Windows executable fails to start despite having correct DLLs in root directory

Question

My ultra simple 2D game Caventure depends on sdl-2 and sdl-ttf.

When compiled, the directory looks like

Caventure.exe
libfreetype-6.dll
notomono-regular.ttf
SDL2.dll
SDL2_ttf.dll
zlib1.dll

I'm using Microsoft Visual Studio 2015. I've been following Lazy Foo's tutorials on building with Windows and even after following the steps, it doesn't work. Here's what I've done:

Linked the compiler to include and library directories in x64.
Linked the libraries.
Copied the libraries to C:\Windows\SysWOW64.
Included <Windows.h>.
Used compatibility mode.
Tested it in the Visual Studio IDE, including with the debugger.

When I open it, it immediately closes, it doesn't return any error.

Here's the main source file:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdexcept>
#include <Windows.h>
#include <SDL.h>
#include <SDL_ttf.h>

#include "TextMenu.h"
#include "TextBox.h"

#include "Graphics.h"
#include "Event.h"

// Screen dimensions, constants
#define SCREEN_WIDTH 800
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 600
// 600 for ground, 280 for output, 20 for input

Graphics Global;
Event Loop;

void Init(Graphics& Global)
{
    if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) > 0)
    {
        throw(::std::runtime_error("SDL failed to initialise! ERROR: "));
    }
    Global.Window = SDL_CreateWindow("Caventure",
        SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED,
        SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED,
        SCREEN_WIDTH,
        SCREEN_HEIGHT,
        SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN | SDL_WINDOW_RESIZABLE);
    if (Global.Window == NULL)
    {
        throw(::std::runtime_error("Window failed to initialise! ERROR: "));
    }
    Global.ScreenSurface = SDL_GetWindowSurface(Global.Window);
    if (Global.ScreenSurface == NULL)
    {
        throw(::std::runtime_error("Surface failed to initialise! ERROR: "));
    }
    Global.Renderer = SDL_CreateRenderer(Global.Window, -1, 0);
    if (Global.Renderer == NULL)
    {
        throw(::std::runtime_error("Renderer could not be initialised! ERROR: "));
    }
    if (TTF_Init() > 0)
    {
        throw(::std::runtime_error("TTF could not be initialised! ERROR: "));
    }
}

void UpdateMedia(Graphics& Global)
{
    SDL_GetWindowSize(Global.Window, &Global.width, &Global.height);

    // Set geomtry dimensions, apart from rcTextInput.
    Global.rcGround = { 0, 0, Global.width, (Global.height / 3) * 2 };
    Global.rcTextOutput = { 0, (Global.height / 3) * 2, Global.width, Global.height - 40 };
    Global.rcTextOutputGrd = { 0, (Global.height / 3) * 2, Global.width, Global.height - 40 };

    Global.SpriteDefaultX = Global.width / 2;
    Global.SpriteDefaultY = Global.height / 2;
};

void LoadMedia(Graphics& Global)
{
    UpdateMedia(Global);

    Global.rcSprite = { Global.SpriteDefaultX, Global.SpriteDefaultY, 4, 4 };

    Global.Font = TTF_OpenFont("src/graphics/resources/notomono-regular.ttf", 14);
    if (Global.Font == NULL)
    {
        throw(::std::runtime_error("Font failed to load! ERROR: "));
    }

    SDL_SetTextInputRect(&Global.rcTextInput);
}

void InputLoop(Graphics& Global, Event& Loop)
{
    if (Loop.event.type == SDL_QUIT)
    {
        Loop.bQuit = true;
    }
    else if (Loop.event.type == SDL_KEYDOWN)
    {
        // Sprite movement
        switch (Loop.event.key.keysym.sym)
        {
        case SDLK_UP:
            Global.rcSprite.y -= 5;
            break;

        case SDLK_DOWN:
            Global.rcSprite.y += 5;
            break;

        case SDLK_LEFT:
            Global.rcSprite.x -= 5;
            break;

        case SDLK_RIGHT:
            Global.rcSprite.x += 5;
            break;
        }

