Using the LCL without Lazarus

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How to use the LCL without the Lazarus IDE?


Requirements

Things you'll need:
 Free Pascal 2.4.4
 Lazarus 0.9.30

Tested on Microsoft Windows XP SP3.

Introduction

You aren't forced to use the Lazarus IDE if you want to develop with the LCL. You can use it directly from the Free Pascal Compiler.

The installation process

First download the Free Pascal 2.4.4 and the Lazarus 0.9.30 and install them.

Our FPC install directory will be this

X:\FPC\2.4.4\

"X" is the drive letter

The Lazarus install directory will be this

X\Lazarus\

Then copy the lcl folder.

Copy this folder:

X:\Lazarus\lcl

Paste it to this location:

X:\FPC\2.4.4\units\i386-win32\lcl

Now you can remove the Lazarus from your computer. In the next section we'll informate the FPC that the LCL's been installed.

The settings

Start the FPC. Click on the Options menu and then the Directories menu item. Select the Units tab (default).

Add these directories:

X:\FPC\2.4.4\units\i386-win32\lcl
X:\FPC\2.4.4\units\i386-win32\lcl\units\i386-win32
X:\FPC\2.4.4\units\i386-win32\lcl\widgetset
X:\FPC\2.4.4\units\i386-win32\lcl\interfaces\win32

Then click on the Include files tab.

Add this directory:

X:\FPC\2.4.4\units\i386-win32\lcl\include

Now, you should be able to use the LCL. In the next section we'll try out creating a form with a button on it.

The code

This is the base-code:

program lcl_base;

uses
 Classes, Interfaces, Forms;
 //Interfaces is important
BEGIN
END.

First we'll create a form:

program lcl_base;

uses
 Classes, Interfaces, Forms;
    //Interfaces is very important
type
 TForm1 = class(TForm)
 end;
    //Our Form class
var
 Form1: TForm1;
    //Declare the Form1
BEGIN
 Application.Initialize;
 Applcation.CreateForm(TForm1, Form1);
 Applcation.Run;
    //We do exactly the same as the Lazarus does
END.

And then we'll create a nice button;

program lcl_base;

uses
 Classes, Interfaces, Forms, StdCntrls;
    //Interfaces is very important
type
 TForm1 = class(TForm)
  Button1: TButton;
 end;
    //Our Form class
var
 Form1: TForm1;
    //Declare the Form1
BEGIN
 Application.Initialize;
 Applcation.CreateForm(TForm1, Form1);
 Button1 := TButton.Create(Form1);
 With Form1.Button1 Do Begin
  Parent := Form1;
  Visible := TRUE;
  Left := 10;
  Top := 10;
  Width := 100;
  Height := 100;
  Caption := 'PRESS ME';
 End;
 Applcation.Run;
    //We do exactly the same as the Lazarus does
END.

That's it. Now, you are able to use the LCL without the Lazarus IDE.