Hamlib/README.developer

Hamlib - (C) Frank Singleton 2000 (vk3fcs@ix.netcom.com)
	 (C) Stephane Fillod 2000-2007
         (C) The Hamlib Group 2000-2007

Take a look at http://sourceforge.net/projects/hamlib/
Here you will find a mail list, and the latest CVS releases.

See README for frontend/backend outline.


The shared libs provide functions for both radio control,
and data retrieval from the radio.
 
The structure of the libraries is as follows.

(1)	There is one frontend library "libhamlib" that
	provides the generic API for user applications.

(2)	There are "n" backend libraries that "wrap" 
	rig specific communications inside frontend API.

(3)	Frontend lib loads (on demand) the appropriate
	backend lib as required. 

Frontend Library
----------------

libhamlib.so -  frontend lib that provides generic API
		for all RIG types. This is what Application
		programmers will "see".

Backend Examples are:
---------------------
 
1.hamlib-yaesu.so will provide connectivity to Yaesu
  FT 747GX Transceiver, FT 847 "Earth Station", etc. via a standard API.

2. hamlib-xxxx.so will provide connectivity to the Wiz-bang
   moon-melter 101A (yikes..)

Hamlib also enables developers to develop professional looking 
GUI's towards a standard control library API, and they would not have 
to worry about the underlying connection towards physical hardware.
 
Initially serial (RS232) connectivity will be handled, but
I expect that IP, USB, and other connectivity will follow afterwards. 


General Guidelines.
-------------------

0. The top level directory looks like this (Note, it has grown considerably).

[fillods@charybde hamlib]$ tree -d
|-- alinco
|-- aor
|-- bindings
|-- c++
|-- debian
|-- doc
|   |-- html
|   |-- man
|   `-- sgml
|-- drake
|-- dummy
|-- easycomm
|-- fodtrack
|-- gnuradio
|-- icom
|   |-- lib
|   `-- test
|-- include
|   `-- hamlib
|-- jrc
|-- kachina
|-- kenwood
|-- kylix
|   `-- tests
|-- lib
|-- libltdl
|-- macros
|-- microtune
|-- pcr
|-- rotorez
|-- rpcrig
|-- rpcrot
|-- src
|-- tentec
|-- tests
|   `-- html
|-- uniden
|-- winradio
|   `-- linradio
`-- yaesu


1. Building

If you just want to recompile the library, please refer
to the INSTALL file.  This document introduces hacking the code of Hamlib.

1.1 Obtaining sources: anonymous (pserver) cvs checkout

  cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@hamlib.cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/hamlib login 
  cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@hamlib.cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/hamlib co -P hamlib

When prompted for a password for anonymous, simply press the Enter key.
The check out has only to be done the first time.

After the initial retrieval, whenever you want to update your local
version, issue the following command in the root directory of hamlib.

  cvs -z3 update -Pd

This provides a level of data compression (values are from 0, off, to 9, full,
feel free to experiment) deletes empty directories (yes some do exist :-) )
and adds any new directories added to the repository since your last
checkout.

1.1.1 Obtaining more info on CVS

Check out the sourceforge page at https://sourceforge.net/cvs/?group_id=8305
for more information about how to use the CVS repository of Hamlib.

A CVS manual is online at http://ximbiot.com/cvs/manual/

1.2. Requirements

Hamlib is entirely developed using GNU tools, under various Linux systems.
Note that it is not restricted to Linux systems. We welcome anyone who
has access to a POSIXish system to port Hamlib. Contact us for help.

That is, if you want to take part in the development of Hamlib,
you'll need the following tools. Make sure you have at least the required
version or you won't even be able to build from the cvs checkout.

* Gnu C or any C99 compliant compiler		# gcc --version
* Gnu make  (or any modern one, BSD okay)	# make --version
* autoconf		 2.54			# autoconf --version
* automake		 1.7			# automake --version
* libtool		 1.5			# libtool --version
* cvs and ssh for connection to cvs.sourceforge.net

Optional:
* GNU C++					# g++ --version
* swig (for bindings)	1.3.14  		# swig -version
* perl devel					# h2xs
* tcl devel
* python devel
* libxml2 devel					# xml2-config --version
* libgd devel
* libusb devel
* RPC devel (libc-dev)				# rpcgen --version

Documentation:
	* doxygen
	* DocBook

Note:  Some systems can have several versions of the autotools installed.
In that case, autoconf may be called "autoconf2.50", autoheader
"autoheader2.50", and automake "automake-1.7", aclocal "aclocal-1.7" or a
newer version.