        // Backspace handler
        if (Loop.event.key.keysym.sym == SDLK_BACKSPACE && Loop.InputText.length() > 0)
        {
            Loop.InputText.pop_back();
            if (Loop.InputText.length() == 0)
            {
                Loop.InputText = " ";
            }
        }

        // Creates new line of text
        else if (Loop.event.key.keysym.sym == SDLK_RETURN && Loop.InputText.length() != 0 && Loop.InputText != " ")
        {
            Global.Menu.NewBox(Loop.InputText);
            Loop.bRenderText = true;
            Loop.InputText = " ";
        }
    }
    else if (Loop.event.type == SDL_TEXTINPUT)
    {
        Loop.InputText += Loop.event.text.text;
    }
}

void RenderLoop(Graphics& Global, Event& Loop)
{
    UpdateMedia(Global);

    // Renders sprite movement
    if (Global.rcSprite.x < 0 || Global.rcSprite.y < 0 || Global.rcSprite.y > Global.rcGround.h || Global.rcSprite.x > Global.rcGround.w)
    {
        Global.rcSprite.x = Global.SpriteDefaultX;
        Global.rcSprite.y = Global.SpriteDefaultY;
    }

    // Sets background to black
    SDL_SetRenderDrawColor(Global.Renderer, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00);
    SDL_RenderClear(Global.Renderer);

    // Renders background of sprite to black
    SDL_RenderFillRect(Global.Renderer, &Global.rcGround);
    SDL_BlitSurface(Global.CurrentSurface, NULL, Global.ScreenSurface, &Global.rcGround);

    // Renders background of text box to grey
    SDL_SetRenderDrawColor(Global.Renderer, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40);
    SDL_RenderFillRect(Global.Renderer, &Global.rcTextOutputGrd);
    SDL_BlitSurface(Global.CurrentSurface, NULL, Global.ScreenSurface, &Global.rcTextOutputGrd);

    SDL_SetRenderDrawColor(Global.Renderer, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00);
    // Renders text input
    Global.TextInput.Render(Global.Renderer, Global.Font, Loop.InputText.c_str(), Global.TextColor);
    Global.rcTextInput = { 0, Global.height - 20, Global.TextInput.GetWidth(), Global.TextInput.GetHeight() };
    SDL_RenderCopy(Global.Renderer, Global.TextInput.GetTexture(), NULL, &Global.rcTextInput);

    // Renders text output
    if (Loop.bRenderText)
    {
        Global.Menu.Update(Global.Renderer, Global.Font, Global.TextColor, Global.rcTextOutput);
    }
    SDL_RenderSetClipRect(Global.Renderer, NULL);

    // Renders text box background edges white
    SDL_SetRenderDrawColor(Global.Renderer, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF);
    SDL_RenderDrawLine(Global.Renderer, 0, (Global.height / 3) * 2, Global.width, (Global.height / 3) * 2);
    SDL_RenderDrawLine(Global.Renderer, 0, Global.height - 20, Global.width, Global.height - 20);

    // Renders sprite
    SDL_RenderFillRect(Global.Renderer, &Global.rcSprite);
    SDL_BlitSurface(Global.CurrentSurface, NULL, Global.ScreenSurface, &Global.rcSprite);

    // Presents render
    SDL_RenderPresent(Global.Renderer);
}

void Quit(Graphics& Global)
{
    // Deallocate memory
    SDL_DestroyWindow(Global.Window);
    SDL_DestroyRenderer(Global.Renderer);
    TTF_CloseFont(Global.Font);
    Global.Window = NULL;
    Global.Renderer = NULL;
    Global.Font = NULL;

