Error in Ubuntu 24.04LTS

[alda30]

Hi,
I am very new to this and I am trying to compile a simple cpp file using matplot++. I think I just need the right command for linking the libraries, but I can't do it right really.
So, I have installed matplot++ successfully on my Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and made a new directory and stored one of the cpp example files in that directory. The matplot++ is installed on /usr/local
In terminal I do
g++ 01_linePlot.cpp
or if I do
g++ 01_linePlot.cpp -lmatplot
and I get

/usr/bin/ld: /tmp/ccfDLzCl.o: in function `main':
01_linePlot.cpp:(.text+0xb4): undefined reference to `matplot::linspace(double, double)'
/usr/bin/ld: 01_linePlot.cpp:(.text+0xe4): undefined reference to `matplot::transform(std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> > const&, std::function<double (double)>)'
/usr/bin/ld: 01_linePlot.cpp:(.text+0x14c): undefined reference to `matplot::hold(bool)'
/usr/bin/ld: 01_linePlot.cpp:(.text+0x17f): undefined reference to `matplot::transform(std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> > const&, std::function<double (double)>)'
/usr/bin/ld: 01_linePlot.cpp:(.text+0x21f): undefined reference to `matplot::transform(std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> > const&, std::function<double (double)>)'
/usr/bin/ld: /tmp/ccfDLzCl.o: in function `matplot::plot(std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> > const&, std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> >)':
01_linePlot.cpp:(.text._ZN7matplot4plotERKSt6vectorIdSaIdEESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEE[_ZN7matplot4plotERKSt6vectorIdSaIdEESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEE]+0x34): undefined reference to `matplot::gca()'
/usr/bin/ld: 01_linePlot.cpp:(.text._ZN7matplot4plotERKSt6vectorIdSaIdEESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEE[_ZN7matplot4plotERKSt6vectorIdSaIdEESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEE]+0x5e): undefined reference to `matplot::axes_type::plot(std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> > const&, std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> >)'
/usr/bin/ld: /tmp/ccfDLzCl.o: in function `matplot::show()':
01_linePlot.cpp:(.text._ZN7matplot4showEv[_ZN7matplot4showEv]+0x24): undefined reference to `matplot::gcf()'
/usr/bin/ld: 01_linePlot.cpp:(.text._ZN7matplot4showEv[_ZN7matplot4showEv]+0x38): undefined reference to `matplot::figure_type::show()'
/usr/bin/ld: /tmp/ccfDLzCl.o: in function `auto matplot::plot<std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> >, std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> >&, char const (&) [3]>(std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> >, std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> >&, char const (&) [3])':
01_linePlot.cpp:(.text._ZN7matplot4plotISt6vectorIdSaIdEEJRS3_RA3_KcEEEDaT_DpOT0_[_ZN7matplot4plotISt6vectorIdSaIdEEJRS3_RA3_KcEEEDaT_DpOT0_]+0x34): undefined reference to `matplot::gca()'
/usr/bin/ld: 01_linePlot.cpp:(.text._ZN7matplot4plotISt6vectorIdSaIdEEJRS3_RA3_KcEEEDaT_DpOT0_[_ZN7matplot4plotISt6vectorIdSaIdEEJRS3_RA3_KcEEEDaT_DpOT0_]+0x91): undefined reference to `matplot::axes_type::plot(std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> > const&, std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> > const&, std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> >)'
/usr/bin/ld: /tmp/ccfDLzCl.o: in function `auto matplot::plot<std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> >, std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> >, char const (&) [5]>(std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> >, std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> >&&, char const (&) [5])':
01_linePlot.cpp:(.text._ZN7matplot4plotISt6vectorIdSaIdEEJS3_RA5_KcEEEDaT_DpOT0_[_ZN7matplot4plotISt6vectorIdSaIdEEJS3_RA5_KcEEEDaT_DpOT0_]+0x34): undefined reference to `matplot::gca()'
/usr/bin/ld: 01_linePlot.cpp:(.text._ZN7matplot4plotISt6vectorIdSaIdEEJS3_RA5_KcEEEDaT_DpOT0_[_ZN7matplot4plotISt6vectorIdSaIdEEJS3_RA5_KcEEEDaT_DpOT0_]+0x91): undefined reference to `matplot::axes_type::plot(std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> > const&, std::vector<double, std::allocator<double> > const&, std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> >)'
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status

I understand that you always recommend using cmake, but I need to understand well how the terminal command should work for the development of another application.
Thank you beforehand!

[alandefreitas]

I understand that you always recommend using cmake, but I need to understand well how the terminal command should work for the development of another application.

Run cmake and look at compilation_commands.json in the build directory.

[alandefreitas]

You have to run the first configuration step with -D CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON. Sorry, I forgot to mention that. You don't even have to run the other steps.

[alda30]

[alandefreitas]

That's how C++ compilers work. They generate these binary objects, which you can later combine with a linker to create an executable.

CMake can help you with that, or you can try to do the process manually. Even if you understand how the process works, CMake is still useful because it maintains a stable interface between versions and configures and runs all the necessary commands for you.

If you still want to ignore CMake and do things manually, you must understand how compilers and linkers work. There's no way around that. These kinds of questions are entirely unrelated to matplot++.