Building EPICS R3.13 extensions with R3.14 base


EPICS R3.13 extensions have both a Makefile and a Makefile.Host in the build directories and the EPICS R3.13 extension tree has an extensions/config directory.

Preliminary steps for all extensions

Building downloaded APS distribution extensions with base R3.14

Building your extensions with base R3.14

  • Library Db renamed
  • Library Db has been renamed to dbStaticHost in EPICS base R3.14. In some extensions lib Db is not used and Db can be removed from the USR_LIBS (or PROD_LIBS) line. If the library is needed ( you get unresolved items after removing Db), the following lines should be added to Makefile.Host.

    ifdef BASE_3_14
    USR_LIBS += dbStaticHost
    dbStaticHost_DIR = $(EPICS_BASE_LIB)
    else
    USR_LIBS += Db
    Db_DIR = $(EPICS_BASE_LIB)
    endif
  • Library dbStaticHost names changed
  • Library functions have been renamed.  If there are calls with old db names, add the following lines

    #if  EPICS_REVISION && EPICS_REVISION == 13
    #define dbFindRecordType    dbFindRecdes
    #define dbGetNRecordTypes   dbGetNRecdes
    #define dbNextRecordType    dbNextRecdes
    #define dbFirstField        dbFirstFielddes
    #define dbGetRecordTypeName dbGetRecdesName
    #define dbFirstRecordType   dbFirstRecdes
    #define dbNextField         dbNextFielddes
    #define dbGetMenuChoices    dbGetChoices

    long dbReadDatabaseFP(
        DBBASE **ppdbbase,FILE *fp, const char *path,const char *substitutions)
    {
         return(dbRead(*ppdbbase,fp));
    }
    #endif

    and  change the the old names and function calls to the R3.14 versions:
    dbFindRecdes         =>  dbFindRecordType
    dbGetNRecdes         => dbGetNRecordTypes
    dbNextRecdes         =>  dbNextRecordType
    dbFirstFielddes      =>  dbFirstField
    dbGetRecdesName   => dbGetRecordTypeName
    dbFirstRecdes        =>  dbFirstRecordType
    dbNextFielddes       =>  dbNextField
    dbGetChoices         =>  dbGetMenuChoices
    dbRead(pdbbase,fp) =>  dbReadDatabaseFP(&pdbbase,fp,0,0)

  • Target architecture specifications changed
  • Since target architecture specifications have been changed (solaris to solaris-sparc, win32 to win32-x86, ...) Makefile.Host references to and tests on T_A have to be changed.  In most cases T_A can be replaced by OS_CLASS.  Since HOST_ARCH will eventually be phased out, it would be a good idea to change any Makefile.Host references to HOST_ARCH to OS_CLASS if possible.
    For example change

    ifeq ($(T_A),solaris)
    RPCFLAGS = -K -1
    endif
    to
    ifeq ($(OS_CLASS),solaris)
    RPCFLAGS = -K -1
    endif
  • New ca_set_puser
  • Statements of the form: ca_puser(chid) = xyz; should to be changed to:  ca_set_puser(chid,xyz);
     

  • Extern C around includes
  • Remove any extern "C" braces around #includes of EPICS base header files.
    For example change

    extern "C" {
    #include "cadefs.h"
    } /* end extern C */
    to
    #include "cadefs.h"
  • Infrequently used R3.13 timestamp functions unbundled from base
  • Some infrequently used R3.13 timestamp functions and macro definitions have been removed from EPICS base and now exist in a library, ts, created and installed in the ar extension.  The only ANL distributed extension that uses these unbundled functions and macros  is cau. The two R3.13 functions tsStampToText and tsLocalTime along with the definitions TS_TEXT_MONDDYYYY and TS_TEXT_MMDDYY have been retained in R3.14 for extension compatibility purposes.
    If your extension gets undefines for TS_* usage and ts* function calls when built with R3.14, you must obtain and build the ar extension. Add an #include for tsSubr.h to your extension source code and add library ts to PROD_LIBS or USR_LIBS in your Makefile.Host as follows:

    #include "tsSubr.h"

    ifdef BASE_3_14
    PROD_LIBS += ts
    ts_DIR = $(EPICS_EXTENSIONS_LIB)
    endif

  • No Field name length restriction
  • The length restriction to database record names no longer exists in R3.14 so the the FLDNAME_SZ macro definition was removed.from dbDefs.h.  Extensions which still have a field name restriction should add the field name size definition to their code until they are updated.

    #ifndef FLDNAME_SZ
    #define FLDNAME_SZ 4  /*Field Name Size*/
    #endif
  • Some EPICS base version macros removed
  • The EPICS base version macros that start with "BASE_" have been removed from epicsVersion.h. Extensions should now use only the existing macros which start with "EPICS_".

    BASE_VERSION                  =>  EPICS_VERSION
    BASE_REVISION                  => EPICS_REVISION
    BASE_MODIFICATION       =>   EPICS_MODIFICATION
    BASE_UPDATE_NAME       => EPICS_UPDATE_NAME
    BASE_UPDATE_LEVEL       =>   EPICS_UPDATE_LEVEL
    BASE_VERSION_STRING   => EPICS_VERSION_STRING