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Build System Migration (Windows Embedded CE 6.0)

  • Article

1/5/2010

In Windows Embedded CE 6.0, functionality for the build system has changed from earlier versions of Platform Builder. If you are unfamiliar with the functionality in Windows Embedded CE 6.0, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the content in the Platform Builder User's Guide and the Visual Studio documentation.

Migrating from Windows CE 5.0

  • Due to the integration into Visual Studio, OS designs, subprojects, and Catalog item files are now based on XML schemas. For more information, see Migrating to the Windows Embedded CE 6.0 IDE and Concepts in the Platform Builder IDE.
  • For information about the XML schema used for Catalog items, see BSP Catalog Data and Driver Catalog Data.
  • The Build Tool (Build.exe) has changed functionality. Several parameters have been removed, and four new parameters have been added. For more information, see Build Tool.
  • Build Demo Tool (Blddemo.bat) behavior has changed when performing a clean build of %_WINCEROOT\Platform\Common and %_WINCEROOT%\Platform\MyPlatform. When you use the command blddemo -qbsp -c, Platform Builder performs a clean build that skips the Sysgen phase.
    This is ideal for BSP developers who encounter a build error in \Platform\Common or \Platform\MyPlatform while performing a clean build of their BSP. The developer can now fix the error, and then use this command to skip the Sysgen phase and continue the build.
    For information about the Build Demo Tool, see Build Demo Tool.

Migrating from Windows CE .NET 4.2

  • The integrated development environment (IDE) is now a thin client over the command-line tools that make up the build system.
    In previous versions, the IDE had its own build system, which depended on information in the Platform Builder workspace (.pbw) files to build run-time images in the IDE. This meant that OS designs created in the IDE could not be built from the command-line.
    In Windows CE 5.0, the IDE build system logic has been removed, and the IDE now calls the command-line build system to perform builds. As in previous versions, the command-line build system uses sources and dirs files, which contain the information used to build run-time images.
    While the IDE passes build environment information to the command-line build system, the command-line build files are parsed for information, including the dependencies of selected Catalog items. This makes it possible to create an OS design in the IDE and build a run-time image based on that OS design from the command-line.
    The changes to the build system also include changes to the menus in the IDE that more closely mirror the functionality available from the command-line. The Cesysgen Tool (Cesysgen.bat) now controls a set of smaller Cesysgen batch (.bat) files. Each subordinate batch file contains the Cesysgen logic for a specific dependency tree in your OS tree installation.
  • In earlier Windows Embedded CE versions, all OS designs were built using either the headless (HLBASE) or display-based (IABASE) core configurations. The choice of configuration affected the selection of available Catalog items in the Catalog.
    Now there is only one core configuration, CEBASE. All OS designs are built using this configuration, facilitating selection and display of available Catalog items in the Catalog. For more information, see Migrating a Catalog Item.
  • The Catalog no longer tracks dependency and build-specific information, which was previously contained in Catalog item (.cec) files. If a .cec file contains this information, Platform Builder does not process that information.
    • The Catalog item (.cec) file format has changed, and .cec files are no longer used to contain dependency and build-specific information about associated Catalog items.
      BIBInfo blocks are deprecated; BuildMethod blocks are now only used to specify supported CPUs and provide links to source files, Help documentation (.chm), and Platform Builder project (.pbpxml) files.
  • Platform Builder no longer generates or uses Sources.gen files during builds that include the associated include paths. Instead, Sources.cmn files, which are static, are used.
  • Sysgen variables have been updated. For more information, see Sysgen Variables.
  • Environment variables have been updated. For information about valid environment variables in CE 6.0, see Environment Variables.
  • Custom build functionality has been updated.
    You can use the new Custom Build Actions page in the OS Design Property Pages dialog box to specify custom build actions that are performed during the build process. For more information, see OS Design Property Pages: Custom Build Actions.
    On this dialog box, you can also use the new Subproject Image Settings page to specify run-time image settings for user-created subprojects included in your OS design. For more information, see OS Design Property Pages: Subproject Image Settings.

See Also

Concepts

Build System
Building and Downloading Migration

Other Resources

Utilities
What's New in Windows Embedded CE 6.0