Trouble Using BamTools

[nickhill]

Hi everyone,

I have successfully downloaded BamTools but am still having trouble incorporating it into my code. When I compile with make, I get the errors like:

main.cpp:7:10: fatal error: 'api/BamMultiReader.h' file not found
#include "api/BamMultiReader.h"

It seems like the download is not working but I am quite sure it worked. If I ls into my bamtools folder I see:

CMakeLists.txt README build include src
LICENSE bin docs lib

The api folder with its contents is located in include. It seems like I have the necessary libraries. Is there something I need to include in my Makefile to be able use the bamtools libraries in my code?

[blancha]

It's possible that you are not including the path to the header files when compiling.

First, you can check that you indeed have the header files.

blancha@hai04 ~/Desktop$ ls /Applications/bamtools/include/api/
BamAlgorithms.h           BamIndex.h                IBamIODevice.h            SamProgramChain.h         SamSequenceDictionary.h
BamAlignment.h            BamMultiReader.h          SamConstants.h            SamReadGroup.h            algorithms/
BamAux.h                  BamReader.h               SamHeader.h               SamReadGroupDictionary.h  api_global.h
BamConstants.h            BamWriter.h               SamProgram.h              SamSequence.h

Then, you just need to include the path to the header file when compiling.

g++ test.cpp -I /Applications/bamtools/include/ -L /Applications/bamtools/lib/ -lbamtools

I know that you asked for a Makefile, so I'll try and write the equivalent command later using a Make file.
As you can see, I'm not a C++ programmer, so someone else on the forum will probably explain to you better than me that you need to include the path to the header files when compiling, but I'm answering the question since no one has tried yet.

If I put the wrong path to the header file or don't include the path at all, I get the same error message as you, leading me to believe this could be the bug.

[blancha]

Ok, here is my MakeFile to compile the program in the Bamtools API tutorial.

CC=g++
IDIR=/Applications/bamtools/include/
LDIR=/Applications/bamtools/lib/
CFLAGS=-I $(IDIR)
LFLAGS=-L $(LDIR) -lbamtools

test: test.cpp
        $(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(LFLAGS) test.cpp

It's my first time writing a Makefile, so I hope it's not a case of the blind leading the blind.

I do believe your bug is simply that you are not including the path to the header files when compiling, assuming that the header files are indeed in the include bamtools subfolder.

[blancha]

This site has a nice explanation for all the possible causes and solutions to your bug.

https://latedev.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/common-c-error-messages-1-no-such-file-or-directory/

What program are your trying to write?

[nickhill]

I included the path and still receive errors about using BamTools

error: expected namespace name
using namespace BamTools;
^
Here is my Makefile:

CC = g++ -g -O0 -Wall -Wextra -std=gnu++11
IDIR = /Users/nicholashill/src/new/bamtools/include/
LDIR = /Users/nicholashill/src/new/bamtools/lib/
CFLAGS=-I $(IDIR)
LFLAGS=-L $(LDIR) -lbamtools
SOURCES = main.cpp new.cpp

CPPHEADER = new.h
OBJECTS = $(SOURCES:.cpp=.o)

EXECUTABLE = new

main: main.cpp
$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(LFLAGS) main.cpp

all: $(SOURCES) $(EXECUTABLE)

$(EXECUTABLE): $(OBJECTS)
$(CC) $(OBJECTS) -o $@

.cpp.o:
$(CC) $(CXXFLAGS) $< -o $@

clean:
- rm $(OBJECTS)

spotless:
- rm ${EXECUTABLE}

[nickhill]

I am trying to a write a program which requires taking BAM as an input file

[nickhill]

I cannot execute the bamtools executable in the bamtools/bin. Could this be the problem?

[GenoMax]

Add execute permissions to the file (you are on a Mac?)

$ sudo chmod a+x /path_to/bamtools

[nickhill]

Thanks yes I got the executable working but I am still unable to include bam tools for developing code

[GenoMax]

What exactly are you trying to do? Use bamtools code in your own code/extend that code or are you just interested in calling the bamtools binary from your own program?

[nickhill]

Just use bamtools in my own code. I've just been confused about whether I have bamtools since the compiler doesn't recognize when I incorporate it in my code

[GenoMax]

Have you looked at the wiki: https://github.com/pezmaster31/bamtools/wiki?

[nickhill]

Yeah i've been looking at the API tutorial for help which is why i've been trying to edit my Makefile to include the library and include paths but have been unsuccessful. I apologize for my ignorance, this is the first time i've tried to use outside developers libraries in my own code.

[blancha]

You'll get that error message if you don't include the BamTools header file before using the namespace.
If I delete the first two lines in my test file that include the BamTools header, I can reproduce your error message.
I can't troubleshoot more, without seeing the first few lines of your source code, but that is the bug.

These are really basic C++ programming questions, rather than questions specific to BamTools.
You might find better answers, and more expertise in a C++ programming forum.
That being said, I'm happy to try and answer the questions to the best of my ability, and there are some top-notch C++ programmers on this forum.

Also, as you must have realized, there is an h missing in the first line of the example given in the BamTools manual, and the quotes are also incorrect if you just copy-paste the code.

[blancha]

Here is an example illustrating how this error will appear if you don't include the BamTools header in the source code, before using the namespace.

I just compile the original code first, without any problems.
After I delete the first two lines, which include the BamTools header files, I get the same error message you reported.
I use head to show the first few lines of my source code, and sed to delete the first two lines.

MacBook-Pro:Downloads blancha$ head test.cpp
#include "api/BamMultiReader.h"
#include "api/BamWriter.h"
using namespace BamTools;
using namespace std;

int main() {
// at some point, start our merge operation
vector<string> inputFilenames;
string outputFilename;
// provide some input & output filenames
MacBook-Pro:Downloads blancha$ make
g++ -I ~/Downloads/bamtools/include/ -L ~/Downloads/bamtools/lib/ -lbamtools test.cpp
MacBook-Pro:Downloads blancha$ sed -i.bak '1,2d' test.cpp
MacBook-Pro:Downloads blancha$ head test.cpp
using namespace BamTools;
using namespace std;

int main() {
// at some point, start our merge operation
vector<string> inputFilenames;
string outputFilename;
// provide some input & output filenames
// attempt to open our BamMultiReader
BamMultiReader reader;
MacBook-Pro:Downloads blancha$ make
g++ -I ~/Downloads/bamtools/include/ -L ~/Downloads/bamtools/lib/ -lbamtools test.cpp
test.cpp:1:17: error: expected namespace name
using namespace BamTools;