Compiler properties for building MEX-files

I'm working with MATLAB R2010b and need to compile a C++ source file to a .mex64 MEX-file.

I'm using the Microsoft VS2008 SP1 as a third party compiler.

mex.getCompilerConfigurations gives the following

mex.CompilerConfiguration
Package: mex
Properties:
          Name: 'Microsoft Visual C++ 2008'
  Manufacturer: 'Microsoft'
      Language: 'C++'
       Version: '9.0'
      Location: 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0'
       Details: [1x1 mex.CompilerConfigurationDetails]

So I think that the compiler is installed correctly. I tried to compile a simple hello.cpp file and it worked perfectly. However, my C++ source file requires the usage of MFC in a shared DLL. When I try to compile it in matlab using >>mex filenme.cpp I get the following error:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\ATLMFC\INCLUDE\afx.h(24) : fatal error C1189: #error :  Building MFC application with /MD[d] (CRT dll version) requires MFC shared dll version. Please #define _AFXDLL or do not use /MD[d]  

C:\PROGRA~1\MATLAB\R2010B\BIN\MEX.PL: Error: Compile of 'filename.cpp' failed. 

??? Error using ==> mex at 208
Unable to complete successfully.

How can I adjust the compiler used by MATLAB to use MFC in a Shared DLL? (as I guess that this is the problem, or?)

Thank you

Answer 1

[Kaustubha Govind]

Perhaps you should build your code in the Visual Studio IDE directly. See Custom Building MEX-Files for some tips. I would recommend get a simple MEX example to compile on the IDE (without using the MATLAB mex command), before you try your code.

Once you can compile your MEX-function on the IDE, you might want to follow generic Visual Studio steps to use the MFC. For example, this page suggests setting:

   Project + Properties, General.  Ensure Use of MFC is set to "Use MFC in a Shared Library".

This will ensure that all Visual Studio settings are configured for use of the MFC.

[Mohamed Abdalmoaty]

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I was also thinking to do that, but I wanted to give it a try first using the mex command. I think if we included #define _AFXDLL in the source file it should prevent static linking.

Eventhough I tried to use the VS 2008 SP1 to compile my file. I started a new project and set its properties as recommended in your attached link. I think the problem of the MFC lib is solved, but I still get the following errors, eventhough libmat.lib is included in the project:

1>------ Build started: Project: sfunfg, Configuration: Debug Win32 ------

1>Linking...

1> Creating library .\Debug/sfunfg.lib and object .\Debug/sfunfg.exp

1>sfunfg.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _mxGetString_730 referenced in function "void __cdecl mdlStart(struct SimStruct_tag *)" (?mdlStart@@YAXPAUSimStruct_tag@@@Z)

1>sfunfg.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _mxCreateDoubleMatrix_730 referenced in function "void __cdecl _ProcessMexSfunctionCmdLineCall(int,struct mxArray_tag * * const,int,struct mxArray_tag const * * const)" (?_ProcessMexSfunctionCmdLineCall@@YAXHQAPAUmxArray_tag@@HQAPBU1@@Z)

1>Debug/sfunfg.mex32 : fatal error LNK1120: 2 unresolved externals

1>Build log was saved at "file://c:\Users\Studer\Desktop\sfunfg\Debug\BuildLog.htm"

1>sfunfg - 3 error(s), 0 warning(s)

========== Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========

Do you have any idea what is wrong?

Thanks

[Kaustubha Govind]

My best bet is that your Visual Studio project is not configured for an x64 target (by default, it is setup for a 32-bit target, and since libmat.lib, etc. are 64-bit libraries, they don't work with 32-bit projects).