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+This document details how to compile a basic plugin in Visual Studio, MinGW, or GCC/Clang.
+
+To find the functions and variables available for use in plugins, look for `CC_API`/`CC_VAR` in the .h files.
+
+[Source code of some actual plugins](https://github.com/ClassiCube/ClassiCube-Plugins/)
+
+### Setup
+
+You need to download and install either Visual Studio, MinGW, or GCC/Clang.
+
+*Note: MinGW/GCC/Clang are relatively small, while Visual Studio is gigabytes in size.  
+If you're just trying to compile a plugin on Windows you might want to use MinGW. See main readme.*
+
+I assume your directory is structured like this:
+```
+src/...
+TestPlugin.c
+```
+Or in other words, in a directory somewhere, you have a file named `TestPlugin.c`, and then a sub-directory named `src` which contains the game's source code.
+
+### Basic plugin
+```C
+#include "src/Chat.h"
+#include "src/Game.h"
+#include "src/String.h"
+
+static void TestPlugin_Init(void) {
+        cc_string msg = String_FromConst("Hello world!");
+        Chat_Add(&msg);
+}
+
+int Plugin_ApiVersion = 1;
+struct IGameComponent Plugin_Component = { TestPlugin_Init };
+```
+Here's the idea for a basic plugin that shows "Hello world" in chat when the game starts. Alas, this won't compile...
+
+### Basic plugin boilerplate
+```C
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    #define CC_API __declspec(dllimport)
+    #define CC_VAR __declspec(dllimport)
+    #define EXPORT __declspec(dllexport)
+#else
+    #define CC_API
+    #define CC_VAR
+    #define EXPORT __attribute__((visibility("default")))
+#endif
+
+#include "src/Chat.h"
+#include "src/Game.h"
+#include "src/String.h"
+
+static void TestPlugin_Init(void) {
+    cc_string msg = String_FromConst("Hello world!");
+    Chat_Add(&msg);
+}
+
+EXPORT int Plugin_ApiVersion = 1;
+EXPORT struct IGameComponent Plugin_Component = { TestPlugin_Init };
+```
+With this boilerplate, we're ready to compile the plugin.
+All plugins require this boilerplate, so feel free to copy and paste it.
+
+---
+
+### Writing plugins in C++
+When including headers from ClassiCube, they **must** be surrounded with `extern "C"`, i.e.
+```C
+extern "C" {
+#include "src/Chat.h"
+#include "src/Game.h"
+#include "src/String.h"
+}
+```
+Otherwise you will get obscure `Undefined reference` errors when compiling.
+
+Exported plugin functions **must** be surrounded with `extern "C"`, i.e.
+```C
+extern "C" {
+EXPORT int Plugin_ApiVersion = 1;
+EXPORT struct IGameComponent Plugin_Component = { TestPlugin_Init };
+}
+```
+Otherwise your plugin will not load. (you'll see `error getting plugin version` in-game)
+
+---
+
+## Compiling
+
+Plugin compilation instructions differs depending on the compiler and operating system
+
+### Linux
+
+[Compiling using gcc or clang](plugin-dev.md#using-gcc-or-clang)
+
+[Cross compiling for Windows 32-bit](plugin-dev.md#cross-compiling-for-windows-32-bit-using-mingw-w64)
+
+[Cross compiling for Windows 64-bit](plugin-dev.md#cross-compiling-for-windows-64-bit-using-mingw-w64)
+
+### macOS
+
+[Compiling using gcc or clang](plugin-dev.md#using-gcc-or-clang-1)
+
+### Windows
+
+[Compiling using Visual Studio](plugin-dev.md#using-visual-studio)
+
+[Compiling using mingw-w64](plugin-dev.md#using-mingw-w64)
+
+---
+
+## Compiling - Linux
+
+### Using gcc or clang
+
+#### Compiling
+
+`cc TestPlugin.c -o TestPlugin.so -shared -fPIC`
+
+Then put `TestPlugin.so` into your game's `plugins` folder. Done.
+
+### Cross compiling for Windows 32 bit using mingw-w64
+
+#### Setup
+
+1) Create `ClassiCube.exe` by either:
+    1) Compiling the game, see `Cross compiling for windows (32 bit)` in [main readme](/readme.md#cross-compiling-for-windows-32-bit)
+    2) Downloading 32 bit ClassiCube from https://www.classicube.net/download/#dl-win
+2) Install the `mingw-w64-tools` package (if it isn't already)
+3) Generate the list of exported symbols from `ClassiCube.exe` by running:
+    * `gendef ClassiCube.exe`
+4) Create a linkable library from the exported symbols list by running: 
+    * `i686-w64-mingw32-dlltool -d ClassiCube.def -l libClassiCube.a -D ClassiCube.exe`
+
+TODO: also document alternate method of compiling the game using --out-implib
+
+#### Compiling
+
+`i686-w64-mingw32-gcc TestPlugin.c -o TestPlugin.dll -s -shared -L . -lClassiCube`
+
+Then put `TestPlugin.dll` into your game's `plugins` folder. Done.
