matplotlib · jbmohler · Aug 18, 2014 · Aug 19, 2014 · Aug 20, 2014 · Aug 20, 2014
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
@@ -20,6 +20,20 @@
 *.py[ocd]
 *.so
 
+# Compiled Dependencies #
+#########################
+windeps/freetype-2.4.11/
+windeps/libpng-1.6.7-build/
+windeps/libpng-1.6.7/
+windeps/zlib-1.2.8/
+windeps/tcl8.5.13/
+windeps/tk8.5.13/
+windeps/msvcr90-x32/
+windeps/msvcr90-x64/
+windeps/msvcr100-x32/
+windeps/msvcr100-x64/
+windeps/build_*.cmd
+
 # Python files #
 ################
 # setup.py working directory

diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL
@@ -215,11 +215,12 @@ e.g., if the header to some required library is in
 Build requirements
 ==================
 
-These are external packages which you will need to install before
-installing matplotlib.  If you are building on OSX, see
-:ref:`build_osx`. If you are installing dependencies with a package
-manager on Linux, you may need to install the development packages
-(look for a "-dev" postfix) in addition to the libraries themselves.
+These are external packages which you will need to install before installing
+matplotlib.  If you are building on OSX, see :ref:`build_osx`. If you are
+building on Windows, see :ref:`build_windows`. If you are installing
+dependencies with a package manager on Linux, you may need to install the
+development packages (look for a "-dev" postfix) in addition to the libraries
+themselves.
 
 .. note::
 
@@ -261,11 +262,11 @@ six 1.3 or later
     :term:`dateutil`.
 
 libpng 1.2 (or later)
-    library for loading and saving :term:`PNG` files (`download
-    <http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/libpng.html>`__). libpng requires
-    zlib. If you are a Windows user, you can ignore this because we
-    build support into the matplotlib single-click installer
-
+    library for loading and saving :term:`PNG` files 
+    (`download <http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/libpng.html>`__). libpng 
+    requires zlib. If you are a Windows user, you can ignore this since 
+    the sources are shipped and built as part of the matplotlib build 
+    scripts.
 
 **Optional GUI frameworks**
 
@@ -306,8 +307,8 @@ ImageMagick
 
 :term:`freetype` 1.4 (or later)
     library for reading true type font files. If you are a windows
-    user, you can ignore this since we build support into the
-    matplotlib single click installer.
+    user, you can ignore this since the sources are shipped and built as part
+    of the matplotlib build scripts.
 
 **Required libraries that ship with matplotlib**
 
@@ -337,3 +338,25 @@ can get the libpng and freetype requirements (darwinports, fink,
 the different OSX version (e.g., 10.4 and 10.5). We recommend that you build
 the way we do for the OSX release: get the source from the tarball or the
 git repository and follow the instruction in :file:`README.osx`.
+
+.. _build_windows:
+
+Building on Windows
+======================
+
+The Python shipped from http://www.python.org is compiled with Visual Studio
+2008 for versions before 3.3 and Visual Studio 2010 for 3.3 and later.
+Python extensions are recommended to be compiled with the same compiler.  The
+matplotlib `setup.py` looks for the correct version via distutils.  The .NET
+Framework 4.0 is required for MSBuild, but you likely already have it.
+
+In addition to Visual Studio, `CMake <http://www.cmake.org>`_ is required for
+building libpng.  For building documentation, you will need to install numpydoc
+and miktex.  The required freetype, zlib, libpng, tcl, & tk source code is
+bundled with matplotlib since there is no canonical Windows package manager.
+
+Instructions as above will build and install in the Python installation used to
+launch `setup.py`.  Alternatively to build an installation binary that can be
+used on other Windows machines with a matching Python, run::
+
+  python setup.py bdist_wininst
diff --git a/doc/faq/installing_faq.rst b/doc/faq/installing_faq.rst
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ line script to the appropriate places.
 .. note::
    Mac OSX users please see the :ref:`build_osx` guide.
 
