Compiling and Linking an Application

When you work within Visual Studio, you can compile and link a project either by selecting Build or Rebuild All from the Build menu or by choosing the Build button on the Build toolbar. You also can compile individual project files by choosing Compile from the Build menu or by choosing the Compile button on the toolbar.

    To prepare to build a project

1. Choose Set Active Project on the Visual Studio Project menu. This ensures that the project you want to build is the active project.
2. Choose Set Active Project Configuration on the Visual Studio Build menu to select a target platform and to specify whether to build a debug version or release version of the active project.
3. Choose Settings on the Visual Studio Project menu, and verify that all the tabs in the Project Settings dialog box display the correct settings.
4. If you are building for a remote device, confirm that the device is properly connected to and communicating with the desktop computer.

Once the project settings are correct, you are ready to build your application.

    To build and download an application

1. Choose Build on the Build menu to compile and link the active project.

   – Or –

   Choose Rebuild All to rebuild the dependencies of the active project. The toolkit reports the progress of the compiling and linking process in the Build window.

2. Choose Update Remote Output File on the Build menu if you want to download an application to the remote device without building it.

Note Activate the Build toolbar to make it easier to select your active project configuration. If screen space is limited, deactivate the default Build MiniBar. To configure toolbars, choose Customize from the Tools menu and select the Toolbars tab.