+
+### Cross compiling for Windows 64 bit using mingw-w64
+
+#### Setup
+
+1) Create `ClassiCube.exe` by either:
+    1) Compiling the game, see `Cross compiling for windows (64 bit)` in [main readme](/readme.md#cross-compiling-for-windows-64-bit)
+    2) Downloading 64 bit ClassiCube from https://www.classicube.net/download/#dl-win
+2) Install the `mingw-w64-tools` package (if it isn't already)
+3) Generate the list of exported symbols from `ClassiCube.exe` by running:
+    * `gendef ClassiCube.exe`
+4) Create a linkable library from the exported symbols list by running: 
+    * `x86_64-w64-mingw32-dlltool -d ClassiCube.def -l libClassiCube.a -D ClassiCube.exe`
+
+TODO: also document alternate method of compiling the game using --out-implib
+
+#### Compiling
+
+`x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc TestPlugin.c -o TestPlugin.dll -s -shared -L . -lClassiCube`
+
+Then put `TestPlugin.dll` into your game's `plugins` folder. Done.
+
+## Compiling - macOS
+
+### Using gcc or clang
+
+#### Compiling
+
+`cc TestPlugin.c -o TestPlugin.dylib -undefined dynamic_lookup`
+
+Then put `TestPlugin.dylib` into your game's `plugins` folder. Done.
+
+## Compiling - Windows
+
+### Using Visual Studio
+TODO more detailed when I have some more time...
+
+#### Setup
+
+1) Compile the game, see `Compiling - Windows > using Visual Studio` in main readme
+2) Find the `ClassiCube.lib` that was generated when compiling the game. Usually it is in either `src\x64\Debug` or `src\x86\Debug`.
+3) Add a new `Empty Project` to the ClassiCube solution, then add the plugin .c files to it
+
+Note: If the plugin provides a .vcxproj file, you can skip step 2 and just open that project file instead.
+
+#### Configuration - alternative #1
+
+The simplest way of linking to the `.lib` file is simply adding the following code to one of the plugin's `.c` files
+
+```C
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+  #ifdef _WIN64
+    #pragma comment(lib, "[GAME SRC FOLDER]/x64/Debug/ClassiCube.lib")
+  #else
+    #pragma comment(lib, "[GAME SRC FOLDER]/x86/Debug/ClassiCube.lib")
+  #endif
+#endif
+```
+
+replacing `[GAME SRC FOLDER]` with the full path of `src` folder (e.g. `C:/Dev/ClassiCube/src`)
+
+#### Configuration - alternative #2
+
+The more complicated way of linking to the `.lib` file is to add it to the plugin's project configuration file
+
+Right click the plugin project in the `Solution Explorer` pane, then click `Properties`
+
+TODO: add screenshots here
+
+TODO: may need to configure include directories
+
+1) In `Configuration properties` -> `General`, make sure `Configuration type` is set to `Dynamic library (.DLL)`
+
+2) In `Configuration properties` -> `Linker` -> `Input`, click the dropdown button for `Additional Dependencies`, then click `Edit`. Add the full path to `ClassiCube.lib`, then click `OK`
+
+#### Compiling
+
+Build the project. There should be a line in the build output that tells you where you can find the .dll file like this:
+`
+Project1.vcxproj -> C:\classicube-dev\testplugin\src\x64\Debug\TestPlugin.dll
+` 
+
+Then put `TestPlugin.dll` into your game's `plugins` folder. Done.
+
+### Using mingw-w64
+
+#### Setup
+
+1) Create `ClassiCube.exe` by either:
+    1) Compiling the game, see `Compiling for windows (MinGW-w64)` in [main readme](/readme.md#using-mingw-w64)
+    2) Downloading ClassiCube from https://www.classicube.net/download/#dl-win
+2) Generate the list of exported symbols in `ClassiCube.exe` by running:
+    * `gendef ClassiCube.exe`
+3) Create a linkable library from the exported symbols list by running: 
+    * `dlltool -d ClassiCube.def -l libClassiCube.a -D ClassiCube.exe`
+
+#### Compiling
+
+`gcc TestPlugin.c -o TestPlugin.dll -s -shared -L . -lClassiCube`
+
+Then put `TestPlugin.dll` into your game's `plugins` folder. Done.
+
+## Notes for compiling for Windows
+
+### Ensuring your plugin works when the ClassiCube exe isn't named ClassiCube.exe
+
+If you follow the prior compilation instructions, the compiled DLL will have a runtime dependancy on `ClassiCube.exe`
+
+However, this means that if the executable is e.g. named `ClassiCube (2).exe` instead. the plugin DLL will fail to load
+
+To avoid this problem, you must 
+1) Stop linking to `ClassiCube` (e.g. for `MinGW`, remove the ` -L . -lClassiCube`)
+2) Load all functions and variables exported from ClassiCube via `GetProcAddress` instead
+
+This is somewhat tedious to do - see [here](https://github.com/ClassiCube/ClassiCube-Plugins/) for some examples of plugins which do this
+
+#### Compiling ultra small plugin DLLs - MinGW
+If you **ONLY** use code from the game (no external libraries and no C standard library functions):
+* You can add `-nostartfiles -Wl,--entry=0` to the compile flags to reduce the DLL size (e.g from 11 to 4 kb)
+
+This isn't necessary to do though, and plugin DLLs work completely fine without doing this.
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