IMPORTANT: If autoconf or automake are installed on your system, 
make sure they are matching *at least* the version shown above.
Some people experience troubles with automake 1.5, if you're one of those,
it's recommended to upgrade to automake 1.7, which is a lot more stable.


1.3. configure and build stage

It has to be known the CVS repository holds no autogenerated files, i.e.
configure, config.guess, etc.  Hence after a fresh checkout, you'll have to
generate those files.

To proceed, first edit the autogen.sh, and set appropriately the AUTOCONF,
AUTOHEADER, AUTOHEADER, and ACLOCAL variables with the required versions
seen in the previous section (most systems will be fine with the default
names).

	sh ./autogen.sh --disable-static --prefix=/usr/local CFLAGS="-g -O0"
	make
	make install

Once you've run autogen.sh, make sure you've got some recent config.guess and
config.sub (needed to guess your system type).  Anything of at least year 2004
should be fine, unless you run some exotic hardware/software system:

	./config.guess --version
	./config.sub --version

The prefix argument is optional.  Convention is that local packages be placed
in /usr/local away from distribution installed packages.  The --disable-static
and CFLAGS="-g -O0" speeds up compilation if you don't plan to use static
libraries and can bear less optimized binaries while the -g option adds
debugging info which can be changed to -ggdb to generate debugging info for
gdb.

NOTE: autogen.sh has only to be run the first time after a fresh checkout or
when a Makefile.am or other build file is modified or added.

The difference between building as a tester and a developer is in the 
'--enable-maintainer-mode' option passed to configure.  This option will add 
new Makefile targets and dependencies and not force a rebuild of the Makefiles
when make is executed.

For a Tcl build, add this if needed:

			--with-tcl=/usr/lib/tcl8.2

Note: C-shell users may have to run autogen.sh and make through a bourne shell
instead, or pass "SHELL=bash" as a parameter to make.


1.4. Feedback

The Hamlib team is very interested to hear from you, how Hamlib builds and
works on your system, especially on non-Linux or non-PC systems. We are trying
to make Hamlib as portable as possible. Please report problems to our developer
mailing list, hamlib-developer@lists.sourceforge.net

Patches are welcome too!

So far, Hamlib has been tested successfully under the following systems:
(if your system is not present, please report to the mailing list)

	* Debian i386
	* Debian sid mipsel
	* RedHat i386
	* Linux ppc
	* Slackware i386
	* FreeBSD & NetBSD
	* Solaris 2.6
	* Mac OS X
	* win32: Cygwin, Mingw


2. How to add a new backend

	The rule is one backend per protocol family.
	Try to share code between rigs of the same family, if applicable.

	2.1. mkdir mybackend
		Create a new subdir, of the name of the protocol backend. 
		NB: the directory MUST be the same as the backend name.

	2.2. Add <mybackend> to the SUBDIRS variable in the topdir Makefile.am, 
	2.3. Add the backend name to the BACKEND_LIST variable in configure.ac
	2.4. Add "mybackend/Makefile" in the AC_CONFIG_FILES macro at the bottom 
 		of configure.ac

	2.5. Create mybackend/Makefile.am, mybackend.c mybackend.h
		Use 'dummy' backend as a template.
		Here are commands for the bourne shell.

			$ automake mybackend/Makefile
			$ CONFIG_HEADERS= CONFIG_LINKS= \
				CONFIG_FILES=mybackend/Makefile ./config.status

		make in topdir to rebuild all

	2.6. Commit your work:
		$ cvs add mybackend
		$ cd mybackend
		$ cvs add Makefile.am mybackend.c mybackend.h
		$ cvs commit -m "Initial release" Makefile.am mybackend.c mybackend.h


3. How to add a new model to and existing backend
	3.1. make sure there's already a (unique) ID for the model to be added
			in include/hamlib/riglist.h
	3.2. locate the existing backend
	3.3. Clone the most similar model in the backend
	3.4. Add the new C file to the _SOURCES variable 
		of the backend's Makefile.am
	3.5. Add "extern const struct rig_caps <mymodel>_caps;" to mybackend.h
	3.6. In initrigs_<mybackend> of mybackend.c, 
		add "rig_register(&<mymodel>_caps);"

