Compiling a ksp plugin from sourcecode

[Epiphoskei]

I'm a novice Java programmer and I was trying to see if I could figure out C# enough to make a simple tweak to how a plugin operated. I downloaded the source code and tried to compile the .cs to a .dll from the command prompt

I'm using this syntax on the command line.

csc /target:library /out:C:\...path...\Output.DLL C:\...path...\Input.cs

I get a lot of errors saying Namespace name 'KSP' could not be found, 'UnityEngine' could not be found, etc., , which I take to mean I have to tell the compiler to use other KSP and Unity resources.

Is this a simple fix or am I making things needlessly complex by bypassing an IDE?

Thanks all!

 

[SpannerMonkey(smce)]

16 hours ago, Epiphoskei said:

making things needlessly complex by bypassing an IDE?

Hi. i think the quote applies, even a dummy such as I  can compile C# for KSP using VS, why do it the hard way.  Yes the assets references required are all contained in KSP_x64_Data, and using an IDE it's a very simple matter to link /add the ref you require . There are several guides for the how to of plugins for KSP to be found in the addon development section and it's sub sections

Edited October 27, 2017 by SpannerMonkey(smce)

[HebaruSan]

16 hours ago, Epiphoskei said:

csc /target:library /out:C:\...path...\Output.DLL C:\...path...\Input.cs

Is this a simple fix or am I making things needlessly complex by bypassing an IDE?

Try msbuild or xbuild instead (depending on your OS). Plugin source code will include a csproj file and sometimes an sln, which tells those tools how to compile it.

(You'll still get errors unless you edit the csproj file to tell the compiler where to find KSP, of course. Search for DLLs and you should see the paths the mod author used.)