IOC file lifetime in project development

[jreina]

Hi, how long do you recommend that we keep our development project's in-sync with the IOC file used to generate them?

Setup:

• MyNewDemo.ioc is used to create a demo monitoring the UART that responds to to toggle requests for its GPIO

Scenario #1:

• Peripheral Updates - a month down later the uart baud rate needs updated to a new value

Scenario #2:

• Peripheral Additions - next year a watchdog is added for safety

Scenario #3:

• Software Additions - eventually, after the demo is established our team decides to add CanOpen to this demo

Scenario #3:

• Project Updates - e.g. Trace and Debug, where the project's Debug interface is changed

Challenge:

• I typically use the IOC for project creation and then retire it
• There have been requests in my team to 'keep the IOC live'; through the development stages and work

Question:

• What is ST's lifetime for IOC file's in new project development?

[Tesla DeLorean · Accepted solution]

>>I typically use the IOC for project creation and then retire it

Yes, I don't see that using an auto-framework / initialization tools should be a persistent thing. Most of the "meat" should be coming from the developers doing developing.. sort of Money Ball problem, why don't your coders code good..

>>There have been requests in my team to 'keep the IOC live'; through the development stages and work

See Point#1

I understand the desire, but I don't see ST coming to a solution that will make everyone happy, and the direction and time-line to make that sort of thing transparent on anything non-trivial is apt to take man years. Can your deadlines take on dependencies from third-parties with whom you're not directly contracting with?

Probably not, it's an asymmetric relationship, and you have zero leverage.

Ok, the solution presumably here would be to sand-box that type of additive work outside of the main-line trunk, where the functionality being added is thoroughly tested, and then merged in.

Does ST's code meet your own code style and quality expectations?

[Techn]

I guess the ioc file format changes from different versions of cubeMX.  However I am planning to keep that also part of version control. 

[jreina]

The detail of your feedback here is golden Tesla, thank you!! I appreciate this context and I went back to my team to solidify our design practices & use for the IOC files

And I appreciate the context Techn! Thank you both