CenRep Converter Tool Tutorial

Overview

The CenRepConv is an emulator based tool. The CenRepConv tool can be used to convert binary files to text files for debugging. The central repository initialisation files are used to register the repositories with central repository. The initialisation files can be either in text or binary format, although binary format is recommended for better efficiency. For example, the loading time of a repository with 2000 settings on a H2 development board is 41ms for binary files and 485ms for text files.

The tool uses the file extension to identify the fomats. TXT is used for the text file extension and CRE is used as the binary file extension

Command line syntax

The syntax for text to binary conversion is:

CentRepConv  [-nowait]  [-o output_path]  [input_path\]<repository_uid>.txt

where,

• repository_uid is the UID of repository in hexadecimal format, for example 00000001

• output_path – Optional, default is C:\. Note that if the user specifies the output filename, then the extension must be .cre and the filename must match the <repository_uid> of the input file.

• -nowait option should be used when CentRepConv is invoked as part of an automated process such as from a build script. It instructs CentRepConv not to wait for user acknowledgement. Without this option the tool will wait for up to 30 seconds for acknowledgement

The syntax for bianary to text conversion is:

CentRepConv  [-nowait]  [-o output_path]  [input_path\]<repository_uid>.cre

where,

• repository_uid is the UID of repository in hexadecimal format, for example 00000001

• input_path is optional, default is C:\. Note that location of path must be a Symbian path, not a path of the PC’s native OS.

• output_path is optional, default is C:\. Note that if the user specifies the output filename, then the extension must be .txt and the filename must match the <repository_uid> of the input file.

Integrating CenRepConv tool

This section describes how to automate text to binary conversion whislt building the ROM. The group folder must contain bld.inf file, extension makefile, script to invoke the cenRepConv tool and the initialisation text file.

1. The bld.inf file must contain:

   PRJ_PLATFORMS
   DEFAULT
   
   PRJ_MMPFILES
   gnumakefile CreateBinaryRep.mk
   

2. The extension makefile is configured as:

   do_nothing :
       rem do_nothing
   
   MAKMAKE : do_nothing
   
   RESOURCE : do_nothing
   
   SAVESPACE : BLD
   
   BLD : do_nothing
   
   FREEZE : do_nothing
   
   LIB : do_nothing
   
   CLEANLIB : do_nothing
   
   FINAL : 
       CreateBinaryRep.cmd build
   
   CLEAN : 
       CreateBinaryRep.cmd clean
   
   RELEASABLES :
       CreateBinaryRep.cmd releasables
   

3. The script file is used to move the text files to the emulators folder, invoke the CenRepConv tool and copy the binary folders into the central repository private folder.

   @ECHO OFF
   SET RETURNCODE=0
   
   IF /I "%1"=="build" goto BUILD
   
   IF /I "%1"=="clean" goto CLEAN
   
   IF /I "%1"=="releasables" goto WHAT
   
   echo error: unknown option %1 >&2
   SET RETURNCODE=1
   goto END
   
   :WHAT
   echo %EPOCROOT%epoc32\release\winscw\udeb\Z\private\10202BE9\1027431B.cre
   goto END
   
   :CLEAN
   ERASE %EPOCROOT%epoc32\release\winscw\udeb\Z\private\10202BE9\1027431B.cre 2>NUL
   goto END
   
   :BUILD
   ERASE %EPOCROOT%epoc32\winscw\c\1027431B.cre 2>NUL
   ERASE %EPOCROOT%epoc32\release\winscw\udeb\z\private\10202BE9\1027431B.cre 2>NUL
   COPY 1027431B.txt %EPOCROOT%epoc32\winscw\c
   CALL %EPOCROOT%epoc32\release\winscw\udeb\CentRepConv -nowait -o C:\1027431B.cre C:\1027431B.txt
   IF exist %EPOCROOT%epoc32\winscw\c\1027431B.cre goto BLDSUCCESS
   SET RETURNCODE=1
   ECHO error: build fail >&2
   goto END
   
   :BLDSUCCESS
   ERASE %EPOCROOT%epoc32\winscw\c\1027431B.txt
   MOVE %EPOCROOT%epoc32\winscw\c\1027431B.cre %EPOCROOT%epoc32\release\winscw\udeb\z\private\10202BE9\1027431B.cre
   goto END
   
   :END
   EXIT /B %RETURNCODE%
   

Error codes

The following are the error codes that may occur during the text to binary conversion and vice versa.