The Wiert Corner – irregular stream of stuff

Last week, I wrote about msbuild verbosity levels. The post was both for my own documentation, but also out of need as I wanted to have way more verbose logging for a Delphi build process involving search path configurations.

When using my Delphi build script you can both pass msbuild options and Delphi compiler options:

Run-Dependend-rsvars-From-Path.bat 5 msbuild -verbosity:detailed "/p:DCC_OutputDependencies=true" MyProject.dproj

The bold one is the msbuild parameter, the italic one the Delphi compiler parameter for unit dependencies. They are directly passed to msbuild:

...\msbuild.exe /target:build /p:DCC_BuildAllUnits=true /p:config=Debug -verbosity:detailed "/p:DCC_OutputDependencies=true" MyProject.dproj

You can multiple options too:

Run-Dependend-rsvars-From-Path.bat 5 msbuild -verbosity:detailed "/p:DCC_OutputDependencies=true" "/p:DCC_Quiet=false" MyProject.dproj

In addition to unit dependencies, you can also get an overview of .dfm and other resource file dependencies by passing /p:DCC_OutputDRCFile=true on the command-line this will generate a DRC file that not just has all the resource string constants in it, but also a comment section specifying all resource files including these file types:

• .dfm (form files)
• .drf (which seems to be a temporary file having to do with package reference dependencies: [WayBack] What is a DRF file? Why is there a problem creating it?, [WayBack] packages – Delphi “E2161 Error: RLINK32: Error opening file ________.drf ” during Build All – Stack Overflow)
• .res (resource files)

Both DCC_OutputDependencies and DCC_OutputDRCFile can also be set to true in a .dproj file and are configurable under two different project option paths:

• DCC_OutputDependencies: “Project Options” -> “Delphi Compiler” -> “Compiling” -> “Output unit dependency information”
• DCC_OutputDRCFile: “Project Options” -> “” -> “Delphi Compiler” -> “Linking” -> “Ouput resource string .drc file”

The -verbosity:detailed however, is not passed to the various Delphi DCC compilers, as somewhere along the line, the CodeGear.Delphi.Targets got changed to Quiet="true" somewhere in-between Delphi 2007 and Delphi 2010.

Delphi 2007 had from Borland.Delphi.Targets files containing from Quiet="$(DCC_Quiet)"; the file got renamed and changes likely in Delphi 2009. See these related posts:

• [WayBack] QualityCentral 56289: MSBuild does not pass the quiet option to DCC32
• [WayBack] delphi – Is there a way to turn off the quiet mode in DCC32 called by MSBuild? – Stack Overflow
• [WayBack] How can I get MSBuild to do a full build of a Delphi project equivalent to dcc32 -b? – Stack Overflow
• [WayBack] 2018-03-31 – twm’s blog: Specifying the msbuild configuration for a Delphi project on the commandline
• [WayBack] What are the MSBuild project level properties for Delphi? – Stack Overflow
• [WayBack] Delphi MSBuild Build Configurations From Command Line – Stack Overflow
• [WayBack] Command line build questions : MSBUILD console output is either wickedly verbose (compiling delphi .dprojs) or completely off. – delphi

This means as of then on, the DCC commandline compilers will always output non-verbose logging. Even specifying "/p:DCC_AdditionalSwitches=-Q-" will not help: you will just get blank lines.

In the past, one of the things the verbose DCC logging would help you to see which files where accessed using the actual build. This was a tremendous help when figuring out search path problems that kick in every now and then.

For units, there is a little trick you can use here: it’s the /p:DCC_OutputDependencies=true" option you see above.

It will output an additional file with the .d extension that:

• on the first two lines are an empty line followed by lining having the the .dpr filenamea space and a backslash
• continues with units in reverse order of dependency:
  • optional lines having two tabs, a full .dcu filename (even if the file was actually a .pas file), a space and a backslash
  • a final line having two tabs, a full .dcu filename (even if the file was actually a .pas file) but no space or backslash

That file is relatively easy to scan or parse for path problems.

Project settings

I am not sure at which Delphi version the depends feature became a project setting, but it is. The odd thing: it does not always work, at least not in the Delphi 102. Tokyo installations I have used.

In a .dproj file, it is inside this element: <DCC_OutputDependencies>true</DCC_OutputDependencies> just like the msbuild name.

In the UI, you can find it here:

Related

• Delphi 2007 – when you lost your Borland.*.Targets file during a Windows upgrade
• DCC_AdditionalSwitches and /p:DCC_AdditionalSwitches
  • [WayBack] QualityCentral 67433: Command line compile using MSBUILD will not display hints
  • [WayBack] Compileroption um alle Warnungen als Fehler zu behandeln – Delphi-PRAXiS
    

    msbuild %1 /t:Build /p:config=%2 /p:DCC_AdditionalSwitches="-W^"

    and

    msbuild %1 /t:Build /p:config=%2 /p:DCC_Warnings=error="-W^"

  • [WayBack] MSBuild and Delphi compiler hints – binary patch – Andy’s Blog and Tools
  • [WayBack] QC67433: No hint when compiling with msbuild – embarcadero.delphi.non-tech
• DCC_OutputDependencies and and p:/DCC_OutputDependencies
  • Delphi compiler: the –depends switch / DCC_OutputDependencies property outputs a .d file listing all .dcu and .dcp files – via Stack Overflow/G+
  • [WayBack] delphi – Blank lines instead of a task console output in MSBuild – Stack Overflow

–jeroen