# How to build ruby using Visual C++¶ ↑

## Requirement¶ ↑

1. Windows 7 or later.

2. Visual C++ 12.0 (2013) or later.

   Note

     if you want to build x64 version, use native compiler for x64.

3. Please set environment variable `INCLUDE`, `LIB`, `PATH` to run required commands properly from the command line.

   Note

     building ruby requires following commands.

   - nmake

   - cl

   - ml

   - lib

   - dumpbin

4. If you want to build from GIT source, following commands are required.

   - bison

   - patch

   - sed

   - ruby 2.0 or later

5. Enable Command Extension of your command line. It’s the default behavior of `cmd.exe`. If you want to enable it explicitly, run `cmd.exe` with `/E:ON` option.

## How to compile and install¶ ↑

1. Execute `win32\configure.bat` on your build directory. You can specify the target platform as an argument. For example, run ‘`configure --target=i686-mswin32`’ You can also specify the install directory. For example, run ‘`configure --prefix=<install_directory>`’ Default of the install directory is `/usr` . The default PLATFORM is ‘`i386-mswin32_`MSRTVERSION’ on 32-bit platforms, or ‘`x64-mswin64_`MSRTVERSION’ on x64 platforms. MSRTVERSION is the 2- or 3-digits version of the Microsoft Runtime Library.

2. Change RUBY_INSTALL_NAME and RUBY_SO_NAME in `Makefile` if you want to change the name of the executable files. And add RUBYW_INSTALL_NAME to change the name of the executable without console window if also you want.

3. Run ‘`nmake up`’ if you are building from GIT source.

4. Run ‘`nmake`’

5. Run ‘`nmake check`’

6. Run ‘`nmake install`’

## Icons¶ ↑

Any icon files(*.ico) in the build directory, directories specified with icondirs make variable and `win32` directory under the ruby source directory will be included in DLL or executable files, according to their base names.

    $(RUBY_INSTALL_NAME).ico or ruby.ico   --> $(RUBY_INSTALL_NAME).exe
    $(RUBYW_INSTALL_NAME).ico or rubyw.ico --> $(RUBYW_INSTALL_NAME).exe
    the others                             --> $(RUBY_SO_NAME).dll

Although no icons are distributed with the ruby source, you can use anything you like. You will be able to find many images by search engines. For example, followings are made from Ruby logo kit:

- Small favicon in the official site

- ruby.morphball.net/vit-ruby-ico_en.html or icon itself

## Build examples¶ ↑

- Build on the ruby source directory.

  ex.)

      ruby source directory:  C:\ruby
      build directory:        C:\ruby
      install directory:      C:\usr\local

      C:
      cd \ruby
      win32\configure --prefix=/usr/local
      nmake
      nmake check
      nmake install

- Build on the relative directory from the ruby source directory.

  ex.)

      ruby source directory:  C:\ruby
      build directory:        C:\ruby\mswin32
      install directory:      C:\usr\local

      C:
      cd \ruby
      mkdir mswin32
      cd mswin32
      ..\win32\configure --prefix=/usr/local
      nmake
      nmake check
      nmake install

- Build on the different drive.

  ex.)

      ruby source directory:  C:\src\ruby
      build directory:        D:\build\ruby
      install directory:      C:\usr\local

      D:
      cd D:\build\ruby
      C:\src\ruby\win32\configure --prefix=/usr/local
      nmake
      nmake check
      nmake install DESTDIR=C:

- Build x64 version (requires native x64 VC++ compiler)

  ex.)

      ruby source directory:  C:\ruby
      build directory:        C:\ruby
      install directory:      C:\usr\local

      C:
      cd \ruby
      win32\configure --prefix=/usr/local --target=x64-mswin64
      nmake
      nmake check
      nmake install

## Bugs¶ ↑

You can NOT use a path name that contains any white space characters as the ruby source directory, this restriction comes from the behavior of `!INCLUDE` directives of `NMAKE`.

You can build ruby in any directory including the source directory, except `win32` directory in the source directory. This is restriction originating in the path search method of `NMAKE`.