Question and answer in one. I found the answer to my question not long after composing the question. Posted here for others who are on the bleeding OS edge as well.

My environment:
  Running Windows 8.1.
  Visual Studio 2013 Premium installed.
  Install Visual D with VisualD-v0.3.37.exe.

Create new D console app DMD/GDC.

Switch solution config to "Debug DMD|x64"

Hit F6 to build and get the following:

------ Build started: Project: ConsoleApp1, Configuration: Debug DMD x64 ------
Building Debug DMD x64\ConsoleApp1.exe...
LINK : fatal error LNK1181: cannot open input file 'user32.lib'
Building Debug DMD x64\ConsoleApp1.exe failed!
------

How to fix this? That is the question.

Partial answer found in known issues page: http://rainers.github.io/visuald/visuald/KnownIssues.html

That fix did not work but it led to trying this change to sc.ini (only showing changed lines):

; environment for both 32/64 bit
[Environment]
LIB="%@P%\..\lib";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x86";%DMD_LIB%
; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib"

[Environment32]
; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib"
LIB="%@P%\..\lib";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x86";%DMD_LIB%

[Environment64]
; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib64"
LIB="%@P%\..\lib64";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x64";%DMD_LIB%

Thanks for the report.

On 18.11.2013 00:41, Tyler Jensen wrote:
> Question and answer in one. I found the answer to my question not long
> after composing the question. Posted here for others who are on the
> bleeding OS edge as well.
>
> My environment:
>    Running Windows 8.1.
>    Visual Studio 2013 Premium installed.
>    Install Visual D with VisualD-v0.3.37.exe.
>
> Create new D console app DMD/GDC.
>
> Switch solution config to "Debug DMD|x64"
>
> Hit F6 to build and get the following:
>
> ------ Build started: Project: ConsoleApp1, Configuration: Debug DMD x64
> ------
> Building Debug DMD x64\ConsoleApp1.exe...
> LINK : fatal error LNK1181: cannot open input file 'user32.lib'
> Building Debug DMD x64\ConsoleApp1.exe failed!
> ------
>
> How to fix this? That is the question.
>
> Partial answer found in known issues page:
> http://rainers.github.io/visuald/visuald/KnownIssues.html
>

This is a bit out of date, it should not be necessary anymore with newer versions of Visual D.

> That fix did not work but it led to trying this change to sc.ini (only
> showing changed lines):
>
> ; environment for both 32/64 bit
> [Environment]
> LIB="%@P%\..\lib";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
> Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x86";%DMD_LIB%
> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib"
>
> [Environment32]
> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib"
> LIB="%@P%\..\lib";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
> Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x86";%DMD_LIB%

You should not pass the path to COFF libraries in the SDK to the Win32 linker, it only understands libraries in OMF format (coffimplib needed to convert the libraries).

>
> [Environment64]
> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib64"
> LIB="%@P%\..\lib64";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
> Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x64";%DMD_LIB%

What version of DMD are you using? DMD 2.064 was tweaked to have the path to the SDK libraries in sc.ini. Unfortunately it is not working with the Windows SDK 8.1, as Microsoft changed the SDK layout again.

Visual D also allows setting additional library paths in the Tools->Options->Project and Solution->Visual D Settings->DMD Directories->x64 page.

On Monday, 18 November 2013 at 07:45:31 UTC, Rainer Schuetze wrote:
> Thanks for the report.
>
> On 18.11.2013 00:41, Tyler Jensen wrote:
>> Question and answer in one. I found the answer to my question not long
>> after composing the question. Posted here for others who are on the
>> bleeding OS edge as well.
>>
>> My environment:
>>   Running Windows 8.1.
>>   Visual Studio 2013 Premium installed.
>>   Install Visual D with VisualD-v0.3.37.exe.
>>
>> Create new D console app DMD/GDC.
>>
>> Switch solution config to "Debug DMD|x64"
>>
>> Hit F6 to build and get the following:
>>
>> ------ Build started: Project: ConsoleApp1, Configuration: Debug DMD x64
>> ------
>> Building Debug DMD x64\ConsoleApp1.exe...
>> LINK : fatal error LNK1181: cannot open input file 'user32.lib'
>> Building Debug DMD x64\ConsoleApp1.exe failed!
>> ------
>>
>> How to fix this? That is the question.
>>
>> Partial answer found in known issues page:
>> http://rainers.github.io/visuald/visuald/KnownIssues.html
>>
>
> This is a bit out of date, it should not be necessary anymore with newer versions of Visual D.

I'm using the latest release of Visual D 0.3.37. (I just checked for a new release but that seems to be the most recent.)

>
>> That fix did not work but it led to trying this change to sc.ini (only
>> showing changed lines):
>>
>> ; environment for both 32/64 bit
>> [Environment]
>> LIB="%@P%\..\lib";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
>> Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x86";%DMD_LIB%
>> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib"
>>
>> [Environment32]
>> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib"
>> LIB="%@P%\..\lib";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
>> Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x86";%DMD_LIB%
>
> You should not pass the path to COFF libraries in the SDK to the Win32 linker, it only understands libraries in OMF format (coffimplib needed to convert the libraries).
>
>>
>> [Environment64]
>> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib64"
>> LIB="%@P%\..\lib64";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
>> Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x64";%DMD_LIB%
>
> What version of DMD are you using? DMD 2.064 was tweaked to have the path to the SDK libraries in sc.ini. Unfortunately it is not working with the Windows SDK 8.1, as Microsoft changed the SDK layout again.

I had downloaded and installed dmd-2.064.2 which appears to be the latest.

