Standard ECB-Installation - ECB - the Emacs Code Browser
Description: ECB - the Emacs Code Browser

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#### 1.1.3 Standard installation of ECB for (X)Emacs

Follow exatly these steps to install ECB:

1. Fulfill all requirements ECB needs (see Requirements)

   ECB performs two autom checks:

   - At load-time: It checks if cedet is at least installed so ECB can be loaded. If not it reports an error.
   - At start-time: It checks if the correct versions of cedet and semantic are installed and gives you proper feedback.

   So if you are not sure if you have installed the required packages at all or if you have installed the correct versions of these packages then do not worry about this, just go on with the following installation steps: If ECB is missing something it will give you proper feedback and support not later than at load-time or start-time!

2. Download and unpack the ECB archive (probably you have already done this :-)
3. Add the new ECB-directory to your `load-path` variable.

   You MUST add the ECB-install-directory to the `load-path` either by changing the `load-path` variable directly in your `.emacs` or `site-lisp/site-start.el` or by working with a file `subdirs.el`1.

   So for example the needed entry for your `.emacs`-file could be:

               (add-to-list 'load-path
                            "/path/to/your/ecb/installation/directory")

   ATTENTION: ECB is NOT properly installed if it's directory is not added to `load-path` and for example just loaded by

               (load-file "/path/to/ecb/ecb.el")

   Do not do this! It will not work!

4. Load ECB by adding code to your `.emacs`:

   If you want to load the complete ECB at (X)Emacs-loadtime (Advantage: All ECB-options available after loading ECB. Disadvantage: Increasing loadtime2):

               (require 'ecb)

   If you want to load the ECB first after starting it by `ecb-activate` (Advantage: Fast loading3. Disadvantage: ECB- and semantic-options first available after starting ECB):

               (require 'ecb-autoloads)

   This loads all available autoloads of ECB, e.g. `ecb-activate`, `ecb-minor-mode`, `ecb-byte-compile` and `ecb-show-help`.

   Regardless which method you prefer: In both cases the used statement must be placed after the statement of step 3!

   Only for users of a manually installed author version of the CEDET-suite (not that one integrated into Emacs >= 23.2): Instructions for loading CEDET into Emacs must be placed somewhere before the statements needed for loading ECB (s.a.)!

5. Restart (X)Emacs.

ECB is now ready for use and can be activated by calling `M-x ecb-activate` or `ecb-minor-mode`. Now you can either starting using ECB or you can do these optional installation steps:

6. Reading the online help with `ecb-show-help`

   Maybe you are interested to read the online-help of ECB before first start.

7. Bytecompiling ECB with `ecb-byte-compile`

   This byte compiles ECB. You can safely ignore all messages if there are any. (You can also bytecompile ECB from the command-line either by using the `Makefile` or by using the batch-file `make.bat`; just read the comments in that file you choose.)

   `Mekefile` can be customized using `Makefile.conf` (see Makefile customization).

8. Installing the Info-help of ECB

   The ECB distribution contains a subdirectory `info-help` which contains the online-help of ECB in Info-format. You can install this online help so it's available in the Top-directory of Info. There are two ways to do this:

   - Use “install-info” (recommended):
     1. Copy the files of the subdirectory `info-help` into the info-directory of Emacs
     2. Install the file `info-help/ecb.info` with the command “install-info” (if available on your system) in the `dir`-file.

     The supplied `Makefile` offers a target `install-help` which does both of these steps. You have just to call `make install-help` with the correct EMACSINFOPATH set (see the comment in `Makefile`). Here is an example:

                      make EMACSINFOPATH=/path/to/emacs/info install-help

   - Manual Installation:

     Copy the files of the subdirectory `info-help` into the info-directory of Emacs and modify the file `dir` manually.

   But it doesn't matter if you do not execute this step (8.) because the online help of ECB is always available though, see `ecb-show-help` (see Interactive ECB commands).

#### Footnotes

[1] This works at least for Emacs but XEmacs may have slightly different mechanisms; see the XEmacs documentation

[2] Cause of full loading of ECB itself and also the packages semantic, eieio and speedbar regardless if ECB is started.

[3] ECB, semantic, eieio and speedbar are first loaded after starting ECB or with other words: ECB and semantic are not loaded if you do not use/need them