Version 1308.04 of Visual Micro introduces a new flexible configuration system that provides support for an unlimited number of Arduino Ide alternatives such as Energia and Mpide.
The new application management system also allows the same ide to be registered an unlimited number of times each with unique build or sketchbook location properties. This enables a single instance of Visual Studio (or Atmel Studio) to support multiple ides and multiple sets of libraries or custom hardware.
Applications.txt + optional Platform.txt
In the new version we have a flexible applications.txt system, it works like boards.txt and platform.txt allowing other ide systems to be registered.
You will see in the latest 1308.04 beta of Visual Micro an applications.txt file is included in "c\program files\visual micro\visual micro for arduino\micro platforms"
Energia is defined In the applications.txt, in Visual Micro you should see a list of applications to the left of the boards list tool bar control. At the bottom of the applications list is <Configure>
Click <Configure> and then selected Energis. Enter a path to the energis.exe and optionally enter a sketchbook folder for Energis.
Then click OK and the Visual Micro applications list should not show energis. When you selected Energis application the Visual Studio boards list and libraries lists will change to Energis items. The Tools>Visual Micro options will also change to reflect Energis items.
Now select an msp430 and click compile in a simple sketch. This should compile and upload to a 430 without problem.
How does this work?
Visual Micro 1307.31 supports additional platform.txt files in a folder of the same ide as the application. See that we have a platform.txt in "c\program files\visual micro\visual micro for arduino\micro platforms\energis\msp430" and also "c\program files\visual micro\visual micro for arduino\micro platforms\energis\lm4f"
The Visual Micro applications.txt and platform.txt are loaded in the same way as arduino 1.5 platform.txt and boards.txt. However the Visual Micro versions can be used to override existing Arduino files or to provide this information where it is not provided with the ide.
We are also able to create custom applications.txt in, for example, "MyDocuments\Visual Micro\Micro Platforms". The root of this path is set in "tools>options>visual micro>locations>My Visual Micro Configs"
An application can be defined as normal or can inherit properties from another app using "ide.basedon=[myapp]".
This is useful because we might want more than one Energia but with different sketchbook or build properties. I will write more about this when we have proven the new system using the standard applications.txt under the visual micro program files folder.
Take a look at the msp430 or lm4f platform.txt and applications.txt that is installed with Visual Micro
Configure via Tools>Options>Visual Micro
Configure via Tools Bar - Applications List
