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Auto-Generate Main Function (XRobotMain)

XRobot provides a main function generator tool xrobot_gen_main, which extracts constructor parameters from each module’s header MANIFEST section and automatically generates a unified entry function XRobotMain for building complete embedded applications efficiently.

1. What is XRobotMain?​

XRobotMain is a unified main function that:

  • Instantiates each module (based on MANIFEST parameters)
  • Builds dependency relationships between modules
  • Periodically calls each module's Monitor() method

The generated file is standard C++ code and can be compiled and used directly.

2. Quick Start​

In a valid module directory structure, simply run:

xrobot_gen_main

Sample output:

Discovered modules: BlinkLED
[INFO] Successfully parsed manifest for BlinkLED
[INFO] Writing configuration to User/xrobot.yaml
[SUCCESS] Generated entry file: User/xrobot_main.hpp

You will get two new files:

  • User/xrobot.yaml: configuration file (you can edit parameters)
  • User/xrobot_main.hpp: auto-generated main function source code

3. Modify Module Constructor Parameters​

Open User/xrobot.yaml:

global_settings:
  monitor_sleep_ms: 1000

modules:
  - name: BlinkLED
    constructor_args:
      blink_cycle: 250

You can adjust the parameters and rerun xrobot_gen_main to regenerate the updated main function.

4. Use an Existing Configuration File​

If you already have a xrobot.yaml file, you can specify it explicitly:

xrobot_gen_main --config User/xrobot.yaml

This avoids re-scanning modules or overwriting existing settings.

5. Support for Template Parameters and Instance IDs​

If a module's MANIFEST includes template_args, they will also be generated:

- name: PID
  constructor_args:
    kp: 1.0
    ki: 0.2
  template_args:
    T: float
  id: pid_left

Generated code will look like:

static PID<float> pid_left(hw, appmgr, 1.0, 0.2);

6. What Does the Generated Main Function Look Like?​

#include "app_framework.hpp"
#include "libxr.hpp"

// Module headers
#include "BlinkLED.hpp"

static void XRobotMain(LibXR::HardwareContainer &hw) {
  using namespace LibXR;
  ApplicationManager appmgr;

  // Auto-generated module instantiations
  static BlinkLED blinkled(hw, appmgr, 250);

  while (true) {
    appmgr.MonitorAll();
    Thread::Sleep(1000);
  }
}
  1. Ensure each module header includes a === MODULE MANIFEST comment block
  2. Run xrobot_gen_main to generate configuration and main function
  3. Manually tweak YAML parameter values
  4. Rerun the tool to regenerate the main function
  5. Call XRobotMain() in your project to initialize the system