What is vstplug.def?

[Ap0C552]

Talk to me in another 13.5 years if you want to talk about what constitutes "beginner".

I would like to say that I am trying very hard here to achieve something, and you knocking me down a peg is actually somewhat disheartening.

[Mayae]

Don't you have any tools from visual studio? dumpbin is a very useful tool, the /exports function tells you what functions are exported and what their names are:

Code: Select all

>dumpbin /exports signalizer.dll

yields

Code: Select all

Dump of file signalizer.dll

File Type: DLL

  Section contains the following exports for Signalizer.dll

    00000000 characteristics
    5643B93E time date stamp Wed Nov 11 22:55:10 2015
        0.00 version
           1 ordinal base
           2 number of functions
           2 number of names

    ordinal hint RVA      name

          1    0 00240880 VSTPluginMain = _VSTPluginMain
          2    1 00240870 main = _main

  Summary

       15000 .data
      1DA000 .rdata
       23000 .reloc
        1000 .rsrc
      25E000 .text
        1000 .tls
        2000 _RDATA

[Ap0C552]

This is weird, but none of my plugins dumpbin resembles yours.

Here is the output of 3 dumpbin. Two known working plugins, EpicVerb, and Phase90, and my plugin libMyFirstVst.

They all give the same name of their single exported function.

Code: Select all

C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins>dumpbin /exports epicverb.dll
Microsoft (R) COFF/PE Dumper Version 12.00.31101.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Dump of file epicverb.dll

File Type: DLL

  Section contains the following exports for VST.dll

    00000000 characteristics
    4B14231A time date stamp Mon Nov 30 13:55:06 2009
        0.00 version
           1 ordinal base
           1 number of functions
           1 number of names

    ordinal hint RVA      name

          1    0 00004780 main

  Summary

        2000 .rsrc
      3B7000 UPX0
      101000 UPX1

C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins>dumpbin /exports phase90.dll
Microsoft (R) COFF/PE Dumper Version 12.00.31101.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Dump of file phase90.dll

File Type: DLL

  Section contains the following exports for PHASE90.dll

    00000000 characteristics
    4060136B time date stamp Tue Mar 23 05:37:31 2004
        0.00 version
           1 ordinal base
           1 number of functions
           1 number of names

    ordinal hint RVA      name

          1    0 00002000 main

  Summary

       1B000 UPX0
        F000 UPX1
        1000 UPX2

C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins>dumpbin /exports libMyFirstVst.dll
Microsoft (R) COFF/PE Dumper Version 12.00.31101.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Dump of file libMyFirstVst.dll

File Type: DLL

  Section contains the following exports for again.dll

    00000000 characteristics
    5643B3E5 time date stamp Wed Nov 11 15:32:21 2015
        0.00 version
           1 ordinal base
           1 number of functions
           1 number of names

    ordinal hint RVA      name

          1    0 000012EE main

  Summary

        1000 .data
        1000 .idata
        2000 .rdata
        1000 .reloc
        1000 .rsrc
        6000 .text

C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins>

[aciddose]

I would like to say that I am trying very hard here to achieve something, and you knocking me down a peg is actually somewhat disheartening.

In my opinion you will see the most benefit if you knock yourself down a peg and realize you need to start at the beginning.

You're framing this whole issue in terms of "I've followed the steps, there is an error". There has been no error other than that the steps you've attempted to follow were wrong to begin with. Do not jump to conclusions without starting from step #1.

Start at the beginning, get the proper functions exported as I demonstrated in my previous post.

