Chapter 1: Introduction, installation and configuration

The introduction is short. SDL library gives you the ability to develop powerful applications for many different operating systems (OS, e.g. Linux, Windows, MacOS) only by learning one set of commands. The SDL library takes on the assignment to translate your commands to the specific OS commands. It's especially meaningful to use the SDL library if you plan to develop two-dimensional games or similar software. Role-playing-, Real time/turn based strategy-, side-scrolling-, arcade-, board-, card-, simulation-, multi-user dungeon-, puzzle games and so on are possible. SDL helps you to set up easily an SDL/OpenGL environment which allows for creation of 3d applications. This finally allows even for three-dimensional games.

Now something about the licensing: Both, Freepascal and the SDL library are free and your created work can be used in commercial programs! The license of Freepascal is: modified LGPL and the license of SDL: GNU LGPL.

By this the introduction to SDL is finished already. Before you accidently proceed reading the manual installation of the SDL units for the Freepascal compiler (FPC) I'd like to express that since version 2.2.2 of FPC the pure, pre-compiled JEDI-SDL units are released along with the compiler so actually there is no need to install the SDL units manually anymore. Keep in mind though, many chapters assume you did the manual installation, so there are some envornment settings described you can skip. You don't have to set individual pathes to the different unit files. However, what you always HAVE TO consider is the download and copy of the corresponding DLL files described in the chapters. If you already have installed Freepascal (version 2.2.2 or later) just go on with chapter 1a now.

If you decide to do the manual installation there are two different unit packages which allow the development of SDL applications with the Freepascal environment. If you don't know which to choose I recommend strongly to choose the package of the JEDI-SDL Project! It is more advanced and supports a greater variety of features. This is also the package which is included in FPC nowadays.

LINUX USERS: The following description of the configuration is related to the MS Windows OS. The further chapters (except chapter 1 and 1a) will work for Linux OS, too. (If you want to contribute a configuration tutorial for Linux OS let me know; you would be mentioned as author of course.)

Which package of SDL units you want to install (MS Windows OS)?

JEDI-SDL (recommended)

SDL4FP
















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Creation/Updates: 2/1/2011; 13/4/2009; 25/1/2007
There is no guarantee that things will work! You do everything described here on your own risk! © M. Molski 2005-2011. All product and company names, brand names, trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners.