KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q194615: FIX: Project Deletes Precompiled Header Created by Other Project

Article: Q194615
Product(s): Microsoft C Compiler
Version(s): winnt:6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kberrmsg kbservicepack kbide kbVC600bug kbVS600sp2 kbVS600SP1 kbVS600sp3fix
Last Modified: 07-MAY-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Enterprise Edition, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Professional Edition, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Learning Edition, version 6.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

If one project uses a pre-compiled header (using compiler option /Yu) that was
created by another project, then the pre-compiled header is deleted when you
perform a Clean or Rebuild-All command in Developer Studio.

RESOLUTION
==========

In the workarounds that follow, a YC project refers to the project that creates
the pre-compiled header (PCH); a YU project refers to a project that uses, but
does not create, the pre-compiled header.


Option 1
--------

Use a custom build step to create the PCH file. This does not impact the YU
projects.

In this case you can modify Project Settings for the Stdafx.cpp file so that it
is built with custom build rules rather than the standard method for building
the PCH file.

To do this from the YC project:

1. On the Project menu, click Settings to bring up the Project Settings dialog
  box.

2. From the tree view in the left window, select Stdafx.cpp in the Source Files
  folder.

3. Click the General tab in the right window and select Always use custom build
  step.

4. Click the Custom Build tab.

5. In the Commands window, enter the following (where Yc.pch is the name of your
  project pre-compiled header file):

  attrib -r $(OutDir)\yc.pch
  cl [compiler switches] /Yc"stdafx.h" stdafx.cpp
  attrib +r $(OutDir)\yc.pch

6. In the Outputs window, enter the following (where Yc.pch is the name of your
  project pre-compiled header file):

  $(OutDir)\yc.pch
  $(OutDir)\stdafx.obj

7. Click Dependencies. Type the following in the user-defined Dependencies
  window:

  stdafx.h

8. Click OK.

NOTES:

- You get the following error at the beginning of your Rebuild-All or Clean:

  Error: Could not delete file "filename" : Access is denied.

- The pre-compiled header is not deleted even in the YC project when a Clean or
  Rebuild-All command is executed in Developer Studio. This behavior is
  consistent with Microsoft Visual C++, version 5.0.

Option 2
--------

Use an environment variable to set the PCH switch in the YU projects. This does
not impact the YC project(s).

1. In the Windows NT Setting, Control Panel applet, select the System icon. Then
  select the Environment tab.

2. In the Variable field, type in "YCREL" (without the quotation marks).

3. In the Value field, enter:

  /Fp"..\Release/yc.pch" /Yu"stdafx.h"

  (This uses relative paths although it is not required). Note that you also
  need an environment variable for the debug build, such as YCDBG. That is, you
  need two environment variables for each project that produces PCH files.

  NOTE: In Windows 95 or Windows 98, you must make system-wide environment
  variable setting changes by adding appropriate MS-DOS SET commands to the
  Autoexec.bat file and rebooting.

4. In the Project Settings dialog box for the YU project, select the main node
  of the project labeled YU in the file tree.

5. In the C/C++ tab, select the Precompiled Headers category.

6. Click Not using precompiled headers. This turns off the /Fp and /Yu compiler
  switches.

7. In the Project Options window (at the bottom of the Project Settings dialog
  box) add $(YCDBG) for your debug build or $(YCREL) for the Release build.

8. Click OK.

9. If you have not restarted Developer Studio since setting the environment
  variables, you must close it and reopen it.

NOTES:

- You can unintentionally delete or modify the environment settings.

- Build settings are hidden, which may make trouble-shooting build-related
  problems more difficult.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products that are
listed at the beginning of this article.This bug was corrected in Visual Studio
6.0 Service Pack 3. For more information about Visual Studio service packs,
please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q194022 INFO: Visual Studio 6.0 Service Packs, What, Where, Why

Q194295 HOWTO: Tell That Visual Studio 6.0 Service Packs Are Installed

MORE INFORMATION
================

Steps to Reproduce Behavior
---------------------------

1. Create two MFC AppWizard DLL projects in the same workspace.

2. Switch to the Win32 Release configuration for each project.

3. In Project2, delete the Stdafx.cpp file from the project.

4. In Project2, in the Project Settings dialog box, change the /Fp option to
  point to the PCH file from Project1.

5. Build Project1.

6. Build Project2.

7. Rebuild All Project2 only.

RESULT:

  fatal error C1083: Cannot open precompiled header file: 'filename': No such
  file or directory

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kberrmsg kbservicepack kbide kbVC600bug kbVS600sp2 kbVS600SP1 kbVS600sp3fix 
Technology        : kbVCsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVC600 kbVC32bitSearch
Version           : winnt:6.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.