Member Avatar for Amiet_1

Hey guys,
So many times I came across source code of open source technologies, like OpenOffice, Ditto, BigAnt Messenger. They provide their source code too for free, but unfortunately I dont know how can I edit and compile those source code.
Can anyone please help in this?

Thanks guys in Advance.

  • 3 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 285 Views
  • 6 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by mike_2000_17

Dani AI

Generated

Short, practical Windows-first checklist for that builds on the points from and : identify the language and build system, pick the right Windows toolchain (or a Linux-like environment), and follow an incremental edit→build→test cycle so changes are easy to verify.

Quick repo triage (scan top-level files to infer toolchain)

  • .java, pom.xml, build.gradle, build.xml → Java (Maven/Gradle/Ant).
  • .sln, .vcxproj → Visual Studio native projects.
  • CMakeLists.txt → CMake (works with VS, MinGW).
  • configure, Makefile*, *.am → classic autotools / Make (best built in a Linux-like shell).
  • package.json, setup.py, .pro → Node/Python/Qt respectively.

Windows tool choices (short)

  • Java: install a modern JDK and an IDE (IntelliJ/Eclipse/NetBeans); use Maven/Gradle or the project wrapper.
  • Native C/C++: prefer Visual Studio when a .sln/.vcxproj exists. If CMake is present, use CMake+VS generator or MinGW/MSYS2 builds.
  • Autotools/Make-based projects and very large cross-platform codebases (for example long-standing office suites) are easiest in WSL, an Ubuntu VM, or Docker—these provide the Unix toolchain and avoid Windows-specific porting hassles.

Minimal safe workflow (example commands)

git clone <repo-url>
git checkout -b my-feature
# Java (use wrapper if present)
./gradlew build        # on Windows run gradlew.bat
# Visual Studio: open .sln or from dev prompt
msbuild MySolution.sln /p:Configuration=Debug
# CMake out-of-source build
cmake -S . -B build
cmake --build build --config Debug

Troubleshooting & best practices

  • Build a small component first, enable verbose/diagnostic output, capture errors exactly, and install missing dev packages rather than guessing.
  • Keep changes on a feature branch and make small commits so bisecting is possible.
  • For reproducible environments use Docker/WSL/VMs and document exact tool versions.
  • When stuck, include the project top-level file list, exact error output, OS/tool versions and the small change attempted — that data speeds diagnosis.

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for rubberman

Usually there are text files in the package that tell you what to do. Many have a configure command that will check your system for needed dependencies and create a Makefile that you can use to build the source into the appropriate bits and pieces, which you can then install with the command "make install". Some don't go that way, but have scripts which do the "right" thing.

Of course, this is mostly a Linux thing. What OS are you running? Windows is another kettle of fish... :-)

Member Avatar for Amiet_1

Thanks a lot for your kind attention "rubberman"... It means a lot to me..

Hey buddy I am currently working on Windows environment.. can you put some more light on this issue? Like how can I proceed further with Windows environment?

Member Avatar for mike_2000_17

but unfortunately I dont know how can I edit and compile those source code.

I'm a bit baffled by the simplicity of your question... Do you know how to program? You shouldn't try to delve into some open-source project's source code if you don't already have enough programming knowledge to understand a fraction of it. Learn to program first, then look into open-source projects.

Source files are just edited with anything from a simple text editor to a full-blown IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Assuming you are familiar with the language used in the projects, you should be able to see which files are source files and can be opened and edited.

When it comes to compiling, all decent open-source projects will have a "README.txt" file or similar instruction files in the top source directory. They will usually rely on configuration scripts or build-systems such as cmake, autoconf, makefiles, etc.. to automate the configuration of the compilation for your system, and check if you have all the required dependencies (which you may have to download, build and install too). And, of course, you need the appropriate compilers.

But overall, it is impossible for us to give you anything more specific without knowing the specific project, languages involved, and platforms involved.

Hey buddy I am currently working on Windows environment.. can you put some more light on this issue? Like how can I proceed further with Windows environment?

Windows is generally a bad development environment, for just about any language except .NET languages. In any case, there is no way that anyone can give you specific instructions without knowing the programming language(s) involved. For instance, I quickly looked up a few of the projects you mentioned, and they are, for the most part, a mix of C, C++, Java, and Python, and they all seem to use different build-systems, and one, none at all (which is terrible!).

Also, for a lot of open-source projects, you really need to follow the instructions (and if there aren't any, then it's probably not worth the effort). But, if any of these specific instructions are hard for you to understand or don't work, just come here and ask, and we'll be happy to help.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.