If you are working on a design with more than one person, it is common to share an application using some type of version control system, by manually copying files, or exporting from a supported IDE. This section covers the files to include or exclude when sharing, as well as how to share using various methods.

Files to include/exclude​

No matter which method you choose to share an application, you should know what is critical to copy or check in to version control, as well as what can be regenerated easily. The main files to consider when sharing an application include anything that you have changed or added, and that will not be regenerated. These files include source code, BSPs and configurations,

Makefile

, etc.

There are several directories in the application that can be recreated and therefore do not need to be copied or checked into version control. These include the

libs

,

mtb_shared

,

build

, and

GeneratedSource

directories. The processes that create them are:

  • libs

    and

    mtb_shared

    : Created by running the Library Manager and clicking the

    Update

    button, or by running

    make getlibs

    on the command line. Either one will clone the libraries from GitHub to the appropriate locations.

  • build

    : Created during the build process.

  • GeneratedSource

    : Generated by running the associated configurator such as the Device Configurator or Bluetooth® Configurator. The build process run Configurators automatically if the

    GeneratedSource

    files are out of date.

Basic sharing steps​

When sharing an application, follow these basic steps:

  1. Lock the library versions

    . Some of the library references in your project might be pointing to the latest version. If a newer version of these becomes available, they could be automatically updated using the Library Manager or the make getlibs command. To prevent this, lock libraries to specific versions using the Version setting in the Library Manager. See the Library Manager user guide for more details.



  2. Lock the tools versions

    . Communicate the version of the ModusToolbox™ tools package used to create the application. Different versions of tools may behave differently when sharing an application. The recipient should set the

    CY_TOOLS_PATHS

    variable to the same package version that you use. See Specifying alternate tools version for more details.

  3. Remove unneeded files

    . See

    Files to include/exclude

    .

  4. Share the application

    . Use version control software, manually copy files, and/or use an IDE as described in the following sections. Make sure to include all files and folders that you modified and/or added that will not be regenerated.

Using version control software​

If you are working on a production design, you likely use version control software to manage the design and any potential revisions. This allows all users to stay synchronized with the latest version of an application. ModusToolbox™ assets are provided using Git, but you can use any version control method or software that you prefer.

ModusToolbox™ code examples have a default .

gitignore

file that excludes directories that can be easily recreated, as well as files containing IDE-specific information that need not be checked in. If you are using Git as your version control software, you can often use that file as-is. However, you are free to change it to fit your needs. For example, you may want to check in all of the libraries from

libs

and

mtb_shared

, even though they are available on Infineon's GitHub site.

If you are using version control software other than Git, you can use the .

gitignore

file as a guide for configuring the software that you are using.

Once you have an application checked in to your desired version control software, sharing the application with a new user is straight-forward. The steps include:

  1. Get a copy of the checked-in data. This will vary depending on the version control software (for example using Git,

    git clone <url>

    ).

  2. Run the Library Manager and click the

    Update

    button, or open a terminal and run the command

    make getlibs

    . Either one will get all of the libraries required by the application.

  3. Use the command line and run

    make <IDE>

    for the IDE you wish to use. For example,

    make eclipse

    or

    make vscode

    .

  4. Work with the application as usual. The

    build

    and

    GeneratedSource

    files will be created automatically as needed.

  5. When finished with your changes, check in your updates following your version control process.

Manual file copy​

If you are not using version control software, you can just copy a complete application directory from one user to another. If desired, you can exclude the directories listed under

Files to include/exclude

since the libraries can be recreated, and the other files are regenerated when the application is built.

Saving/exporting from IDE​

Another method to share files is by using your preferred IDE's export or

Save As

method. Refer to your IDE's documentation for details, keeping in mind certain files and folders need not be exported.

One such example is the Eclipse IDE

Export as Archive

. Refer to the

Eclipse IDE for ModusToolbox ™ user guide

for more details.