[aciddose]

If you want a simple VST host, write your own:

Code: Select all

vstptr __cdecl vsthostcallback(AEffect *effect, vst32 opcode, vst32 index, vstptr value, void *ptr, float opt)
{
	switch (opcode) {
	}
}

HMODULE plugin = LoadLibrary(path);

typedef AEffect*(*vstmainfunc)(audioMasterCallback audioMaster);

vstmainfunc plugin_main = 0;

plugin_main = GetProcAddress(plugin, "VSTPluginMain");
if (!plugin_main) {
	plugin_main = GetProcAddress(plugin, "main");
}

if (plugin_main) {
	typedef vstptr __cdecl (*audioMasterCallback)(AEffect *effect, vst32 opcode, vst32 index, vstptr value, void *ptr, float opt);
	audioMasterCallback host_callback = &vsthostcallback;
	AEffect *audioeffect = plugin_main(host_callback);
	// ...
}

[Ap0C552]

Don't use a VST plug-in to learn basic c/c++ and programming.

It sounds to me like you're having a lot of trouble on the compiler side. Likely with linkage and linkage options.

.def files are a visual studio way to pass linker commands as a file. You can actually do the same using the right compiler-specific pragma statements in the source, and by prototyping your functions correctly.

This sort of thing will also work:

Code: Select all

vst::AEffect *getVst(vst::audioMasterCallback audioMaster);

#if defined(_WIN32)
#define EXPORT extern "C" __declspec(dllexport)
#else
#define EXPORT extern "C"
#endif

EXPORT vst::AEffect *MAIN(vst::audioMasterCallback audioMaster)
{
	return getVst(audioMaster);
}

EXPORT vst::AEffect *VSTPluginMain(vst::audioMasterCallback audioMaster)
{
	return getVst(audioMaster);
}

As far as I'm aware this works the same way as the source containing the exports from the "VST SDK", only it doesn't write an alternate name using the linker but rather exports a duplicate function body.

Where are you suggesting I put that code?

[Mayae]

This is weird, but none of my plugins dumpbin resembles yours.

Here is the output of 3 dumpbin. Two known working plugins, EpicVerb, and Phase90, and my plugin libMyFirstVst.

They all give the same name of their single exported function.

Code: Select all

C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins>dumpbin /exports epicverb.dll
Microsoft (R) COFF/PE Dumper Version 12.00.31101.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Dump of file epicverb.dll

File Type: DLL

  Section contains the following exports for VST.dll

    00000000 characteristics
    4B14231A time date stamp Mon Nov 30 13:55:06 2009
        0.00 version
           1 ordinal base
           1 number of functions
           1 number of names

    ordinal hint RVA      name

          1    0 00004780 main

  Summary

        2000 .rsrc
      3B7000 UPX0
      101000 UPX1

C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins>dumpbin /exports phase90.dll
Microsoft (R) COFF/PE Dumper Version 12.00.31101.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Dump of file phase90.dll

File Type: DLL

  Section contains the following exports for PHASE90.dll

    00000000 characteristics
    4060136B time date stamp Tue Mar 23 05:37:31 2004
        0.00 version
           1 ordinal base
           1 number of functions
           1 number of names

    ordinal hint RVA      name

          1    0 00002000 main

  Summary

       1B000 UPX0
        F000 UPX1
        1000 UPX2

C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins>dumpbin /exports libMyFirstVst.dll
Microsoft (R) COFF/PE Dumper Version 12.00.31101.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Dump of file libMyFirstVst.dll

File Type: DLL

  Section contains the following exports for again.dll

    00000000 characteristics
    5643B3E5 time date stamp Wed Nov 11 15:32:21 2015
        0.00 version
           1 ordinal base
           1 number of functions
           1 number of names

    ordinal hint RVA      name

          1    0 000012EE main

  Summary

        1000 .data
        1000 .idata
        2000 .rdata
        1000 .reloc
        1000 .rsrc
        6000 .text

C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins>

They all export main, which should be ok. Attach a debugger to a host, set a breakpoint on your main function (VSTPluginMain), load your plugin and step through it?

[aciddose]

Where are you suggesting I put that code?

I'm not interested in hand-holding.

... although I could come up with a suggestion or two.

[Ap0C552]

So you are suggesting to put a breakpoint in the Vstsdk source file vstpluginmain.cpp?

[aciddose]

"Wah! I think I deserve service! Everyone ought to do my work for me because it isn't fair if I have to!"

