ECB - the Emacs Code Browser: Install and first steps

[ < ] | [ > ] |  | [ << ] | [ Up ] | [ >> ] |  |  |  |  | [Top] | [Contents] | [Index] | [ ? ]

# 1. Installation and first steps of ECB

This chapter describes how to install ECB and what are the first steps after activation of ECB

> 1.1 Installation of ECB |  |
> 1.2 First steps after activating ECB first time |  |

[ < ] | [ > ] |  | [ << ] | [ Up ] | [ >> ] |  |  |  |  | [Top] | [Contents] | [Index] | [ ? ]

## 1.1 Installation of ECB

IMPORTANT: The following steps 1., 2., 3., 6. and 7. describe installation tasks if you got the archive in the format available at the ECB website. If you use XEmacs and got ECB as regular XEmacs-package (e.g. downloaded and installed by the net-installer of XEmacs) then the steps 1., 2., 3., 6. and 7. are not necessary for you.

1. Unpack the ECB archive.

2. Read the file ``README'` in the ECB-directory and install the required semantic- and eieio-version.

   Note: ECB maybe requires a newer version of these libraries than shipped with Emacs or XEmacs. You have to install exactly a version ECB requires and also to make sure that the correct version is loaded into (X)Emacs!

   But ECB checks auto. during start-time if the correct versions of semantic and eieio are installed and gives you proper feedback. See Download required packages.

3. Add the new ECB-directory to your `load-path` variable.

   You MUST add the ECB-install-directory to the `load-path` either by changing the `load-path` variable directly in your ``.emacs'` or ``site-lisp/site-start.el'` or by working with a file ``subdirs.el'`.

   ATTENTION: ECB is NOT properly installed if it's directory is not added to `load-path` and for example just loaded by

       (load-file "/path/to/ecb/ecb.el")

   Do not do this!

4. Add to your ``.emacs'` or ``site-lisp/site-start.el'` the line:

       (require 'ecb)

5. Restart Emacs.

ECB is now ready for use and can be activated by calling `M-x ecb-activate`. Now you can either starting using ECB or you can do these optional installation steps:

1. Call `ecb-byte-compile`

   This byte compiles ECB. You can safely ignore all messages. (You can also bytecompile ECB from the command-line either by using the ``Makefile'` or by using the batch-file ``make.bat'`. Just read the comments in that file you choose.)

2. Install the supplied ``ecb.info'`

   The ECB distribution contains a file ``ecb.info'` which is the online-help of ECB in Info-format. You can install this online help so it's available in the Top-directory of Info. There are two ways to do this:

   - Use "install-info" (recommended):

     1. Copy the file ``ecb.info'` into the info-directory of Emacs

     2. Install it with the command "install-info" (if available on your system) in the ``dir'`-file.

     The supplied ``Makefile'` offers a target `install-help` which does both of these steps. You have just to call `make install-help` with the correct EMACSINFOPATH set (see the comment in ``Makefile'`). Here is an example:

         make EMACSINFOPATH=/path/to/emacs/info install-help

   - Manual Installation:

     Copy the file ``ecb.info'` into the info-directory of Emacs and modify the file ``dir'` manually.

   But it doesn't matter if you do not execute this step (7.) because the online help of ECB is always available though, see `ecb-show-help` (see section 4.10 Interactive ECB commands).

[ < ] | [ > ] |  | [ << ] | [ Up ] | [ >> ] |  |  |  |  | [Top] | [Contents] | [Index] | [ ? ]

## 1.2 First steps after activating ECB first time

This section of the ECB online-help is displayed automatically by ECB after activating ECB first time and describes what are the first basic steps:

1. Configure where ECB can find your sources:

   Call `M-x customize-option RET ecb-source-path RET`(1). This lets you customize the option `ecb-source-path` with the customize-feature of Emacs. This opens a customize-buffer where you can insert all the directories where ECB can find your source-files. Save your changes with the button "Save for future sessions" and then throw away this customize-buffer either by killing it with `M-x kill-buffer` or clicking at the button "Finish".

2. Read the online-help of ECB:

   The online-help of ECB is available via

   - calling `M-x ecb-show-help`,
   - pressing `C-c . o` or
   - using the menu "ECB".

   (The section you are currently reading is part of the online-help of ECB)

3. Start working with ECB.

[ << ] | [ >> ] |  |  |  |  |  | [Top] | [Contents] | [Index] | [ ? ]

This document was generated on December, 6 2002 using texi2html