>
> Visual D also allows setting additional library paths in the Tools->Options->Project and Solution->Visual D Settings->DMD Directories->x64 page.

I did try to use these settings but never had any success in getting it to work. I'm really a newb here, so if you have recommendations for a better solution, I'm eager to try it.

I removed the modifications from [Environment] and [Environment32] and all worked as expected, so those were unnecessary. Thanks for pointing that out. I tried going back to the original [Environment64] section and change paths in the VS tools / options section mentioned, but still with no luck. So I went back to the solution I found that worked.

On Friday, 29 November 2013 at 21:14:25 UTC, Tyler Jensen wrote:
> On Monday, 18 November 2013 at 07:45:31 UTC, Rainer Schuetze wrote:
>> Thanks for the report.
>>
>> On 18.11.2013 00:41, Tyler Jensen wrote:
>>> Question and answer in one. I found the answer to my question not long
>>> after composing the question. Posted here for others who are on the
>>> bleeding OS edge as well.
>>>
>>> My environment:
>>>  Running Windows 8.1.
>>>  Visual Studio 2013 Premium installed.
>>>  Install Visual D with VisualD-v0.3.37.exe.
>>>
>>> Create new D console app DMD/GDC.
>>>
>>> Switch solution config to "Debug DMD|x64"
>>>
>>> Hit F6 to build and get the following:
>>>
>>> ------ Build started: Project: ConsoleApp1, Configuration: Debug DMD x64
>>> ------
>>> Building Debug DMD x64\ConsoleApp1.exe...
>>> LINK : fatal error LNK1181: cannot open input file 'user32.lib'
>>> Building Debug DMD x64\ConsoleApp1.exe failed!
>>> ------
>>>
>>> How to fix this? That is the question.
>>>
>>> Partial answer found in known issues page:
>>> http://rainers.github.io/visuald/visuald/KnownIssues.html
>>>
>>
>> This is a bit out of date, it should not be necessary anymore with newer versions of Visual D.
>
> I'm using the latest release of Visual D 0.3.37. (I just checked for a new release but that seems to be the most recent.)
>
>>
>>> That fix did not work but it led to trying this change to sc.ini (only
>>> showing changed lines):
>>>
>>> ; environment for both 32/64 bit
>>> [Environment]
>>> LIB="%@P%\..\lib";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
>>> Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x86";%DMD_LIB%
>>> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib"
>>>
>>> [Environment32]
>>> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib"
>>> LIB="%@P%\..\lib";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
>>> Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x86";%DMD_LIB%
>>
>> You should not pass the path to COFF libraries in the SDK to the Win32 linker, it only understands libraries in OMF format (coffimplib needed to convert the libraries).
>>
>>>
>>> [Environment64]
>>> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib64"
>>> LIB="%@P%\..\lib64";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows
>>> Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x64";%DMD_LIB%
>>
>> What version of DMD are you using? DMD 2.064 was tweaked to have the path to the SDK libraries in sc.ini. Unfortunately it is not working with the Windows SDK 8.1, as Microsoft changed the SDK layout again.
>
> I had downloaded and installed dmd-2.064.2 which appears to be the latest.
>
>>
>> Visual D also allows setting additional library paths in the Tools->Options->Project and Solution->Visual D Settings->DMD Directories->x64 page.
>
> I did try to use these settings but never had any success in getting it to work. I'm really a newb here, so if you have recommendations for a better solution, I'm eager to try it.

On 29.11.2013 23:54, Tyler Jensen wrote:
> I removed the modifications from [Environment] and [Environment32] and
> all worked as expected, so those were unnecessary. Thanks for pointing
> that out. I tried going back to the original [Environment64] section and
> change paths in the VS tools / options section mentioned, but still with
> no luck. So I went back to the solution I found that worked.

There were problems with spaces in the library paths set on the Tools->Options->Project and Solution->Visual D Settings->DMD Directories->x64 page.

I have uploaded a new version yesterday: https://github.com/D-Programming-Language/visuald/releases

Just in case someone else runs into this issue I had to tweak sci.ini as well
with a slightly different path for VS2013 12.0.21005.1.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.1\Lib\winv6.3\um\x64".


On Sunday, 17 November 2013 at 23:41:15 UTC, Tyler Jensen wrote:
> Question and answer in one. I found the answer to my question not long after composing the question. Posted here for others who are on the bleeding OS edge as well.
>
> My environment:
>   Running Windows 8.1.
>   Visual Studio 2013 Premium installed.
>   Install Visual D with VisualD-v0.3.37.exe.
>
> Create new D console app DMD/GDC.
>
> Switch solution config to "Debug DMD|x64"
>
> Hit F6 to build and get the following:
>
> ------ Build started: Project: ConsoleApp1, Configuration: Debug DMD x64 ------
> Building Debug DMD x64\ConsoleApp1.exe...
> LINK : fatal error LNK1181: cannot open input file 'user32.lib'
> Building Debug DMD x64\ConsoleApp1.exe failed!
> ------
>
> How to fix this? That is the question.
>
> Partial answer found in known issues page: http://rainers.github.io/visuald/visuald/KnownIssues.html
>
> That fix did not work but it led to trying this change to sc.ini (only showing changed lines):
>
> ; environment for both 32/64 bit
> [Environment]
> LIB="%@P%\..\lib";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x86";%DMD_LIB%
> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib"
>
> [Environment32]
> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib"
> LIB="%@P%\..\lib";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x86";%DMD_LIB%
>
> [Environment64]
> ; original LIB="%@P%\..\lib64"
> LIB="%@P%\..\lib64";\dm\lib;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\Lib\win8\um\x64";%DMD_LIB%