	3.7. Run make if you have dependencies, or the following to regenerate
		the makefile.
			$ automake mybackend/Makefile
			$ CONFIG_HEADERS= CONFIG_LINKS= \
				CONFIG_FILES=mybackend/Makefile ./config.status

		make in topdir to rebuild all

	3.8. Commit your work (once tests are satisfactory):
		$ cd mybackend
		$ cvs add mymodel.c
		$ cvs commit -m "added <mymodel> to <mybackend>" \
				Makefile.am mybackend.c mybackend.h mymodel.c


4. Read README.betatester to test the new backend/model.
   Report to mailing list.


5. Basic functions: set_freq and set_mode. set_vfo would be great.


6. C code examples.

A C code snippet to connect to a FT847 and set the frequency of the main VFO
to 439,700,000 Hz, using FM as the required mode, would look something like
this. The error checking is removed for simplicity.

    See tests/testrig.c


7. Where are the GUI's?

   "Build it and they will come ..."

   Seriously, I am hoping the API's will provide a solid framework for some
   cool GUI development. I would like to see some GTK apps that use the hamlib 
   API's so they can be used by end users as a nice part of the Ham shack.

   Starting points (not exhaustive): 
   	gmfsk, gpredict, grig, klog, kontakt, ktrack, xlog, xtlf

8. Contributing code

   8.1 License

   Contributed code to the Hamlib frontend must be released under the LGPL.
   Contributed code to Hamlib backends must follow backend current license.
   Needless to say, the LGPL is the license of choice.

   End user applications like rigctl, rotctl and RPC daemons should be released
   under the GPL, so any contributed code must follow the rule.

   8.2 Coding guidelines and style

   Try to keep current style of existing code. Improvements are welcome though.
   Contributed code should always keep the source base in a compilable
   state, and not regress unless stated otherwise.

   There's no need to tag the source in a patch with your name in comments
   behind each modification, we already know the culprit :-)

   Patches should take care of portability issues.
   Keep in mind Hamlib has to run under:
   * various Linux's
   * NetBSD, FreeBSD
   * MacOS X
   * Windows: MinGW/Cygwin, and VisualC++ support for rig.h

   Hamlib should also compile with the following common compilers:
   * gcc-2.9x  (deprecated?)
   * gcc-3.0 and gcc-3.2+
   * gcc-4.x and newer
   * in shared and static
   * C++ compiler against rig.h, riglist.h, rotator.h

   Portability issues to watch:
   * little vs. big endian systems (use shifts or hadoc functions)
   * 64 bit int: avoid them in API
   * printf/scanf of 64bit int: use PRIll and SCNll
   * printf/scanf of freq_t: use PRIfreq and SCNfreq

   8.3 Submitting patches

   Patches should be in unified format (diff -u), against CVS head or
   latest release. This format makes it easily readable. 
   The patches are to be sent to the hamlib-developer
   mailing list. If the file is too big, you can send it as a compressed
   attachement.
   
   8.3.1 Changelog
   
   Caveat: The cvs2cl.pl script is used before each release to generate
   the Changelog file so any changes made directly to it WILL BE LOST!
   Simply summarize your changes when the files are committed to CVS or,
   if providing patches to the mailing list, provide a summary so the
   uploader can include it in the commit message.

   8.4 CVS commit access

   Generally, volunteers get access to sourceforge CVS upon asking
   because there's some lag between the commit and the anonymous checkout.
   However, before your start commiting, the project admins would like 
   first to have a look at your "style", just to make sure you have grok 
   the Hamlib approach (c.f. previous section on submitting a patch).
   Then you'll be able to commit by yourself to the backend you have 
   maintainance of. Please follow the rules hereunder:
   * Always keep the CVS repository in a compilable state.
   * Follow the coding guidelines
   * Touching the frontend (files in src/ and include/hamlib) always 
     requires discussion beforehand on the hamlib-developer list.
   * Announce on the hamlib-developer list if you're about to do serious
     maintainance work

   Thanks for contributing and have fun!



Stephane Fillod f8cfe and The Hamlib Group