11OLSEN

in an external I have this main method signature: int C74_EXPORT main(void){ }

unable to load extern, object has no function named 'ext_main' or 'main'

In "chapter_appendix_f: SDK changes for Max 7" I noticed using "main" is kind of deprecated and should be replaced with "ext_main". Could that be the problem in this case?

And what's it all about the C74_EXPORT? Do I have to use it or not?

Hi,
in an external I have this main method signature: int C74_EXPORT main(void){ }
A M1 user now reports seeing this in the console:  unable to load extern, object has no function named 'ext_main' or 'main' .
In "chapter_appendix_f: SDK changes for Max 7" I noticed using "main" is kind of deprecated and should be replaced with "ext_main". Could that be the problem in this case?

Hi,
in an external I have this main method signature: int C74_EXPORT main(void){ }
A M1 user now reports seeing this in the console:  unable

main-method-confusion

I use Xcode on Apple platforms, so I can't vouch for Windows platforms, but - at least on Macs - I never had a problem with the above signature.

I couldn't find one single example in the Max SDK that uses C74_EXPORT.

my main method signature is:
extern void ext_main(void *r)

I use Xcode on Apple platforms, so I can't vouch for Windows platforms, but - at least on Macs - I never had a problem with the above signature.
I couldn't find one single example in the Max SDK that uses C74_EXPORT.

Hope this helps.

Ok i will change to ext_main and see if that helps.

It's true that "int C74_EXPORT main(void){ }" is not used anymore in the examples with one exception max.jit.gl.cube.c

But a lot of SDK examples use the C74_EXPORT in front :

Hi Luigi,
Ok i will change to ext_main and see if that helps.
It's true that  "int C74_EXPORT main(void){ }" is not used anymore in the examples with one exception max.jit.gl.cube.c 

But a lot of SDK examples use the  C74_EXPORT in front :

max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\audio\fftinfo~\fftinfo~.c 
	Line 43: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\audio\index~\index~.c 
	Line 36: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\audio\lores~\lores~.c 
	Line 50: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\audio\times~\times~.c 
	Line 39: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\dictionary\dict.group\dict.group.c 
	Line 33: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\dictionary\dict.route\dict.route.c 
	Line 30: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\dictionary\dict.strip\dict.strip.c 
	Line 34: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\gl\jit.gl.gridshape\max.jit.gl.gridshape.c 
	Line 16: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\gl\jit.gl.videoplane\max.jit.gl.videoplane.c 
	Line 24: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.3m\max.jit.3m.c 
	Line 30: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.alphablend\max.jit.alphablend.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.change\max.jit.change.c 
	Line 25: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.charmap\max.jit.charmap.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.clip\max.jit.clip.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.coerce\max.jit.coerce.c 
	Line 23: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.concat\max.jit.concat.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.demultiplex\max.jit.demultiplex.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.dimmap\max.jit.dimmap.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.eclipse\max.jit.eclipse.c 
	Line 23: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.fill\max.jit.fill.c 
	Line 32: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.findbounds\max.jit.findbounds.c 
	Line 27: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.fluoride\max.jit.fluoride.c 
	Line 23: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.glue\max.jit.glue.c 
	Line 27: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.gradient\max.jit.gradient.c 
	Line 22: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.hello\max.jit.hello.c 
	Line 23: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.histogram\max.jit.histogram.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.iter\max.jit.iter.c 
	Line 30: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.keyscreen\max.jit.keyscreen.c 
	Line 23: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.la.diagproduct\max.jit.la.diagproduct.c 
	Line 27: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.map\max.jit.map.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.noise\max.jit.noise.c 
	Line 22: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.op\max.jit.op.c 
	Line 37: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.p.bounds\max.jit.p.bounds.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.pack\max.jit.pack.c 
	Line 27: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.peek~\max.jit.peek~.c 
	Line 45: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.poke~\max.jit.poke~.c 
	Line 41: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.print\max.jit.print.c 
	Line 28: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.rgb2luma\max.jit.rgb2luma.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.scalebias\max.jit.scalebias.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.scissors\max.jit.scissors.c 
	Line 27: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.spill\max.jit.spill.c 
	Line 29: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.split\max.jit.split.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.str.op\max.jit.str.op.c 
	Line 23: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.submatrix\max.jit.submatrix.c 
	Line 23: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.textfile\max.jit.textfile.c 
	Line 70: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.thin\max.jit.thin.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.transpose\max.jit.transpose.c 
	Line 21: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.turtle\max.jit.turtle.c 
	Line 95: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\matrix\jit.unpack\max.jit.unpack.c 
	Line 23: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\mc\mc.pack~\mc.pack~.c 
	Line 46: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\misc\buddy\buddy.c 
	Line 49: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\misc\filedate\filedate.c 
	Line 33: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\misc\filein\filein.c 
	Line 43: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\misc\folder\folder.c 
	Line 46: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\misc\iter\iter.c 
	Line 32: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\misc\match\match.c 
	Line 47: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\misc\minimum\minimum.c 
	Line 42: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\misc\past\past.c 
	Line 34: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\misc\thresh\thresh.c 
	Line 41: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)
  max-sdk-8.2.0\source_C74\misc\vexpr\vexpr.c 
	Line 25: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r);
	Line 40: C74_EXPORT void ext_main(void *r)


Using ext_main solved the problem. I have no idea why I have "int main(void){ }" in a lot of my externals. Probably due to the copy/paste from older externals when I started a new one.

Nevertheless, it would be nice if someone could explain what C74_EXPORT is used for.

Using ext_main solved the problem. I have no idea why I have  "int main(void){ }" in a lot of my externals. Probably due to the copy/paste from older externals when I started a new one.
Nevertheless, it would be nice if someone could explain what C74_EXPORT is used for.    

main method confusion