2.2.3 Project Manager

The project manager organizes the files to be edited and other associated files so they can be sent to the language tools for assembly or compilation, and ultimately to a linker.

The linker has the task of placing the object code fragments from the assembler, compiler and libraries into the proper memory areas of the embedded controller, and ensure that the modules function with each other (or are “linked”).

This entire operation from assembly and compilation through the link process is called a project “build.” Properties specified for the language tools can be invoked differently for each file, if desired, and a build process integrates all of the language tools’ operations.

The source files are text files that are written conforming to the rules of the assembler or compiler. The assembler and compiler convert them into intermediate modules of machine code and placeholders for references to functions and data storage.

The linker resolves these placeholders and combines all the modules into a file of executable machine code. The linker also produces a debug file which allows MPLAB X IDE to relate the executing machine codes back to the source files.

A text editor is used to write the code. It recognizes the constructs in the text and uses color coding to identify various elements, such as instruction mnemonics, C language constructs and comments. The editor supports operations commonly used in writing source code. After the code is written, the editor works with the other tools to display code execution in the debugger. Breakpoints (which stop or “break” the execution of code) can be set in the editor and the values of variables can be inspected by hovering the mouse pointer over the variable name. Names of variables can be dragged from source text windows and then dropped into a Watches window where their changing values can be watched after each breakpoint or during code execution.