How to build Notepad++
----------------------

**Pre-requisites:**

 - Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 (C/C++ Compiler, v141 toolset)

There are two components that need to be built separately:

 - `notepad++.exe`: (depends on `SciLexer.dll`)
 - `SciLexer.dll` : (with nmake)

You can build Notepad++ with *or* without Boost - The release build of
Notepad++ is built **with** Boost.

Since `Notepad++` version 6.0, the build of `SciLexer.dll` that is distributed
uses features from Boost's `Boost.Regex` library.

You can build SciLexer.dll without Boost, ie. with its default POSIX regular
expression support instead of boost's PCRE one. This is useful if you would
like to debug Notepad++, but don't have boost.

More about the build process: https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/13959/building-notepad-with-visual-studio-2015-2017

## Build `notepad++.exe`:

 1. Open [`PowerEditor\visual.net\notepadPlus.vcxproj`](https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/blob/master/PowerEditor/visual.net/notepadPlus.vcxproj)
 2. Select a solution configuration (debug or release) and a solution platform (x64 or x32)
 3. Build Notepad++ like a normal Visual Studio project.

As mentioned above, you'll need `SciLexer.dll` to run Notepad++. Please check the following sections for building `SciLexer.dll`.
Once `SciLexer.dll` is generated, copy it from `scintilla\bin\` to the same directory as `notepad++.exe`.

## Build `SciLexer.dll`:

Here are the instructions to build SciLexer.dll (for both 32-bit & 64-bit) for Notepad++.

For steps below, we need to set the compiler path and environment variables. A common way to do that is use *Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio*:

* For 32-bit, open a command prompt *for building*:
    - From the IDE, you can do this by right clicking on a file in Solution Explorer,
      and clicking "Open Command Prompt". This will open up a command prompt with all the proper environment variables.
    - From the Windows Start screen/menu, type `Developer Command Prompt for VS2017`,
      and click/select the result.
    - From an *already open* command prompt, run `vcvarsall.bat`
      (e.g. "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat").
* For 64-bit, open `x64 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS 2017` from the Windows Start menu.
* Read more: [Set the Path and Environment Variables for Command-Line Builds](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/f2ccy3wt.aspx)


*Note:* If building the 32-bit and 64-bit versions in the same folder structure, after building one, it may be necessary to do a `nmake -f scintilla.mak clean` before building the other.

### Prepare boost

Skip this section if you want to build Scintilla without boost.

 1. Download the [Boost source code](https://www.boost.org/users/history/version_1_70_0.html).
 2. Unzip boost. Example location: `C:\sources\boost_1_70_0`
 3. Build Boost.Regex library.
    - Open the Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio
    - Go into the boost folder: `cd C:\sources\boost_1_70_0`
    - Prepare the Boost.Build system: `bootstrap.bat vc141`
    - `b2.exe` will be generated beside of `bootstrap.bat`
    - Go into regex build directory: `cd C:\sources\boost_1_70_0\libs\regex\build`
    - Build Boost.Regex with the same configuration as notepad++
      - Release: `..\..\..\b2.exe toolset=msvc link=static threading=multi runtime-link=static address-model=64 release stage`
      - Debug: `..\..\..\b2.exe toolset=msvc link=static threading=multi runtime-link=static address-model=64 debug stage`
    - The build output is a static library that looks like this `libboost_regex-vc141-mt-s-x64-1_70.lib`
    - For 32-bit build, remove **address-model=64**. The output would look like `libboost_regex-vc141-mt-s-x32-1_70.lib`
    - *Note:* You can copy the resulting static library to another location for convenience. This will be used later for `BOOSTREGEXLIBPATH`. Example: `C:\tmp\boostregexLib\x64\`

 ### Build `SciLexer.dll` with boost:

1. Open the Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio
2. Go into the `scintilla\win32\`
3. Build the same configuration as notepad++:
   - Release: `nmake BOOSTPATH=<boost_root_path> BOOSTREGEXLIBPATH=<built_realease_lib_path> -f scintilla.mak`
   - Debug: `nmake DEBUG=1 BOOSTPATH=<boost_root_path> BOOSTREGEXLIBPATH=<built_debug_lib_path> -f scintilla.mak`
   - Example: 
   `nmake BOOSTPATH=C:\sources\boost_1_70_0\ BOOSTREGEXLIBPATH=C:\sources\boost_1_70_0\bin.v2\libs\regex\build\msvc-14.1\release\address-model-64\link-static\runtime-link-static\threading-multi\  -f scintilla.mak`


### Build `SciLexer.dll` *without* boost:

This will work with `notepad++.exe`, however some functionality in Notepad++ will be broken.

1. Open the Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio
2. Go into the `scintilla\win32\`
3. Build the same configuration as notepad++:
    - Release: `nmake -f scintilla.mak`
    - Debug: `nmake DEBUG=1 -f scintilla.mak`


## Build 64 bits binaries with GCC:

If you have installed [MinGW-w64](https://mingw-w64.org/doku.php/start), then you can compile Notepad++ & SciLexer.dll 64 bits binaries with GCC.

* Compile Notepad++ binary

1. Launch cmd.
2. Change dir into `notepad-plus-plus\PowerEditor\gcc`.
3. Type `mingw32-make.exe -j%NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS%`
4. `NotepadPP.exe` is generated in `notepad-plus-plus\PowerEditor\bin\`.

* Compile SciLexer.dll

1. Launch cmd.
2. Change dir into `notepad-plus-plus\scintilla\win32`.
3. Type `mingw32-make.exe -j%NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS%`
4. `SciLexer.dll` is generated in `notepad-plus-plus\scintilla\bin\`.

You can download MinGW-w64 from https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/files/. On Notepad++ Github page (this project), the build system use [MinGW 8.1](https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/files/Toolchains%20targetting%20Win64/Personal%20Builds/mingw-builds/8.1.0/threads-posix/seh/x86_64-8.1.0-release-posix-seh-rt_v6-rev0.7z).


Note 1: if you use MinGW from the package (7z), you need manually add the MinGW/bin folder path to system Path variable to make mingw32-make.exe invoke works (or you can use command :`set PATH=%PATH%;C:\xxxx\mingw64\bin` for adding it on each time you launch cmd). 

Note 2: For 32-bit build, https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/files/Toolchains%20targetting%20Win32/Personal%20Builds/mingw-builds/8.1.0/threads-posix/sjlj/i686-8.1.0-release-posix-sjlj-rt_v6-rev0.7z could be used. The rest of the instructions are still valid.