Link error in naive use on Windows

[bbd666]

I used cmake to install C:\ensmallen-master\armadillo-15.2.3
-> C:\ensmallen-master\armadillo-15.2.3\armadillo_bits

I donwloaded
LAPACK.lib
LAPACKd.lib
in C:\ensmallen-master

then with cmake I built emsallen-master:
ARMADILLO_INCLUDE_DIR C:/ensmallen-master/armadillo-15.2.3
mkl_lapck_LIBRARY C:/ensmallen-master/LAPACK.lib

configure
generate

Then I created a new project in VS17.11.231.19466 (Visual C++ 2022)
I copied example in main.cpp
I added
C:\ensmallen-master\include
C:\ensmallen-master\armadillo-15.2.3\include
in 'project/properties/C/C++/other include folders'

Then Run (release mode)
-> 30 LNK2001 errors

[eddelbuettel]

Your best may be to read up on CMake use on Windows and start from smaller example projects: write a one-file library, write project linking to it. Then add Armadillo. Once you have that working you should be able to set yourself up for Ensmallen on Windows using Visual C++. Or ... use WSL2 and rely on Linux which I find easier to deal with.

[rcurtin]

I agree with @eddelbuettel's suggestions---it is generally easier to get this working on Linux and Linux-like systems; I also think just based on what you wrote that the wrong variable is being specified in your CMake configuration. Why are you specifying mkl_lapck_LIBRARY? (I assume you mean mkl_lapack_LIBRARY but still the question applies.) I think instead you want to specify your downloaded LAPACK libraries as the variable ARMADILLO_LIBRARIES. You will then also want to confirm whether or not armadillo.lib is required for linking (this depends on whether ARMA_USE_WRAPPER is set in armadillo_bits/config.hpp), and if it is, then set ARMADILLO_LIBRARIES to both of those, separated by a ;.

If you still get link errors, can you paste the actual linker errors? That will help us more in diagnosing what's wrong.