Open this window by selecting Window>Projects.
The Projects window is a NetBeans platform window. However, it has been customized to show the relevant logical (virtual) folders for an MPLAB X IDE project. Also, the context (right click) menus have been customized with items that are specific to MPLAB X IDE.
- Projects Window – Logical Folders
- Projects Window – Project Menu
- Projects Window – File Menu
- Projects Window – Window Menu
Projects Window – Logical Folders
Additional logical folders have been added that apply to MPLAB X projects. Therefore, all folders displayed can be categorized as one of the following types of files:
- Header Files – MPLAB X IDE does not use this category when building. Consider it as a means to document a project’s dependency on a header file and a convenient method to access these files. You can double click on a file in the Projects window to open the file in an editor.
- Important Files – Any file that does not fit into any of the other categories will end up in this folder. You can add project-specific data sheets (PDFs) to this location in the Projects window. Then, you can double click on the PDF to launch the data sheet (this requires that a PDF reader is installed).
- Linker Files – You do not need to add a linker script to your
project, because the project language tools will find the appropriate generic linker
script for your device. So this folder will be empty, unless you have created your own
linker script.
There should be only one file in this folder. If you have more than one linker script, only the first one has any effect – it is the linker script that the tool will use in the link step.
- Source Files – These are the only files that the toolchain will accept as input to its file commands.
- Libraries – The toolchain should take all of the files in this folder, as well as the object files, and include them in the final link step.
- Loadables – Projects and files to combine with or replace your project hex files.
Projects Window – Project Menu
Right click on a project name in the Projects window to pop up the Project menu. Menu items are shown in the table below.
| Menu Item | Description |
|---|---|
| New | Adds a new item For MPLAB® X IDE; embedded file types are available. |
| Add Existing Item | Adds an existing
file to the project. The path to the file may be auto (selected by MPLAB X IDE), absolute or relative. Additionally, you may choose to copy the file into the project folder. |
| Add Existing Items from Folders | Adds all files
contained in the specified folder(s). You may also specify a pattern to ignore certain folders from inclusion. Click Default to see the default pattern. See also Tools>Options, Miscellaneous button, Files tab, “Files ignored by the IDE.” |
| New Logical Folder | Creates a new
logical folder. To view actual folders, see the Files window. |
| Locate Headers | Locates all the
header files (.h) called out in the C code project files and presents them in a
checklist window so they may be added to the project There are several reasons why you might want to add headers to your project:
This feature is able to locate user-generated header files for all Microchip toolchains. |
| Add Item to Important Files | Adds an existing
item to the project. The path to the file may be auto (selected by MPLAB X IDE), absolute or relative. Additionally, you may choose to copy the file into the project folder. This is useful for adding simulator files, data sheet PDFs, and other files to the project for your reference. |
| Export Hex | Exports the project
build as a Hex file. In MPLAB IDE v8, export is an extraction of memory objects. In MPLAB X IDE, export is the hex file result of a build; therefore, it needs to include all necessary auxiliary memory settings for configuration and EEPROM in code. |
| Build | Builds the project
according to the options selected in the Project Properties window. Note: When
you Debug or Run, your project is built automatically.
|
| Clean and Build | Cleans and then
builds the project according to the options selected in the Project Properties
window. Note: When you Debug or Run, your project is built
automatically.
|
| Clean | Cleans the project by deleting the outputs of previous builds. |
| Package | Packages the current project into a .zip file. |
| Set Configuration | Opens the Project Properties window so you can set the project configuration. |
| Run | Executes the project code. |
| Debug | Executes the project code in a debug environment. |
| Step In | Steps through Paused code running in the debug environment. |
| Make and Program Device | Programs the target device and holds in Reset (do not run). |
| Set as Main Project | Sets this project
as the main project. This is useful when you are working with multiple projects. |
| Open Required Projects | Loads all other projects that are required for the selected project to run. |
| Close | Closes the selected project. |
| Rename | Renames the project. |
| Move | Moves the project
to another location. Along with the project, it moves the source files that are inside the project directory. Files outside the project directory are not moved. However, the project still maintains reference to the files outside the project directory – this is by design. |
| Copy | Creates a copy of
the project. If the source files are within the project directory, the source files are also copied to the new location. Files outside the project directory are not copied. However, the project still maintains reference to the files outside the project directory – this is by design. |
| Delete | Deletes the project
files. The project file is deleted but not the contents under the project directory. Only on selecting “Also delete sources” are all the source files deleted. |
| Code Assistance | Selects assistance in creating code: code folding, code completion, etc. |
| Find | Finds specific text in files in this project. |
| Share on Team Server | Shares this project on a Team Server. |
| Versioning | Controls the version of the project by using a version control system. |
| Local History | To view, or revert to, the local history for the project. |
| Properties | Sets project
properties. For MPLAB X IDE, the Project Properties window is specific to embedded development. |
Projects Window – File Menu
Right click on a file name in the Projects window to pop up the File menu. The table below shows the specific menu items.
| Menu Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Open | Opens this file in a tabbed Editor window. |
| Cut | Removes the file from the project, but places a copy of it on the clipboard. |
| Copy | Places a copy of the file on the clipboard. |
| Paste | To paste the clipboard copy of a file into the project. |
| Exclude file(s) from current configuration | Select a file or
files to exclude from the current project configuration. Once a file has been
excluded, right clicking on it again will show “Include file(s) from the
current configuration.” The same as opening the Project Properties window, selecting “File Inclusion/Exclusion” and including/excluding the file. |
| Compile File | Compiles only the current file. |
| Remove from Project | Removes the file
from the project. This does not delete the file from the PC. To delete the file from the project and the computer, use the Delete key. |
| Rename | Renames the file. |
| Save as Template | Saves the current file as a template file. |
| Local History | To view, or revert to, the local history for the file. |
| Tools | File tools
include:
|
| Properties | Sets file
properties differently from the project properties. Select to exclude the file from the build or override the project build options by selecting a different configuration. |
Projects Window – Window Menu
Right click in an empty area in the Projects window to pop up the Window menu. The table below shows the specific menu items.
| Menu Item | Description |
|---|---|
| New Project | Launches the New Project wizard. |
| New File | Launches the New File wizard. |
| Open Project | Opens an existing project. |
| Open Recent Project | Opens an existing project for the list of recent projects. |
| Open Project Group | Opens an existing project group from the list of project groups. |
| Run Project | Runs the main project. |
| Set Main Project | Sets the main project from the list of open projects. |