Attribute Initial Value generated code

[ferran]

Dear colleagues,

I have got a problem while generated code and having a attribute defined in a class with a Initial Value.
The issue is that the attribute is generated as a variable but the Initial Value is not generated.

From this other post:https://www.sparxsystems.com/forums/smf/index.php?topic=24567.0
I understand that this can only be modified by editing Code templates.

The problem is that checking the macros for attribute field substitution I can only find the "attInitial" macro as the possible value, but when I edit the code template in order to generate this field, it did not work.

Any ideas on how to get that done?

Thank you very much.

Ferran.

[qwerty]

IIRC the code gen does generate only stubs and no code. Maybe if you fill the Behavior property you can set some initial value. I'd not go that way. Any IDE can do better than this "code editor" of EA.

q.

[ferran]

yeah I know I can do that with an IDE!

The thing is to find a way of doing this by generating the code automatically. When I import the code with an array with a value set, it imports the values correctly.

I do not understand, why it does not work the other way around?

[Max H]

I do quite a bit of code generation, including behavioral.  I haven't seen this issue.  What language are you trying to generate for?   In the C# templates I know this works, and it is declared within the "Attribute Declaration" template as:

%attName%
%attInitial ? " = " value%

One pitfall I had in the past was expecting to see it generate in an interface class, which would be illegal in C# -- so is not coded into that template.

[ferran]

Hi Maxh,

I am generating code in C language.

What i have tried so far in the "Attribute declaration" script is the following 2 options:

1) %attInitial ? " = " value%
2) %attInitial ? value%

None worked for generating the value introduced at the "Initial Value" field.
Has someone faced this same issue?

Kind regards,

Ferran.

[Jsc]

I have also used the "attInitial" macro und it works good.
you can create a simple new template in CTF to test the functionality of this %attInitial% Macro:

Template File:
%Class%

Template Class:
%list="Attribute" @separator="\n" @indent="  "%

Template Attribute:
%attName%
%AttributeDeclaration%

Template AttributeDeclaration:
%attInitial%

It works in my EA

[ferran]

Thanks for the answer, but this is not working for me.

I know it should work but it does not for the "attribute declaration" script.

[Max H]

I just looked at the stock C templates.  There appears to be issues with them... 

First -- They should be using the Impl templates uniformly to deal with the differences between .h and .c files.  They don't do that for attributes.  In the Attribute Declaration template, they only expand the attInitial in limited circumstances (enum, #define, etc.).  Absolutely correct for a .h file.

There is no way from within the template to know if you should be on the Impl side, so different templates (Attribute Impl & Attribute Declaration Impl) is needed to expand the attInitial on the .c file.

There is also mis-application of the "static" keyword, which should never appear in the .h file, and should be associated with a "Private" attScope rather than attStatic for this language.  Variables should be "extern" in the .h file.  etc.

It looks to me like quite a bit of template modification is needed to get C code that will compile and work as expected.  If C is your language, it will be worthwhile.

[Max H]

For a quick (partial) success, try this:

• In "Class Body Impl" change in "Attribute" to "AttributeImpl" and eliminate the two  "Private" scope checks at the end of that same statement. Take care not to delete the trailing '%'.
• Populate the "Attribute Impl" template with the code:
  %AttributeDeclarationImpl%
• In the "Attribute Declaration" template, replace the line that checks for attStatic with the text "extern" (without quotes).
• Cut-n-paste the following code into the "Attribute Declaration Impl" template:
  %if attTag:"define" == "true" and attScope != "Public"%
  %PI=""%
  #define %attName%
  %attInitial ? value%
  %endTemplate%
  
  %PI=" "%
  
  %attScope=="Private"  ? "static"%
  %attConst=="T" ? "const"%
  %attVolatile=="T" ? "volatile"%
  
  %if attStereotype=="struct"%
  struct
  %elseIf attStereotype=="union"%
  union
  %elseIf attStereotype=="enumeration"%
  enum
  %endIf%
  
  %attType%
  
  %PI=""%
  %attContainment=="By Reference" ? "*" : ""%
  
  %if attStereotype != "alignment"%
  %attName%
  %attInitial ? " = " value%
  %endIf%
  
  %if classStereotype == "struct" or classStereotype == "union"%
  %attTag:"bitfield" ? ":" value%
  %endIf%
  
  %if attCollection == "T" and attContainerType != ""%
  %attContainerType%
  %endIf%
  ;
  

That worked for me.  Good luck.

[Jsc]

I have create a simple generate file in C. In *.h file the initial values are generated, but in *.c file are not.
If you want to generate the initial value in *.c file, you can also try this:
in template "AttributeDeclaration" you can find this code fragment:
%if attStereotype != "alignment"%
%attName%
%endIf%

replaced with the following code fragement:

%if attStereotype != "alignment"%
%attName%  %if attInitial !=""% =%attInitial% %endIf%
%endIf%

[ferran]

Thanks JSC,

worked at the end with this approach.

Kind regards,

Ferran.