Writing sources

You can use any text editor that allows to open/save files with any extensions to write source code. I recommend Tillanosoft PocketNotepad with their tGetFile.dll. I hope I'll have enough free time to make IDE with many useful features soon.

Project files

To make build process really simple project file is used, it's something like Makefile but in XML format and with .csant extension. During installation these files registered to be opened by csant build tool. So when you "run" such file using any file manager, console window is opened, neccessary actions performed and you see output messages. Only modified files are recompiled so build process takes less time.

Simple .csant file has following structure (note that you always have to specify full file names with path and use forward slashes):

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<project name="gui" default="all">
    <property name="out" value="/pc#/samp/gui/gui.exe"/>
    <target name="all">
        <cscc output="${out}">
            <arg value="-L/pc#/lib -winforms"/>
            <sources basedir="/pc#/samp/gui">
                <includes name="gui.cs"/>
            </sources>
        </compile>
    </target>

    <target name="clean">
        <delete file="${out}"/>
    </target>
</project>
				

This file defines project named gui with two targets: all and clean. Property out defined with name of project output file (of course project may have many output files). Target clean contans one action that deletes output file. Target all is default for this project and contains action to build application. Tag arg defines arguments passed to C# compiler: one to tell where libraries located and another to tell that we need to link with Forms assembly. Then list of source files defined with base path and one file.

Full documentation on XML build file syntax can be found here.

Command line usage

Open console by running CMD program. After that you must set PATH environment variable to where you installed PC#. To do this execute 'set path=\pc#' command (you have to repeate this each time you open new console window). Remember that as in project files you must specify full path in program arguments. Following tools are available (not all arguments listed, you can always view them with --help switch):

cscc-cs, ilasm, ilalink - C# compiler, IL assembler and linker.

cscc - Wrapper for three above tools. Calls them with appropriate arguments to generate specified output file from sources. Normally (but w/o project files) you should use this tool and not manually call lower-level ones.

Usage: cscc <options> -o <outfile> <sources>

csant - Build tool. Processes project files with format as described above and performs needed actions. In most cases you will want to create project file to make build process much easier instead of using any other tools manually.

Usage: csant -f <file> <target>