Embarcadero C++Builder: Separate debug/release DLL references possible?

Question

Depending on the build type (debug, release) of my main executable, I want to link against the matching builds of my DLLs. What is the correct way to accomplish this using the C++Builder IDE?

Details: I am using Embarcadero C++Builder XE8 (trial, BCC64). My software consists of one executable and multiple libraries (.dll, Dynamic-link Library) loaded during program startup (not at runtime). Each library and executable has its own project and all projects are within the same project group.

To use the compiled libraries in the consuming projects, I have added the import files of the compiled DLLs (.a for BCC64) to the consuming project.

Excerpt from SerialPort.cbproj:

<LibFiles Include="..\..\Win64\Debug\Logger.a" Condition="'$(Platform)'=='Win64'">
    <BuildOrder>3</BuildOrder>
    <IgnorePath>true</IgnorePath>
</LibFiles>

Unfortunately, the output path for .dll/.a files depends on the variables $(Platform) and $(Config) and therefore the path to those files differs between debug and release builds. The IDE does not(!?) allow me to specify different DLL files to be used for debug and release builds.

I'd rather not resort to ugly hacks like putting the generated binaries for debug and release mode in the same folder just to have a single path to the import files for both builds. The following workaround seems to work, but gets overwritten by C++Builder when saving the project:

<LibFiles Include="..\..\Win64\Debug\Logger.a" Condition="('$(Platform)'=='Win64') And ('$(Config)'=='Debug')">
    <BuildOrder>3</BuildOrder>
    <IgnorePath>true</IgnorePath>
</LibFiles>
<LibFiles Include="..\..\Win64\Release\Logger.a" Condition="('$(Platform)'=='Win64') And ('$(Config)'=='Release')">
    <BuildOrder>3</BuildOrder>
    <IgnorePath>true</IgnorePath>
</LibFiles>

Is there a sane way to solve this problem?

Answer 1

As mentioned on the comments, one possible solution is:

Instead of adding the lib/a files to the project, you can use the #pragma link directive in one of your source files to link them. And you can surround it with #ifdef directives to control which files to link in which conditions, that you can define on the project options.

Something like:

#ifdef DEBUG
  #pragma link "mydebulib.a"
#else
  #pragma link "myreleaselib.a"
#endif

Answer 2

Each library and executable has its own project and all projects are within the same project group

I'd go with:

#pragma comment(lib, "Logger")

In this way if you change something in the library and then try to build the executable, C++Builder automatically rebuilds Logger.a (it doesn't happen with pragma link).

Also consider that the files named in #pragma link / #pragma comment statements should not contain a file extension. The compiler will append the appropriate one: .lib when targeting Win32 / .a then targeting Win64.

As noted the library path itself can be specified in the project options, where $(PLATFORM) and $(CONFIG) can be used.

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NOTE C++Builder 10.3 Rio Release 2 requires a hotfix or, in some situations, modifying a file in the IDE followed by making or compiling the project would not build the modified file into the resulting binary (see RSP-25525 or the Embarcadero Blog for further details).