What's the recommended directory structure for reusable components?

[a2800276]

We're currently organizing some of the boilerplate code we use frequently into idf components to facilitate reuse. Functionality such as network setup boilerplate, sensor drivers, basic infrastructure for ota device configuration, etc.

The component template generated by `idf.py create_component` seems to cater more to components that are used to structure single projects. E.g. out-of-the-box, the generated component can not even be compiled to an *.a archive for syntax checks, no test structure etc. is created, etc.

The following seems to me to be a common way for components to be structured abd is how I'm setting up our components currently :

Code: Select all

.
├── CMakeLists.txt
├── example
│   ├── CMakeLists.txt
│   ├── main
│   │   ├── CMakeLists.txt
│   │   └── example.c
│   └── sdkconfig
├── include
│   └── my_component.h
├── README.md
└── src
    └── my_component.c

It differs from the `create-component` template in that:

- the c implementation files are moved to a `src` directory instead of being in the top-level directory of the component
- I create an `example` (and/or `test`) project which demonstrates usage and from which I compile the component during development

Any thoughts on this? Did I skip an import part of the docs that explained how this should be structured? How is everyone else constructing their components?

[ESP_Sprite]

Speaking from the ESP-IDF side, we don't have a prescriptive component layout, especially since a fair amount of components also 'wrap' existing projects. Instead, we made our build system flexible enough so you can adjust it to any component layout you may prefer. So from that PoV, yours is as good as any.

[a2800276]

Quick additional question: is the an idf.py command I'm missing to compile the component to a static archive? Or does that always have to occur in the context of compiling a project. (Sorry if this is obvious to people who put in the effort to understand the cmake process, I realize I'm being lazy

[ESP_Sprite]

I don't think idf.py has specialized commands for that, but the underlying cmake build system probably has. No idea what that would be, though, I'm no cmake expert either.