only if your software requires knowledge of the underlying architecture at build time; otherwise, include native to provide a generic build.

solution "MySolution"
    configurations { "Debug", "Release" }
    platforms { "x32", "x64" }

You can retrieve the current list of platforms by calling the function with no parameters

local p = platforms()

Once you have defined a list of platforms, you may use those identifiers to set up configuration filters and apply platform-specific settings.

configuration "x64"
    defines "IS_64BIT"

-- You can also mix platforms with other configuration selectors
configuration { "Debug", "x64" }
    defines "IS_64BIT_DEBUG"

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postbuildcommands({commands...})

Specifies shell commands to run after build is finished

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

commands - one or more shell commands

Examples

configuration "windows"
    postbuildcommands { "copy default.config bin\\project.config" }

configuration "not windows"
    postbuildcommands { "cp default.config bin/project.config" }

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postcompiletasks({commands...})

Specifies shell commands to run after compile of file is finished (GMAKE specific)

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

commands - one or more shell commands

Examples

    postcompiletasks { "rm $(@:%.o=%.d)" }

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prebuildcommands({commands...})

Specifies shell commands to run before each build

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

commands - one or more shell commands

Examples

configuration "windows"
    prebuildcommands { "copy default.config bin\\project.config" }

configuration "not windows"
    prebuildcommands { "cp default.config bin/project.config" }

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prelinkcommands({commands...})

Specifies shell commands to run after source files have been compiled, but before the link step

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

commands - one or more shell commands

Examples

configuration "windows"
    prelinkcommands { "copy default.config bin\\project.config" }

configuration "not windows"
    prelinkcommands { "cp default.config bin/project.config" }

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printf(format, args...)

Prints a formatted string

Arguments

format - formatting string, containing C printf() formatting codes args - arguments to be substituted into the format string

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project(name)

Creates a new project and makes it active. Projects contain all of the settings necessary to build a single binary target, and are synonymous with a Visual Studio Project. These settings include the list of source code files, the programming language used by those files, compiler flags, include directories, and which libraries to link against.

Every project belongs to a solution.

Arguments

name - a unique name for the project. If a project with the given name already exists, it is made active and returned. The project name will be used as the file name of the generated solution file.

Return Value

The active project object.

The project Object

Every project is represented in Lua as a table of key-value pairs. You should treat this object as read-only and use the GENie API to make any changes.

  • basedir - directory where the project was originally defined. Root for relative paths.
  • blocks - list of configuration blocks
  • language - project language, if set
  • location - output directory for generated project file
  • name - name of the project
  • solution - solution which contains the project
  • uuid - unique identifier

Examples

Create a new project named "MyProject". Note that a solution must exist to contain the project. The indentation is for readability and is optional.

solution "MySolution"
    configurations { "Debug", "Release" }

    project "MyProject"

You can retrieve the currently active project by calling project with no parameters.

local prj = project()

You can retrieve the list of projects associated with a solution using the projects field of the solution object, which may then be iterated over.

local prjs = solution().projects
for i, prj in ipairs(prjs) do
    print(prj.name)
end

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resdefines({symbols...})

Specifies preprocessor symbols for the resource compiler. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

symbols - list of symbols to be defined

Examples

resdefines { "DEBUG", "TRACE" }
resdefines { "CALLSPEC=__dllexport" }

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resincludedirs({paths...})

Specifies the include file search paths for the resource compiler. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

paths - list of include file search directories, relative to the currently executing script file

Examples

resincludedirs { "../lua/include", "../zlib" }

May use wildcards

resincludedirs { "../includes/**" }

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resoptions({options...})

Passes arguments directly to the resource compiler. Multiple calls are concatenated.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

options - list of resource compiler flags and options

Examples

configuration { "linux", "gmake" }
    resoptions { "`wx-config --cxxflags`", "-ansi", "-pedantic" }

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solution(name)

Creates a new solution and makes it active. Solutions are the top-level opjects in a GENie build script, and are synonymous with a Visual Studio solution. Each solution contains one or more projects, which in turn contain the settings to generate a single binary target.

Arguments

name - unique name for the solution. If a solution with the given name already exists, it is made active and returned. This value will be used as the file name of the generated solution file.

Return Value

The active solution object.

The solution Object

Represented as a Lua table key-value pairs, containing the following values. You should treat this object as read-only and use the GENie API to make any changes.

  • basedir - directory where the original project was defined; acts as a root for relative paths
  • configurations - list of valid configuration names
  • blocks - list of configuration blocks
  • language - solution language, if set
  • location - output directory for the generated solution file
  • name - name of the solution
  • platforms - list of target platforms
  • projects - list of projects contained by the solution

Examples

solution "MySolution"

You can retrieve the currently active solution object by calling solution with no parameters.

local sln = solution()

You can use the global variable _SOLUTIONS to list out all of the currently defined solutions.

for i, sln in ipairs(_SOLUTIONS) do
    print(sln.name)
end

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string.endswith(haystack, needle)

Checks if the given haystack string ends with needle.

