|
STEP 5 - PROJECT MANAGER
The project manager organizes the files to be edited with other associated files so they can be sent to the language tools for assembly or compilation, and ultimately to a linker. The linker has the task of placing the object code fragments from the assembler, compiler and libraries into the proper memory areas of the embedded controller, and ensuring that the modules function with each other (or are “linked”).
This entire operation from assembly and compilation through the link process is called a project “build.” From the MPLAB® project manager, properties of the language tools can be invoked differently for each file, if desired, and a build process integrates all of the language tools operations.
Input and Output Files Managed by the Project Manager
The source files are text files that are written conforming to the rules of the assembler or compiler. The assembler and compiler convert them into intermediate modules of incomplete machine code with placeholders for references to functions and data storage.
The linker resolves these placeholders and combines all the modules into a file of executable machine code. The linker also produces a debug file which allows MPLAB IDE to relate the executing machine code back to the source files, and to relate symbols to variable storage in memory.
A text editor is used to write the code. It is not a word processor, but an editor specifically designed for writing code for Microchip MCUs. It recognizes the constructs in the text and uses color coding to identify various elements, such as instruction mnemonics, C language constructs and comments. The editor supports operations commonly used in writing source code, such as finding matching braces in C, commenting and un-commenting out blocks of code, finding text in multiple files and adding special bookmarks.
After the code is written, the editor works with the other tools to display code execution in the debugger. Breakpoints can be set in the editor, and the values of variables can be inspected by hovering the mouse pointer over the variable name. Names of variables can be dragged from source text windows and then dropped into a watch window.
|
|
Projects are easily created by using the Project Wizard in MPLAB IDE. Projects can be copied and files can be archived using integrated version control software with MPLAB IDE.
The Project Manager associates the files in a project to a “tool suite,” such as Microchip’s MPASM/MPLINK, MPLAB C. It also allows selected third party language tool suites to be used.
Once the files are entered in the project manager, build options can be set on the project as a whole or on individual files. Build options include such things as directories for output files optimization settings for compilers and memory “models.”
|
