Lazarus Cross-Platform Project

Introduction
What's Included
How It Works
Acknowledgements

Introduction

The Lazarus Cross-Platform Project (LazXProj) adds to Lazarus the ability to create cross-platform projects with support for the following on Windows, Mac and Linux:

App version information
App preferences and settings
App icons (.ico, .icns, .png)
On Mac, proper menus and app bundle
Install scripts for app (optional)
When version info is edited in IDE, the Info.plist file, install scripts, etc. will be updated automatically after next compile.

What's Included

A zip file with the source is available here.

AppXProj package

Cross-platform projects use the AppXProj package's units, so make sure it's been compiled. You don't install the AppXProj package in Lazarus, just compile it.

Note that you can use the AppXProj package or its units in any app, even non-LCL apps. The AppXProj units have no dependence on any Lazarus package or unit.

fix_xproj console app

Open fix_xproj.lpi in Lazarus and compile it. This app is run after each compile of a cross-platform project to check if any version info needs to be updated.

You can also run this app yourself from the command line.

LazXProj package

Once the LazXProj package has been compiled and installed in Lazarus, you can choose File | New and create a cross-platform project.

Note that cross-platform projects don't have a dependency on the LazXProj package. This makes it easy to move the project to another computer where LazXProj has not been installed in Lazarus. Just compile AppXProj and fix_xproj and your cross-platform project is ready to compile.

How It Works

When you create a cross-platform project with File | New, LazXProj creates your new project's folder and copies files from its templates, icons and scripts subfolders into your project's folder. These "boilerplate" files automatically add cross-platform support to your app.

Once copied to your project folder, you can make any changes you want to your project's files. For example, you'll probably want to replace the project's icons with your own. To do that, just replace the project's default .ico, .icns and .png files.

LazXProj adds a call to fix_xproj on the Compiler Commands tab of your project's Project Options. After each compile, Lazarus will run this small console app, which checks to see if any of the version info files need to be updated. If you've edited the project's version info on the Version Info tab, fix_xproj will update the project's version info files and install scripts.

On a Mac, fix_xproj makes sure the project's app bundle is properly updated and named correctly. Since the app name may not be the same as the target executable, it uses the target name to create a symlink to the actual app bundle if they differ. This is required so Lazarus can debug the app.

If you let LazXProj create the optional installer scripts for your project, fix_xproj also updates these if needed:

projectname.iss - on Windows, compile this script with Inno Setup to create an .exe installer for the app.
makedmg.sh - on Mac, run this script to create a .dmg installer for the app.
makedeb.sh - on Ubuntu, run this script to create a .deb installer for the app.

Note: In Lazarus, a project's Version Info tab is a place to enter Windows version information that will be included in a resource embedded in the compiled Windows .exe. However, a number of the items entered there can also be used with Mac and Linux apps. For more information, see these links:

Windows: VERSIONINFO resource

Mac: About Info.plist Keys and Values

Acknowledgements

LazXProj automates the addition of many of the tips described in this ancient article: Making Your Lazarus App Mac-Friendly.

LazXProj's default icons are based on a detail from the Green chameleon clip art. Although at first glance it may look like a chameleon riding a bicycle, it's actually a branch.

macpgmr (at) icloud (dot) com

First revision July 31, 2016; last edited Aug. 12, 2016.