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[JAndrassy]

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[mcbp223]

Hi, thanks for the invite, moving here from issue 1012 at arduino-cli, from the perspective of a user, not a maintainer.
As I see you've started using the custom boards method for a few years already, have you considered submitting a RFC to the tooling-rfcs repo? In addition to opening issues, maybe some standardization can help platform maintainers make their packages easier referenceable.

[JAndrassy]

so Arduino has the referencing covered and documented.
problem is with the cores. they should use system folder and {build.system.path} instead of tools folder or at least use {build.core.path}/../.. to point to the tools folder. This would solve the sketch build in referencing package.
And they should install tools with Boards Manager installation process instead of putting them into the tools/system folder. That would solve most problems with the referencing the upload tools.

the issue 1012 is for cases like I mention the SAMD problem in the 1012 issue.

but if that issue didn't exist, I could convince the core maintainers to do incremental changes to comply with referencing. but this small issue is a 'show stopper'

[mcbp223]

I've seen the documentation before, but I still had to go by trial and error and look at what other people did, including you (thanks again). It can be improved a lot, with examples and a list of properties with a short explanation for them, the folder structure too. The directory tree in arduino15/packages/ has more depth due to versioning, e.g.

Had to move recently some old versions of esp8266 cores to the Arduino directory, and moved the folder arduino15/esp8266/tools inside the directory containing the platform.txt file, but with another name since there is a tools folder too corresponding to the version.

There were only 3 changes in platform.txt to accommodate for it, for example for 2.7.4 it was
runtime.tools.xtensa-lx106-elf-gcc.path={runtime.platform.path}/tools_ven/xtensa-lx106-elf-gcc/2.5.0-4-b40a506/
runtime.tools.python3.path={runtime.platform.path}/tools_ven/
runtime.tools.mkspiffs.path={runtime.platform.path}/tools_ven/
Not sure if the name I picked for it tools_ven is right though.

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I'll start asking some questions maybe you can to point me where to look for more info.

1. Why there's one tools directory for the package, and another tools directory for the core version, is it to save download bandwidth and keep them in place if they didn't change when upgrading a core?
2. Is there a list somewhere with all recipe properties used in platform.txt? I'm looking for columns like a short explanation, path examples, checkboxes for used by arduino-ide 1.x / 2.x / arduino-builder / arduino-cli, eventually with properties defined by other vendor cores added to the list.
3. Do you know by chance if there's a property expanded in platform.txt for the sketchbook path, which by default is Arduino inside the user directory?

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problem is with the cores. they should use system folder and {build.system.path} instead of tools folder or at least use {build.core.path}/../.. to point to the tools folder. This would solve the sketch build in referencing package.
And they should install tools with Boards Manager installation process instead of putting them into the tools/system folder. That would solve most problems with the referencing the upload tools.

I feel that platform maintainers don't quite know about the existence of this method of referencing another core, or being referenced by others, otherwise I can't explain the insistence for sketch global defines. I use them too, but defining custom boards is better for reasons I mentioned in 1012, that's why I went on abstract over there.

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the issue 1012 is for cases like I mention the SAMD problem in the 1012 issue.

but if that issue didn't exist, I could convince the core maintainers to do incremental changes to comply with referencing. but this small issue is a 'show stopper'

I've seen it added in the milestone, hoping for the best, and for a backport to IDE 1.8.x / arduino-builder if done.

[JAndrassy]

Why there's one tools directory for the package, and another tools directory for the core version, is it to save download bandwidth and keep them in place if they didn't change when upgrading a core?

the tools folder in the platform folder in esp8266, esp32 and pico core is not standard. It is a mistake by the esp8266 core author. Arduino uses folder named system (introduced with SAM platform for Arduino Due) and available as `{build.system.path}.
The tools folder at the vendor level in arduino15/packages (for example packages/esp8266/tools) are tools installed based on entries in the vendors 'index' file. These tools are then available as {runtime.tools.TOOL_NAME.path}. As I found out yesterday there is no other way to install these tools.

Is there a list somewhere with all recipe properties used in platform.txt? I'm looking for columns like a short explanation, path examples, checkboxes for used by arduino-ide 1.x / 2.x / arduino-builder / arduino-cli, eventually with properties defined by other vendor cores added to the list.

not a list but all are explained here https://arduino.github.io/arduino-cli/0.29/platform-specification/

Do you know by chance if there's a property expanded in platform.txt for the sketchbook path, which by default is Arduino inside the user directory?

only relative to your boards definition folder. {runtime.hardware.path}/../..

[mcbp223]

only relative to your boards definition folder. {runtime.hardware.path}/../..

That was like 5 levels
/home/me/.arduino15/packages/esp32/hardware/esp32/../../../../../Arduino/
so I guess there's no expanded property for the sketchbook, the path that can be modified in user preferences.

Thanks for the info you're providing. I'll take some time away to put that to good use, while waiting for a resolution on issue 1012. Maybe others could chime in on this discussion.

[JAndrassy]

I meant {runtime.hardware.path}/../.. for custom boards in hardware folder in sketchbook

[andriyrachkovan]

Hello, I came across your material while working on the ESP2866 topic, at the moment I began to actively study and simultaneously use C, I plan to become useful in the community when working on creating devices based on Arduino and others. My first contribution was the reworking of an example from the LUFA library for atmega16u2 firmware on an arduino board.