Graphics.h Compiler for Windows and Ubuntu

Run graphics.h programs easily with one-click extension

💡 Want to try graphics.h online? Check out our Online Compiler (uses Turbo C) - no installation required!

Features

✅ Windows Support - Automatic MinGW32 toolchain installation
✅ Ubuntu Support - System-wide installation with Wine integration
✅ One-Click Compilation - Press Ctrl+Alt+N or click the Run button
✅ Wine Integration - Automatically runs Windows .exe files on Linux
✅ No Manual Setup - Automatic toolchain installation with user permission
✅ Error Highlighting - Real-time compilation errors in VS Code Problems panel
✅ Output Panel - See compilation progress and program output

Supported Platforms

✅ Windows 10/11
✅ Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, and derivatives)
❌ macOS (not supported)

Installation

1. Install the extension from VS Code Marketplace
2. Open a .cpp file with #include <graphics.h>
3. Click Run Graphics to run the code
4. Follow the automatic setup prompts

What Gets Installed

On Windows:

• MinGW32 toolchain (~220MB download, ~770MB disk space)
• graphics.h library files (bundled with extension, copied automatically)

On Ubuntu:

The extension will prompt you to run an installation script that installs:

• MinGW cross-compiler (i686-w64-mingw32-g++)
• Wine (for running Windows executables)
• graphics.h library files (installed to /usr/local)

📋 View the installation script: ubuntu_install.sh

⚠️ Note for Ubuntu Users: Installation requires running a separate command in the terminal. The extension will show you the command and provide a "Copy & Open Terminal" button for convenience.

Usage

Compile and Run

Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut

Ctrl+Alt+N

Method 2: Status Bar Button

• Click the "▶ Run Graphics" button in the bottom-right status bar

Method 3: Command Palette

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Type "Graphics.h: Run Graphics Program"
3. Press Enter

Method 4: Right-Click Menu

• Right-click in the editor → Select "Run Graphics Program"

Compile Only (Without Running)

Keyboard Shortcut:

Ctrl+Alt+B

Command Palette:

• Graphics.h: Compile Graphics Program

Stop Running Program

Keyboard Shortcut:

Ctrl+Alt+K

Command Palette:

• Graphics.h: Stop Running Graphics Program

Check Installation Status

Command Palette:

• Graphics.h: Check Dependencies

Example Program

#include <graphics.h>
#include <conio.h>

int main() {
    int gd = DETECT, gm;
    initgraph(&gd, &gm, "");
    
    // Draw a circle
    circle(300, 200, 50);
    
    // Draw a line
    line(100, 100, 500, 300);
    
    // Set color and draw text
    setcolor(RED);
    outtextxy(200, 350, "Hello Graphics!");
    
    getch();
    closegraph();
    return 0;
}

Configuration

Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,) and search for "graphics-h-compiler":

Troubleshooting

Windows

Problem: Compilation fails with "g++ not found"
Solution: Run "Graphics.h: Setup Graphics.h Toolchain" from Command Palette

Problem: Antivirus blocks the download
Solution: Temporarily disable antivirus or add an exception for VS Code

Ubuntu

Problem: "Graphics.h toolchain not found"
Solution:

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Run "Graphics.h: Setup Graphics.h Toolchain"
3. Click "Copy & Open Terminal"
4. Paste the command in terminal and run it
5. After installation, click "I Already Installed"

Problem: Wine is not installed
Solution: The installation script automatically installs Wine. If you see errors, run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install wine wine32

Problem: Permission denied errors
Solution: The installation script uses sudo. Make sure you have sudo privileges.

Commands

All commands are available via Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

Buttons

Status Bar Button

• ▶ Run Graphics - Appears when a C++ file is open
• ⏹ Stop Graphics - Appears when a program is running

Editor Title Button

• ▶ (Play button) - Compile and run the current file

Technical Details

Windows Compilation

g++ source.cpp -I <graphics_path> -L <library_path> 
    -lbgi -lgdi32 -lcomdlg32 -luuid -loleaut32 -lole32 
    -o output.exe

Ubuntu Compilation

i686-w64-mingw32-g++ source.cpp 
    -I /usr/local/include/graphics_h 
    -L /usr/local/lib/graphics_h 
    -lbgi -lgdi32 -lcomdlg32 -luuid -loleaut32 -lole32 
    -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ 
    -o output.exe

Ubuntu Execution

wine output.exe

Links

• 🌐 Try Online Compiler - No installation required (uses Turbo C)
• 📦 GitHub Repository - Source code and issues
• 📜 Ubuntu Install Script - View what gets installed on Linux
• 🐛 Report Issues - Bug reports and feature requests

Credits

Libraries and Tools

• graphics.h (WinBGIm) - BGI graphics library for Windows
• MinGW - Minimalist GNU for Windows
• Wine - Windows compatibility layer for Linux
• VS Code - Microsoft Visual Studio Code

Maintainer

• AlbatrossC - GitHub

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

• 📧 Open an issue on GitHub
• 💬 Check existing issues for solutions
• ⭐ Star the repository if you find it useful!

Made with ❤️ for students learning computer graphics