Again, start at the beginning:

How to export a function from a dll: (applies to any library, .exe, .so or whatever other format on whatever OS. This is part of C/C++ standards.)
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/z4zxe9k8.aspx

How to debug with GDB:
http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2010/03/deb ... using-gdb/

GDB is not advised. Try using Visual Studio instead, it is far easier to use. Modern versions of MSVC have flags which improve the compiler's obedience of standards, which means you can in some cases hope to produce code compatible with compilers like g++/gcc. That said, while using MSVC ensure that you also use GCC with minGW or similar to proof your code.

How to debug in Visual Studio:
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/795 ... o-A-Beginn

[aciddose]

I have another recommendation that you may not find mentioned by others:
http://forum.xhip.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=9

This style of debugging is not at all the same as generic utilization of "assert()". What I recommend is instead not something you should include in release versions, even during beta testing. It is something you should include while debugging to make debugging easy.

My use of "ASSERT()" is different from "assert()". The c macro is simply a method to break during debugging on any code which fails a "sanity check". All the typical objections to "assert()" such as recommendations to use c++ exception handling can be applied with "ASSERT()", they are not mutually exclusive.

This is much, much higher level stuff. Consider this after you've mastered linkage, exports and debugging.

[aciddose]

Another couple links that you should find very helpful:

Blog post on basics of C and C++ linkage:
http://www.embedded.com/design/prototyp ... n-C-and-C-

How to master the art of research:
https://google.com

[aciddose]

Sorry, after checking the linkage article it seems it didn't ever mention calling convention or name-mangling.

Calling conventions:
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/138 ... emystified

Name mangling and extern "C":
http://www.geeksforgeeks.org/extern-c-in-c/

Again, these are just some quick results I picked out. Google is your friend.

[aciddose]

... And furthermore, you claim you know what you're dealing with. If so, why are you here?

What you've said so far, the questions you've asked make it seem as if you have absolutely no idea what you're doing and zero experience with C/C++ or compilers.

Compilers and the specific flags or configuration that go with them are one thing. You complained that what I said about your knowledge of C++ appeared to refer to compiler flags. It did not.

What I was referring to is a knowledge of fundamental rules of the language which apply to all compilers. This stuff is part of the code itself. The compiler configuration and flags passed to it may influence how certain parts of your code are interpreted, but the rules governing what is interpreted and what it means according to the standards of the language are very basic, essential things you need to know to use any compiler on any OS or configuration.

You ask above where the code I gave as example should go. I can not tell you this.

Here is a list of places it might fit:

1. In a source file
2. In your nose

If you want to both claim you know what you're doing and then ask where you should put source (in a source file? any source file!?) this is only going to be very confusing for those trying to assist you.

If you'd said "I have no idea what the code is trying to do or how I should use it, can you explain it or add some comments please?" I may have been willing to do some hand-holding, which is actually what I'm doing right now.

For you to snap back with "I know what I'm doing, don't assume I don't know" and then expect hand-holding is foolish. If you know what you're doing, you'll be expected to handle this basic stuff on your own.

You've also asked whether you should add a break-point on a particular function. No you should not add the breakpoint to VSTPluginMain(). The function we're interested in is main(). Find where this function is defined or which compiler configuration automatically defines it and either fix it (if it is not the function expected by the VST interface) or break there to try to identify what the issue is with returning the expected aeffect pointer from there.

VST is a C interface. This means it requires some basic knowledge of C as well as C++, especially so how the two interact with one another. You can't write the VST interface using C++, it isn't possible, period. It requires a significant amount of effort to correctly define the function prototypes and structures (POD) as C, without name-mangling or padding that occurs in C++.

[Ap0C552]

I wrote my own program to load vsts. When I loaded mine I got a system error saying missing dll libgcc_s_dw2-1.dll.

I had fixed this before by adding compile flags -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++.

But when I used this example project that uses cmake, I forgot to add these flags back in.

Turns out Ableton and the VstHostx86 were eating this error, so I had nothing to remind me.