NESCDT

Using the nescdt TinyOS plugin for Eclipse

A basic nesC editor plugin for TinyOS-2.x using Eclipse with syntax highlighting and .nc file content detection for the follow types:

• interface ,
• module ,
• generic module ,
• configuration ,
• generic configuration
• safe (experimental).

The same symbols are used as in nesdoc. The source is included in the plugin jar file, and it is possible to refine it. To install the plugin:

• Download the nescdt_0.0.12.jar file [here]
• Save it in the root of Eclipse plugin directory (where the other (jar) plugins also reside), and delete the previous version of this plugin if you have it. The sources are included if you want to compile it yourself...
• Restart Eclipse (perhaps verify for yourself that it is installed: Help->About Eclipse SDK->Plug-in Details)
• Associate the *.nc files with this editor: Windows->Preferences->General->Editors->File Associations

• Create a new empty project and name it what you want to (for example nescsampleproject)
• Create a new folder in the project (right-click on the project) and name it what you want to
• Import and link to the part of the TinyOS tree or your own code(right-click on the nescsampleproject folder and press import)

• Choose the Link to folder in the file system option and proceed (this will not change your TinyOS code at all and it will not copy any files on your computer)
• When you are done the Eclipse IDE could look something like this (note that the content of the files have been analyzed and that the icons reveal that we have some configurations, generic configurations, modules, and generic modules in the mica2 folder):

• When you open some .nc file it will be syntax colored (according some some predefined rules in the plugin):

• There is autocompletion for keywords and types. Press CTRL + SPACE to get the suggestions

Then select (if there is more than one choice) and press ENTER to insert the word

• Side notes
  • The nescdt plugin is < 50 kB
  • (Experimental) If it detects safe code (looking for @safe, *COUNT, *SIZE, or *SAFE) a rhombus shape is added to the icon. A safe module could look like this in the file navigator (note that a little rhombus has been added to the module icon).
  • If the CVS decorators annoy you (if, for example, another CVS client than Eclipse is being used), then turn them off from Window->Preferences->General->Appearance->Label Decorations.
  • You can also consider downloading the CDT plugin for editing header files and perhaps C files in Eclipse. Enter the http://download.eclipse.org/tools/cdt/releases/europa as a new Remote site in the Eclipse update manager and choose the CDT main plugin:

Developing/Debugging on the NESCDT Plugin