    // Quit SDL subsystems
    TTF_Quit();
    SDL_Quit();
}

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    try
    {
        Init(Global);
        LoadMedia(Global);
        SDL_StartTextInput();
        while (!Loop.bQuit)
        {
            while (SDL_PollEvent(&Loop.event) != 0)
            {
                InputLoop(Global, Loop);
                RenderLoop(Global, Loop);
            }
        }
        SDL_StopTextInput();
    }
    catch (std::runtime_error const& msg)
    {
        printf("%s", msg.what());
        if (SDL_GetError() != NULL)
        {
            printf("%s", SDL_GetError());
        }
        else if (TTF_GetError() != NULL)
        {
            printf("%s", TTF_GetError());
        }
        else
        {
            printf("%s", "NULL");
        }
        Quit(Global);
        return EXIT_FAILURE;
    }
    Quit(Global);
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

From the information you gave there is little chance someone will come up with the right solution. Build your application in debug mode and start the debugger (F10). — zdf, Jun 05 '17 at 01:10
@ZDF It works perfectly in the debugger, I forgot about that bit of information. I'll edit my question. — Exercise To The Reader, Jun 05 '17 at 06:30
See if [this](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/41044723/vc-2015-u3-assert-crashes-the-application) fits your case. — zdf, Jun 05 '17 at 06:37
@ZDF I've downloaded and installed the Windows 10 SDK and started debugging it, nothing changes. — Exercise To The Reader, Jun 05 '17 at 07:30
1. Did you try ctrl+F5? 2. It is not clear whether you compiled and ran the release version. — zdf, Jun 05 '17 at 07:36
Yes, I did press CTRL+F5, what I meant to say was that it worked in VS, it just didn't when I ran it by itself (along with its DLLs). No, I haven't tried the release version, I'll do that now. — Exercise To The Reader, Jun 05 '17 at 07:38
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/145847/discussion-between-pradana-aumars-and-zdf). — Exercise To The Reader, Jun 05 '17 at 07:42
I am away. It will be very difficult for me to chat. Try to use the debugger in release mode. You might be able to understand what's happening. — zdf, Jun 05 '17 at 07:47

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 05 '17 at 00:55

1

Four suggestions:

Check the windows event log.
Run it in a debugger.
Start it from the windows command line.
Add logging.

answered Jun 05 '17 at 00:55

Arafangion

11,517
1
40
72

There's nothing in Event Viewer, using GDB just returns code 01, and using the command line returns nothing at all. – Exercise To The Reader Jun 05 '17 at 07:00
1

@PradanaAumars: Then I suggest moving down to the next suggestion... Btw, as a tip, the exit code is not shown in the command line; I'd suggest https://stackoverflow.com/a/334890/52273 to get the exit code. – Arafangion Jun 07 '17 at 01:55

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 05 '17 at 01:03

1

When an error occurs, the program

Prints a message to the console, but there is no console, so the message goes nowhere, then
Immediately quits so that even if there were a console, it disappear in a flash.

If you want to actually report an error from a GUI Windows program, you have to wait around long enough for the user to see the error. With SDL, the SDL_ShowSimpleMessageBox is a good choice for doing that.

answered Jun 05 '17 at 01:03

Dietrich Epp

205,541
37
345
415

Kudos for telling me about [`SDL_ShowSimpleMessageBox()`](https://wiki.libsdl.org/SDL_ShowSimpleMessageBox), I'll use that. – Exercise To The Reader Jun 07 '17 at 05:30

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 05 '17 at 08:07

1

I inserted SDL_Log() after every successful initialisation to find the error. I used gdb to monitor the log.

It turned out that

Global.Font = TTF_OpenFont("src/graphics/resources/notomono-regular.ttf", 14);

was faulty.

Replacing it with a simple

Global.Font = TTF_OpenFont("notomono-regular.ttf", 14);

corrected the error.

answered Jun 05 '17 at 08:07

Exercise To The Reader

577
5
18

1

Logging is a fantastic approach. Given that this answer helped you find the problem, and additionally, describes the real issue (being a font-path issue), I suggest marking this answer as the accepted one. (Even if you asked the question). – Arafangion Jun 07 '17 at 02:03

Windows executable fails to start despite having correct DLLs in root directory

3 Answers3