TouchGFX Designer adds redundant line ending to .cproject file

[unsigned_char_array]

TouchGFX adds a redundant line ending to .cproject file when clicking generate code even if nothing has changed.

This causes changes to show up in git and also makes merging and pull requests more complicated.

In STM32CubeIDE the line ending is removed after making any change to the project (and optionally reverting the change).

 

-<?fileVersion 4.0.0?><cproject storage_type_id="org.eclipse.cdt.core.XmlProjectDescriptionStorage">
+<?fileVersion 4.0.0?>
+<cproject storage_type_id="org.eclipse.cdt.core.XmlProjectDescriptionStorage">

 

I'm using TouchGFX 4.23.2, but the problem was also present in older versions. Using STM32CubeIDE 1.15.1, but older version had the same effect.

Please fix this.

 

 

[GaetanGodart]

Hello @unsigned_char_array ,

 

Thank you for informing us.

I see that you are not the only one experiencing this because there is already 2 kudos on your thread.

I have created an internal ticket and we will fix this.

 

Regards,

[unsigned_char_array]

The issue appears to be fixed in TouchGFX 4.24.0. I didn't see it in the release notes though.

EDIT: called it too early. For some reason I wasn't seeing it for a while. But I confirm the problem is still present.

[GaetanGodart]

Hello @unsigned_char_array ,

 

Good to hear.
I have made an internal ticket but it got closed so I assume it was already a known issue.

Either way, it is solved now.

 

Regards,

[ferro]

https://community.st.com/t5/stm32cubeide-mcus/cube-1-16-1-and-gfxdesigner-4-24-1-generates-different-cproject/m-p/778202/highlight/true#M34644

 

This python script fixes the .cproject

#
# Tested on Windows, Cube 1.17, Gfx 4.24.1
# This script processes a `.cproject` file with the following modifications:
# 1. Replaces every two-space indentation with a tab.
# 2. Uses CRLF (`\r\n`) as the newline format.
# 3. Merges lines 2 and 3 into line 2 with no extra characters between them.
# 4. Ensures the last line is exactly `</cproject>`, with no EOF or trailing newline.
#

import os

def process_cproject_file(filename):
 with open(filename, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
 content = file.read()
 
 # Force CRLF as the newline type
 newline_type = '\r\n'
 
 # Split into lines while preserving newline characters
 lines = content.splitlines()
 
 # Replace leading spaces with corresponding number of tabs
 processed_lines = []
 for line in lines:
 leading_spaces = len(line) - len(line.lstrip())
 tabs = '\t' * (leading_spaces // 2) # Each two spaces become one tab
 processed_lines.append(tabs + line.lstrip())
 
 # Combine lines 2 and 3 into line 2 with no extra space
 if len(processed_lines) > 2:
 processed_lines[1] = processed_lines[1].rstrip() + processed_lines[2].lstrip()
 del processed_lines[2]
 
 # Ensure last element is exactly '</cproject>' with no extra newlines or EOF
 processed_lines[-1] = '</cproject>'
 
 # Write back changes using CRLF and ensure no trailing newline
 with open(filename, 'w', encoding='utf-8', newline='') as file:
 file.write(newline_type.join(processed_lines))
 
if __name__ == "__main__":
 process_cproject_file(".cproject")

 

 

[jchernus-fikst]

I am very sad to share that this behaviour continues in 4.25. 

It's caused me plenty of unnecessary pain - most times I remember to open the file in VS Code and run the "Convert Indentation to Tabs" quick action.. but sometimes I don't, and then I have to fix what's been checked into Git.

I really hope this is fixed in the next minor release!

[unsigned_char_array]

It's why I use git gui to check in files. I visually inspect all files before creating any commit. I never do "git add .".

[GaetanGodart]

Hello @jchernus-fikst and @unsigned_char_array ,

 

The issue won't be fixed because TouchGFX and STM32CubeIDE both uses a different 3rd party library to generate the .cproject file.

 

As @unsigned_char_array said, you can manually check the content of the .cproject if it has changed and check if the change is only that line ending difference to choose to commit it or not.
Git GUI or other GUI based Git manager are good for that.

 

Something else you could do -and this seems like the right solution- is to use a .gitattributes file like so :

*.cproject text eol=lf
*.cproject -diff

 

 Other solutions could be to use a git merge driver by adding

*.cproject merge=ours

to the .gitattributes file and configure the merge driver in bash with this command :
git config --global merge.ours.driver true

 

Finally, you could use a custom script to check for the specific line ending.

 

Regards,

[unsigned_char_array]

---

@GaetanGodart wrote:

The issue won't be fixed because TouchGFX and STM32CubeIDE both uses a different 3rd party library to generate the .cproject file.

I don't understand this reasoning. I don't know what programming language and tools you use for developing.
The library outputs a string that's written to a file or it directly writes to a file. In the first case a simple regex can fix the string and then write the correct string to the file. In case of the latter you can read, apply regex and write to the file again after the file was modified. This is only a few lines of code.
Example:
https://regex101.com/r/MqQ7Mv/1

from code generator (C#):

 

string pattern = @"(<\?fileVersion 4\.0\.0\?>)\s";
string substitution = @"$1";
RegexOptions options = RegexOptions.Multiline; 
Regex regex = new Regex(pattern, options);
string result = regex.Replace(input, substitution);

 

From code generator (python):

 

import re

regex = r"(<\?fileVersion 4\.0\.0\?>)\s"
subst = "$1"
result = re.sub(regex, subst, input, count=0, flags=re.MULTILINE)

 

Or write a bug report for the 3rd party library in question.

---

@GaetanGodart wrote:

you can manually check the content of the .cproject if it has changed and check if the change is only that line ending difference to choose to commit it or not.
Git GUI or other GUI based Git manager are good for that.

---

That's the entire problem. It's a manual check that can be forgotten. We work in teams on the same project and this obstructs our workflow. When discovered it's often too late and rewriting git history is something we like to avoid. TouchGFX should not modify .cproject if nothing has changed. It should be consistent with STM32CubeIDE.

 

---

@GaetanGodart wrote:

Something else you could do -and this seems like the right solution- is to use a .gitattributes file like so :

 

*.cproject text eol=lf
*.cproject -diff

 

 

---

This is not going to fix the problem. It doesn't matter what the line ending is. The problem is that an extra line ending is added.

 

---

@GaetanGodart wrote:

 Other solutions could be to use a git merge driver by adding

 

*.cproject merge=ours

 

This will mask the problem of merge conflicts in .cproject. And we don't know if "ours" is the correct version. So this won't work.

---

@GaetanGodart wrote:

Finally, you could use a custom script to check for the specific line ending.

---

Again the issue is not the type of line ending, but the fact an extra one is inserted and inconsistent with STM32CubeIDE. The "custom script" is called TouchGFX and it should be consistent with other tools such as STM32CubeMX and STM32CubeIDE. The only thing it's consistent with is this forum as this forum also adds extra line endings to posts when editing posts.
Post Generate Target Command:

touchgfx update_project

I would hate it if I have to do regex in a batch file just to fix this issue.

 

[jchernus-fikst]

I agree entirely with @unsigned_char_array, the fix isn't hard, but it impedes the velocity at which our teams develop.

We only use one set of tools on our project - ST tools. To have them conflict with each other feels unpolished.

 

Am I the only one for whom TouchGFX also converts all tabs to spaces? Have others found a fix for that? 

[unsigned_char_array]

Any update?