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How to package a plugin with a thirdparty library dependency with sources (not prebuilt) ?

Development Discussion C++ Gameplay Programming
#1

I’m trying to package a plugin that has a Thirdparty library dependency (Tinyxml2) in form of source files (not prebuilt).

This is what I have (my parser plugin):
File: MyParser.Build.cs



using UnrealBuildTool;
public class MyParser: ModuleRules
{
    public MyParser(ReadOnlyTargetRules Target) : base(Target)
    {
        PCHUsage = ModuleRules.PCHUsageMode.UseExplicitOrSharedPCHs;
        PublicDependencyModuleNames.AddRange( new string] { "Core" }   );
        PrivateDependencyModuleNames.AddRange( new string] { "CoreUObject", "Engine", "Slate", "SlateCore",  "Tinyxml2"  } );
    }
}

Now in the ThirdParty/Tinyxml2 folder I have the .h/.cpp sources AND this file: Tinyxml2.Build.cs



using System.IO;
using System;
using UnrealBuildTool;
public class Tinyxml2 : ModuleRules
{
     public Tinyxml2(ReadOnlyTargetRules Target) : base(Target)
    {
        PCHUsage = ModuleRules.PCHUsageMode.UseExplicitOrSharedPCHs;
        PublicDefinitions.Add("TINYXML2_EXPORT"); // This is needed to export tinyxml2 definitions.
    }
}

This compiles, links, and executes OK. But when I try to package MyParser plugin I get this error:



<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1: ==============================================================================
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_0: ERROR: Unable to determine module type for C:\Users\Dani\Documents\PackagedUnreal\Plugins\MyParser\HostProject\Plugins\MyParser\Source\ThirdParty\Tinyxml2.Build.cs
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_0:        (referenced via precompile option -> MyParser.Build.cs)
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_0:        (see C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.20\Engine\Programs\AutomationTool\Saved\Logs\UBT-UE4Editor-Win64-Development.txt for full exception trace)
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1:
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1: BuildException: Unable to determine module type for C:\Users\Dani\Documents\PackagedUnreal\Plugins\MyParser\HostProject\Plugins\MyParser\Source\ThirdParty\Tinyxml2.Build.cs
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1: (referenced via precompile option -> MyParser.Build.cs)
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1:    at UnrealBuildTool.UEBuildTarget.FindOrCreateModuleByName(String ModuleName, String ReferenceChain) in C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.20\Engine\Source\Programs\UnrealBuildTool\Configuration\UEBuildTarget.cs:line 4200
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1:    at UnrealBuildTool.UEBuildModule.RecursivelyCreateModulesByName(List`1 ModuleNames, List`1& Modules, CreateModuleDelegate CreateModule, String ReferenceChain) in C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.20\Engine\Source\Programs\UnrealBuildTool\Configuration\UEBuildModule.cs:line 738
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1:    at UnrealBuildTool.UEBuildModule.RecursivelyCreateModules(CreateModuleDelegate CreateModule, String ReferenceChain) in C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.20\Engine\Source\Programs\UnrealBuildTool\Configuration\UEBuildModule.cs:line 724
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1:    at UnrealBuildTool.UEBuildTarget.AddModulesToPrecompile() in C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.20\Engine\Source\Programs\UnrealBuildTool\Configuration\UEBuildTarget.cs:line 3137
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1:    at UnrealBuildTool.UEBuildTarget.PreBuildSetup(UEToolChain TargetToolChain) in C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.20\Engine\Source\Programs\UnrealBuildTool\Configuration\UEBuildTarget.cs:line 2670
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1:    at UnrealBuildTool.UEBuildTarget.Build(BuildConfiguration BuildConfiguration, CPPHeaders Headers, List`1 OutputItems, List`1 UObjectModules, ISourceFileWorkingSet WorkingSet, ActionGraph ActionGraph, EHotReload HotReload, Boolean bIsAssemblingBuild) in C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.20\Engine\Source\Programs\UnrealBuildTool\Configuration\UEBuildTarget.cs:line 2021
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1:    at UnrealBuildTool.UnrealBuildTool.RunUBT(BuildConfiguration BuildConfiguration, String] Arguments, FileReference ProjectFile, Boolean bCatchExceptions) in C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.20\Engine\Source\Programs\UnrealBuildTool\UnrealBuildTool.cs:line 1480
<>c.<PrintExceptionInfo>b__4_1: ==============================================================================

How can I configure correctly the Tinyxml2 ThirdParty dependency to package it? Thank you.

#2

Hi Roig
Try using PublicIncludePaths of your container folder with your .h and .cpp.
But at anycase if you want to parse XML there is already a module which does that inside UE

#3

Hello ZkarmaKun.

I have this structure:


Source/
  MyParser
    Private
    Public
  ThirdParty

And when I use:PublicIncludePaths.Add(Path.Combine(ModuleDirectory, “…/ThirdParty”)) It compiles but doesn’t link because it doesn’t compile the .cpp inside ThirdParty folder.

If I use this structure (put ThirdParty inside MyParser folder):


Source/
  MyParser
    ThirdParty
    Private
    Public

And using PublicIncludePaths.Add(Path.Combine(ModuleDirectory, “ThirdParty”)) It compiles and links because it finds all the .cpp files. Is this the correct folder structure for a ThirdParty folder inside a plugin? (MyParser is a plugin)

#4

Add ThirdParty/Public to PublicincludePaths
and ThirdParty/Private to PrivateIncludePaths

Btw, Unreal already has a built-in XML parser.

#5

Hello Bruno Xavier.
I did that and it works only with the ThirdParty folder inside the Source/MyParser/ folder as you can read in my last post. (because UHT finds the .cpp and compiles it).

But is this the correct location for the ThirdParty folder? (Source/MyParser/ThirdParty)
Or it has to be (Source/ThirdParty)?

Thanks :slight_smile:

P.D. I know that unreal has it’s own xml parser but I don’t want to change the parsing code if it’s not 100% necessary >_<

#6

UHT will only find the path with a Module directory because you use “Moduledirectory”;

If you want ThirdParty to be found outside module folder you would have to create another module which is unnecessary (I didn’t and passed reviews fine on Marketplace).

I just use “Source/MyModule/ThirdParty/…” and Epic seems to accept it that way.

#7

Thank you!!! :smiley: