R help - Oct 2005 - Building Rmysql Source in Windows XP: DLLTOOL can't find DEF file

Hello everyone,

I have a question regarding building the Rmysql packages from source in
Windows.  

I am currently using:   Windows XP, R-2.2.0, Mysql 3.23

I have installed all of the tools from Installation and Administration
and after following all the instructions to the letter, I compiled the
binary and installed R 2.2.0 from source with no issues.  This is the
first time I have compiled the source R and the first time I have
attempted building a package from source.  

When I read all of the RMySQL docs for creating the packages from
source, (Installation and Admin and all the 'readme' docs in the package
itself), there really seem to be only 2 basic instructions: 
1) Ensure the paths are correct in src/Makevars.win
2) re-import the DLL
3) and then build.

I ensure that my paths are correct in the src/Makevars.win file and then
the 2nd part of the instructions discusses "re-importing" the
libmysql.dll.

However, when I use the Dlltool in the correct Mysql directory
(c:\mysql\lib\opt) as directed, an error occurs below:

                   "dlltool: can't open the def file:
Libmysql.def"

The "libmysql.def" file is located in the
"c:\mysql\include\" directory
where PKG-CPPFLAGS is pointing. 

Question (1)------------ Do you know of why this is occurring and how
can I solve it?  
I could not find any documentation in Google or in the archives
regarding this error.  

Then finally, the last instructions uses "Rcmd build -binary RMySQL".
Question (2)------------ In what directory is this windows command line
given?  Under R/src/gnuwin32/?

Thank you so much for your time and any suggestions would be greatly
appreciated.

Best,

Mark

Mark A. LoPresti
Senior Quantitative Analyst
Thomson Financial
Phone: 301-545-4630
Email: mark.lopresti at thomson.com
Web: www.thomson.com/financial

On Tue, 25 Oct 2005 mark.lopresti at thomson.com wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I have a question regarding building the Rmysql packages from source in
> Windows.
Pretty esoteric, and the posting guide suggests you ask the maintainer.
> I am currently using:   Windows XP, R-2.2.0, Mysql 3.23
MySQL 3.23 is rather old: the layout may have changed.
> I have installed all of the tools from Installation and Administration
> and after following all the instructions to the letter, I compiled the
> binary and installed R 2.2.0 from source with no issues.  This is the
> first time I have compiled the source R and the first time I have
> attempted building a package from source.
>
> When I read all of the RMySQL docs for creating the packages from
> source, (Installation and Admin and all the 'readme' docs in the
package
> itself), there really seem to be only 2 basic instructions:
> 1) Ensure the paths are correct in src/Makevars.win
> 2) re-import the DLL
> 3) and then build.
>
> I ensure that my paths are correct in the src/Makevars.win file and then
> the 2nd part of the instructions discusses "re-importing" the
> libmysql.dll.
>
> However, when I use the Dlltool in the correct Mysql directory
> (c:\mysql\lib\opt) as directed, an error occurs below:
>
>                   "dlltool: can't open the def file:
Libmysql.def"
>
> The "libmysql.def" file is located in the
"c:\mysql\include\" directory
> where PKG-CPPFLAGS is pointing.
But it is not an include file, and this is nothing to do with step 1 where 
you set PKG_CPPFLAGS (note spelling).

You need to give the path to it, somthing like

dlltool --dllname libmySQL.dll --def ..\..\include\LIBMYSQL.def 
--output-lib libmySQL.a  -k
> Question (1)------------ Do you know of why this is occurring and how
> can I solve it?
> I could not find any documentation in Google or in the archives
> regarding this error.
>
> Then finally, the last instructions uses "Rcmd build -binary
RMySQL".
> Question (2)------------ In what directory is this windows command line
> given?  Under R/src/gnuwin32/?
The one with subdirectory RMySQL.  But you don't need to do this, just to 
install with

R CMD INSTALL RMySQL

as you are not distributing it.

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595