Arguments

haystack - string to search within needle - string to check ending of haystack against

Return Value

true - haystack ends with needle false - haystack does not end with needle

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string.explode(str, pattern)

Breaks a string into an array of strings, formed by splitting str on pattern.

Arguments

str - string to be split pattern - separator pattern at which to split; may use Lua's pattern matching syntax

Return Value

List of substrings

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string.findlast(str, pattern, plain)

Finds the last instance of a pattern within a string.

Arguments

str - string to be searched pattern - pattern to search for; may use Lua's pattern matching syntax plain - whether or not plain string comparison should be used (rather than pattern-matching)

Return Value

The matching pattern, if found, or nil

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string.startswith(haystack, needle)

Checks if the given haystack starts with needle.

Arguments

haystack - string to search within needle - string to check start of haystack against

Return Value

true - haystack starts with needle false - haystack does not start with needle

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table.contains(array, value)

Determines if a array contains value.

Arguments

array - table to test for value value - value being tested for

Return Value

true - array contains value false - array does not contain value

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table.implode(array, before, after, between)

Merges an array of items into a single formatted string.

Arguments

array - table to be converted into a string before - string to be inserted before each item after - string to be inserted after each item between - string to be inserted between each item

Return Value

Formatted string

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targetdir(path)

Sets the destination directory for the compiled binary target. By default, generated project files will place their compiled output in the same directory as the script.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

path - file system path to the directory where the compiled target file should be stored, relative to the currently executing script file.

Examples

project "MyProject"

    configuration "Debug"
        targetdir "bin/debug"

    configuration "Release"
        targetdir "bin/release"

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targetextension(ext)

Specifies the file extension for the compiled binary target. By default, the project will use the system's normal naming conventions: ".exe" for Windows executables, ".so" for Linux shared libraries, etc.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

ext - new file extension, including leading dot

Examples

targetextension ".zmf"

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targetname(name)

Specifies the base file name for the compiled binary target. By default, the project name will be used as the file name of the compiled binary target.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

name - new base file name

Examples

targetname "mytarget"

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targetprefix(prefix)

Specifies the file name prefix for the compiled binary target. By default, system naming conventions will be used: "lib" for POSIX libraries (e.g. "libMyProject.so") and no prefix elsewhere.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

prefix - new file name prefix

Examples

targetprefix "plugin"

The prefix may also be set to an empty string for no prefix

targetprefix ""

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targetsuffix(suffix)

Specifies a file name suffix for the compiled binary target.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

suffix - new filename suffix

Examples

--- Add "-d" to debug versions of files
configuration "Debug"
    targetsuffix "-d"

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uuid(projectuuid)

Sets the UUID for a project. GENie automatically assigns a UUID to each project, which is used by the Visual Studio generators to identify the project within a solution. This UUID is essentially random and will change each time the project file is generated. If you are storing the generated Visual Studio project files in a version control system, this will create a lot of unnecessary deltas. Using the uuid function, you can assign a fixed UUID to each project which never changes.

Scope: projects

Arguments

projectuuid - UUID for the current project

Return Value

Current project UUID or nil if no UUID has been set

Examples

uuid "XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX"

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vpaths({[group] = {pattern...}})

Places files into groups for "virtual paths", rather than mirroring the filesystem. This allows you to, for instance, put all header files in a group called "Headers", no matter where they appeared in the source tree.

Note: May be set on the solution, project, or configuration, but only project-level file lists are currently supported.

Scope: solutions, projects, configurations

Arguments

Table of values, where keys (groups) are strings and values (pattern) are lists of file system patterns.

group - name for the new group pattern - file system pattern for matching file names

Examples

Place all header files into a virtual path called "Headers". Any directory information is removed, "src/lua/lua.h" will appear in the IDE as "Headers/lua.h"

vpaths { ["Headers"] = "**.h" }

You may specify multiple file patterns using table syntax

vpaths {
    ["Headers"] = { "**.h", "**.hxx", "**.hpp" }
}

It is also possible to include the file's path in the virtual group. Using this rule, "src/lua/lua.h" will appear in the IDE as "Headers/src/lua/lua.h".

vpaths { ["Headers/*"] = "**.h" }

Any directory information explicitly provided in the pattern will be remvoed from the replacement. Using this rule, "src/lua/lua.h" will appear in the IDE as "Headers/lua/lua.h".

vpaths { ["Headers/*"] = "src/**.h" }

You can also use virtual paths to remove extra directories from the IDE. Using this rule, "src/lua/lua.h" will appear in the IDE as "lua/lua.h".

vpaths { ["*"] = "src" }

You may specify more than one rule at a time

vpaths {
    ["Headers"]   = "**.h",
    ["Sources/*"] = {"**.c", "**.cpp"},
    ["Docs"]      = "**.txt"
}

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Additional Information

Wildcards

In some places, wildcards may be used in string values passed to a function. Usually, these strings represent paths. There are two types of wildcards:

  • * - matches files within a single directory
  • ** - matches files recursively in any child directory