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Marttyn
Joined: 06 Mar 2015
Posts: 28
Location: Spain
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| CCS and MPLAB X code highlighting with conditional compiling |
 Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 11:48 am |
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MY FAULT, KEEP THIS AS A GUIDE TO WHAT YOU CAN DO, AND WHAT YOU CANT. THERE IS NO SUCH PROBLEM! READ IF YOU WANT, THE SOLUTION IS AT THE END.
Hi!
Ive been using CCS and MPLAB X together for a long time.
I have a problem that makes my project to show errors all along the code. Just show errors on IDE, but are not errors while compiling. So its "aesthetic error" 
I usually make projects for several PICs at the same time. The same code works for all of them, but i use conditional compiling when some feature is only available on some of them.
For example: lets say a relay board. The same code can control 4 relays and 8 relays. Two different PICs are used. A 8 pin PIC and a 14 pin PIC (no need to discus if this is the best approach, its just an example).
Inside MPLAB X i create 2 different configurations for the same project. One with the small PIC, and other with the bigger one. And inside "CCS compiler options" i add a preprocessor macro. "4_RELAYS" for the small PIC, and "8_RELAYS" for the bigger one.
Once you do this, the dropdown menu next to the compile button will have 2 options. The ones we just created. Each option will choose one or the other configuration for the PIC. And also will create a new #define. The one added to the preprocessor macros.
I know it may sound a bit complicated if you never did this, but i promise im about to finish the example 
Now on the code i can create code that only applies to one or the other PIC. Using for example:
| Code: | #if defined(4_RELAYS)
#include <12F1840.h>
#elif defined(8_RELAYS)
#include <16F1825.h>
#endif |
| Code: | #if defined(4_RELAYS)
... some code only for the 4 relay board
#elif defined(8_RELAYS)
... some other code only for the 8 relay board
#endif |
As you can see, this is quite useful. I helps me keep one main code for different PICs, and choosing one or the other option in the dropdown, my project will compile accordingly. NICE!
NOW the problem...
When doing this, the preprocessor macros are not present in the code, but generated by the compiler. So MPLAB dont know this exist. Which makes the conditional compilation code to be not parsed. All markdown and highlighting is compromised. Special functions included in the device.h stops being parsed, and fills all the code with errors because of functions not declared.
So, does anyone know a better way to do this? Or maybe is there a way to let MPLAB create the macro instead of the compiler? This way MPLAB will be aware of it, and parse the code correctly...
I know not everyone will be aware of this feature, and very few will use it. So i dont know if there is someone out there that can help 
But i think its very helpful! So maybe even if there is no good solution for this, at least some of you would have learned some interesting trick.
Thanks!
SOLUTION:
The mentioned above does work OK with a minor change. You can not use a NUMBER as the first character of a #define. Like "4_RELAYS" or "8_RELAYS".
If you do, then MPLAB will not take it into account. Although when compiling, CCS will dont throw any error and compile OK. But still, as MPLAB dont consider this define, then it will not parse correctly the code that needs it.
Just remember kids, #define can not start with a number... the same as variables...
Last edited by Marttyn on Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:21 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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temtronic
Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Posts: 9244
Location: Greensville,Ontario
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:14 pm |
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I don't use MPLAB X but I know that CCS uses if defines all the time in their examples and drivers and it works fine under MPLAB V8.92.
I've not had a problem code cutting for different PICs with different LCD modules past 2 decades....so I suspect it might be an MPLAB X probelm ??
Others who use 'X' will reply soon...... |
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Marttyn
Joined: 06 Mar 2015
Posts: 28
Location: Spain
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:22 pm |
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Solved
Glad to find the solution, but ashamed for such a lame mistake...
Ive been carring with this problem for years |
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temtronic
Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Posts: 9244
Location: Greensville,Ontario
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 2:39 pm |
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re: Just remember kids, #define can not start with a number... the same as variables...
hmm, anyone know where this is listed ? I can't easily find that or say a list of 'reserved' words (words or text) that are not allowed or used internally.
For instance, most versions of BASIC, have a chart/list of 'reserved words'
Just curious, as I'm not a schooled C programmer. |
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PCM programmer
Joined: 06 Sep 2003
Posts: 21708
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 3:00 pm |
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Do a web search for this. Put it on your desktop. Look up any C item.
| Quote: | | K&R C language pdf |
In this case, go to the page on "Variable Names". |
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temtronic
Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Posts: 9244
Location: Greensville,Ontario
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 3:33 pm |
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Thanks..
The ONLY C I know is CCS C. But as CCS C isn't 100% K&R C, I'd assume that some keywords or syntax is unique to CCS.
I'm just surprised that CCS doesn't list 'reserved words' or 'legal syntax' in the manual. Some things, like how long can a variable name be ?
When I started cutting code variables could be 1 or 2 characters long.
I assume most programmers here were taught C in school ? |
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Marttyn
Joined: 06 Mar 2015
Posts: 28
Location: Spain
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 4:12 pm |
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Don't know where I've learned (and later forgot) that variables and constants can not start with a number... Maybe in VB?
Anyway, CCS still does not accept it. You can try it and you will get an error: "Expecting an identifier".
But if you use it as explained, in the "preprocessor macro", then this is not checked... Maybe a bug, or maybe on purpose. But MPLAB don't like it. |
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jeremiah
Joined: 20 Jul 2010
Posts: 1355
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:01 pm |
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| temtronic wrote: | re: Just remember kids, #define can not start with a number... the same as variables...
hmm, anyone know where this is listed ? I can't easily find that or say a list of 'reserved' words (words or text) that are not allowed or used internally.
For instance, most versions of BASIC, have a chart/list of 'reserved words'
Just curious, as I'm not a schooled C programmer. |
So I looked at the C standard and section 6.10 says that #define is followed by identifier. Then identifier is recursively defined in 6.4.2 to start with a "identifier-nondigit". They define that not to include 0-9.
One thing that most people don't know is that any identifier, whether define, variable, or function that starts with one or two underscores is technically reserved by the C standard (so that compiler vendors and suppliers of the standard library have those for their implementations). EDIT: Yep, section 7.1.3 of the standard calls this out so it is available for the standard library. |
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