+   Windows users please see the :ref:`build_windows` guide.
+
 Then, if you want to update your matplotlib at any time, just do::
 
   > git pull

diff --git a/doc/make.py b/doc/make.py
@@ -250,6 +250,16 @@ def all():
     ]
 
 for link, target in required_symlinks:
+    if os.path.isfile(link):
+        # This is special processing that applies on platforms that don't deal
+        # with git symlinks -- probably only MS windows.
+        delete = False
+        with open(link, 'r') as content:
+            delete = target == content.read()
+        if delete:
+            os.unlink(link)
+        else:
+            raise RuntimeError("doc/{} should be a directory or symlink -- it isn't")
     if not os.path.exists(link):
         if hasattr(os, 'symlink'):
             os.symlink(target, link)

diff --git a/setupext.py b/setupext.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import sys
 import warnings
 from textwrap import fill
+import setupwin
 
 
 PY3 = (sys.version_info[0] >= 3)
@@ -588,6 +589,11 @@ def get_package_data(self):
                 'style/stylelib/*.mplstyle',
              ]}
 
+    def add_flags(self, ext):
+        if sys.platform == 'win32':
+            ext.include_dirs.append(setupwin.config_dir())
+            ext.lib_dirs.append(setupwin.config_dir())
+
 
 class SampleData(OptionalPackage):
     """
@@ -927,7 +933,7 @@ class FreeType(SetupPackage):
 
     def check(self):
         if sys.platform == 'win32':
-            return "Unknown version"
+            return "building local version {}".format(setupwin.FREETYPE_VERSION)
 
         status, output = getstatusoutput("freetype-config --ftversion")
         if status == 0:
@@ -967,19 +973,27 @@ def version_from_header(self):
                 return '.'.join([major, minor, patch])
 
     def add_flags(self, ext):
+        extra_include_dirs = []
+        extra_library_dirs = []
+        if sys.platform == 'win32':
+            extra_include_dirs = [setupwin.config_dir()]
+            extra_library_dirs = [setupwin.config_dir()]
+
         pkg_config.setup_extension(
             ext, 'freetype2',
             default_include_dirs=[
                 'freetype2', 'lib/freetype2/include',
-                'lib/freetype2/include/freetype2'],
+                'lib/freetype2/include/freetype2'] + extra_include_dirs,
             default_library_dirs=[
-                'freetype2/lib'],
+                'freetype2/lib'] + extra_library_dirs,
             default_libraries=['freetype', 'z'],
             alt_exec='freetype-config')
 
     def get_extension(self):
         if sys.platform == 'win32':
+            setupwin.build_freetype()
             return None
+
         ext = make_extension('freetype2', [])
         self.add_flags(ext)
         return ext
@@ -1012,12 +1026,22 @@ def check(self):
             return str(e) + ' Using unknown version.'
 
     def get_extension(self):
+        library_dirs = []
+        include_dirs = []
+        if sys.platform == 'win32':
+            setupwin.build_zlib()
+            setupwin.build_libpng()
+            library_dirs = [setupwin.config_dir()]
+            include_dirs = [setupwin.config_dir()]
+
         sources = [
             'src/_png.cpp', 'src/mplutils.cpp'
             ]
         ext = make_extension('matplotlib._png', sources)
         pkg_config.setup_extension(
-            ext, 'libpng', default_libraries=['png', 'z'])
+            ext, 'libpng', default_libraries=['png', 'z'], 
+            default_include_dirs=include_dirs, 
+            default_library_dirs=library_dirs)
         Numpy().add_flags(ext)
         CXX().add_flags(ext)
         return ext
@@ -1317,6 +1341,9 @@ def check_requirements(self):
         return "version %s" % tk_v
 
     def get_extension(self):
+        if sys.platform == 'win32':
+            setupwin.build_tcl()
+
         sources = [
             'src/agg_py_transforms.cpp',
             'src/_tkagg.cpp'
@@ -1484,14 +1511,15 @@ def hardcoded_tcl_config(self):
 
     def add_flags(self, ext):
         if sys.platform == 'win32':
+            ext.include_dirs.extend([setupwin.tcl_config_dir()])
             major, minor1, minor2, s, tmp = sys.version_info
             if sys.version_info[0:2] < (3, 4):
                 ext.include_dirs.extend(['win32_static/include/tcl85'])
                 ext.libraries.extend(['tk85', 'tcl85'])
             else:
                 ext.include_dirs.extend(['win32_static/include/tcl86'])
                 ext.libraries.extend(['tk86t', 'tcl86t'])
-            ext.library_dirs.extend([os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'dlls')])
+            ext.library_dirs.extend([os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'tcl')])
 
         elif sys.platform == 'darwin':
             # this config section lifted directly from Imaging - thanks to