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Quick Start Guide for Beginners (Windows)

Never used C++ before? No problem! This guide walks you through everything step-by-step.

What You Need to Install

1. C++ Compiler

You need a C++ compiler to build the project. Choose ONE option:

Option A: MSVC Build Tools (Recommended - Lightweight)

If you already use VS Code, you don't need the full Visual Studio IDE. Just get the compiler:

Quick Install:

winget install Microsoft.VisualStudio.2022.BuildTools

When the installer opens, select "Desktop development with C++" and click Install.

Manual Download:

Size: ~2-3GB (much smaller than full Visual Studio)

Option B: Full Visual Studio 2022 (If you want the IDE)

Only choose this if you want the full development environment:

  1. Download "Visual Studio 2022 Community" (free)
  2. Select "Desktop development with C++"
  3. Install (takes 15-30 minutes, ~10GB)

Why? The C++ compiler (MSVC) turns our code into a runnable program.

2. CMake (Build System)

CMake is a tool that helps organize and build C++ projects.

Quick Install (Recommended):

winget install Kitware.CMake
winget install Ninja-build.Ninja

Manual Install:

  1. CMake: https://cmake.org/download/ - Get the Windows x64 Installer (.msi)
    • ⚠️ Check the box "Add CMake to system PATH"
  2. Ninja: https://github.com/ninja-build/ninja/releases
    • Download ninja-win.zip
    • Extract ninja.exe to C:\Windows\System32\ (or add to PATH)

Why?

  • CMake reads our CMakeLists.txt file and sets up the build
  • Ninja makes builds faster than Visual Studio's default builder

3. Git (Optional but Recommended)

Already installed? Try: git --version in PowerShell

If not installed:

winget install Git.Git

Building Zweek Code

Step 1: Open PowerShell

  1. Press Windows + X
  2. Select "Windows PowerShell" or "Terminal"

Step 2: Navigate to the Project

cd C:\Users\User1\Documents\agent-coder\zweek-code

Step 3: Configure the Build

This step tells CMake to generate build files:

cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release

What this does:

  • -S . = Source is in current directory
  • -B build = Put build files in a folder called "build"
  • -G Ninja = Use Ninja for fast builds
  • -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release = Optimized build (faster program)

First time? CMake will download FTXUI and JSON libraries automatically. This takes 2-3 minutes.

You should see output like:

-- The CXX compiler identification is MSVC 19.xx.xxxxx.x
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Configuring done
-- Generating done
-- Build files written to: C:/Users/User1/Documents/agent-coder/zweek-code/build

Alternative: If Ninja doesn't work, use Visual Studio generator:

cmake -S . -B build -G "Visual Studio 17 2022"

Step 4: Build the Project

What this does:

  • Compiles all the C++ code
  • Links it together into an executable
  • Puts the result in build\zweek.exe (Ninja) or build\Release\zweek.exe (Visual Studio)

This takes 1-2 minutes. You'll see lots of output as files compile:

[1/8] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/zweek.dir/src/main.cpp.obj
[2/8] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/zweek.dir/src/ui/tui.cpp.obj
...
[8/8] Linking CXX executable zweek.exe

Step 5: Run Zweek Code!

If using Ninja:

.\build\zweek.exe

If using Visual Studio generator:

.\build\Release\zweek.exe

🎉 You should see the Zweek Code TUI launch!

Quick Reference: All Commands in One Place

After initial setup, you only need these commands:

# Navigate to project
cd C:\Users\User1\Documents\agent-coder\zweek-code

# If you made code changes, rebuild:
cmake --build build

# Run the program:
.\build\zweek.exe

Troubleshooting

❌ "cmake: command not found"

Problem: CMake isn't installed or not in PATH

Solution:

  1. Restart PowerShell (CMake might just have been installed)
  2. If still broken, reinstall CMake and check "Add to PATH"
  3. Or run: winget install Kitware.CMake then restart PowerShell

❌ "No CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER could be found"

Problem: Visual Studio C++ tools aren't installed

Solution:

  1. Open Visual Studio Installer
  2. Click "Modify" on Visual Studio 2022
  3. Make sure "Desktop development with C++" is checked
  4. Click Modify to install

❌ Build fails with errors

Problem: Code might have issues or conflicting dependencies

Solution:

  1. Delete the build folder: Remove-Item -Recurse -Force build
  2. Try configuring again: cmake -S . -B build -G "Visual Studio 17 2022"
  3. Build: cmake --build build --config Release

❌ Program crashes or doesn't start

Problem: Missing DLL files or runtime issues

Solution:

  1. Make sure you built with --config Release
  2. Try running from the correct directory
  3. Check you have Visual C++ Redistributables installed (usually comes with Visual Studio)

Understanding the Files

What is all this code?

  • src/main.cpp - Entry point, starts the program
  • src/ui/tui.cpp - All the visual interface code
  • include/ui/tui.hpp - Defines what the TUI can do
  • CMakeLists.txt - Build instructions for CMake

Can I edit the code?

Yes! Try this:

  1. Open src/ui/branding.hpp in any text editor
  2. Change the VERSION string to something like "v1.0.0-myedition"
  3. Rebuild: cmake --build build --config Release
  4. Run: .\build\Release\zweek.exe
  5. You'll see your custom version number!

What the Demo Does

The current build is a demo that shows what Zweek Code will do:

  1. Type a request (e.g., "Add error handling to login")

  2. Press Submit (or Enter)

  3. Watch the progress bar move through 5 stages:

    • 🔍 Planning - Figuring out what to do
    • 🔧 Tool Execution - Reading files, gathering info
    • 💻 Code Drafting - Generating code
    • 🎨 Style Enforcing - Making it look nice
    • 📊 Complexity Auditing - Checking quality
    • 🔐 Gatekeeper Review - Final approval

  4. See sample code appear

  5. Try the buttons (they print to console for now)

Note: This is a simulation! The real AI models will be added in Phase 2.

Next Steps

Once you're comfortable with building and running:

  1. Explore the code - Open files in Visual Studio or VS Code
  2. Try making small changes - Edit version strings, colors, emojis
  3. Read the full docs - Check out docs/BUILD.md for advanced options
  4. Wait for Phase 2 - Real AI model integration coming soon!

Alternative: Visual Studio GUI Method

If you prefer clicking buttons instead of command line:

  1. Open Visual Studio 2022
  2. Click "Open a local folder"
  3. Select C:\Users\User1\Documents\agent-coder\zweek-code
  4. Visual Studio will detect CMake and configure automatically
  5. Press Ctrl + Shift + B to build
  6. Press F5 to run

The executable will still be in build\Release\zweek.exe.

Getting Help

  • Build errors? Check the error message and troubleshooting section above
  • Want to understand C++? This project uses modern C++17, check out LearnCpp.com
  • FTXUI questions? See https://github.com/ArthurSonzogni/FTXUI

You don't need to be a C++ expert to use Zweek Code! The build system handles most of the complexity.