# Build the C++ API

This section describes the build process for Windows and Linux.

To build the C++ API on Windows

NOTE: To build on Windows, you need at least Microsoft Visual Studio 2015.

1. Switch to the `cppapi/bin` directory.

2. At the Visual Studio command prompt, run `nmake -f Makefile`.

   This command creates a file called `filtersdk.lib`. You can statically link this into your own binaries in order to use the Filter SDK.

To build the C++ API on Linux

1. Switch to the `cppapi/bin` directory.

2. Run the appropriate command:

   GCC 5

   `export CXXFLAGS="-std=c++11"
   make`

   GCC 6

   `make`

   This command creates a file called `filtersdk.a`. You can link this into your own binaries in order to use the Filter SDK.

To build the C++ API on macOS

1. Switch to the `cppapi/bin` directory.

2. Run the following command:

       export CXXFLAGS="-stdlib=libc++ -std=c++11"

3. Run the following command:

       make -f GNUmakefile

_FT_HTML5_bannerTitle.htm