HAL names - 16 argument limit?

With recent commits (master branch), realtime components
built with halcompile (including many components included
in the distribution):

1) no limit on number of count= instances (unchanged)
2) no limit on number of names= instances (was 16)
3) components using personality:
default maximum personalities is 64 (was 16)
4) the number of allowed personalites can
be altered for user-built components
using halcompile --personalities=value

Ref: github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc/commit/f56515517
Ref: github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc/commit/f56a73a9d

Note:
a) Using many components may excede memory limits
set by src/hal/hal_priv.h: #define HAL_SIZE
b) Using many very long component names may encounter
limits set by src/hal/halcmd.h: MAX_CMD_LENGTH

Hi,
thank you for the extension of those limits, I believe this is a more flexible structure when a project evolves as it avoid to renumber a list of components if we want to keep things tidy. For instance, lets say you have loadrt sum2 count=20 and the first 3 sum2.0 sum2.1 and sum2.2 were dedicated to a part of your project. Lets say you have been coding using all your 20 count and then suddenly you realize you want another sum2 related to the initial part of your project. Using name allows to rapidly add the sum2 without renumbering everything.

As a personal note, names can use "." as a character

Thanks again,

Nicolas

Hi, still got one last question,

I am aware of the TWOPASS = on,verbose,nodelete which is really powerfull combined with the names definition.

However I am using an EtherCAT drive and the TWOPASS feature seemed to be incompatible first with the lcec.

I hfound out a workround but I was still wondering if there was a way to split a hal file line into several line especially for the names definition. Example:
loadrt sum2 names=name1,name2,name3 \
name4,name5,name6

Itherwise I will use the TWOPASS and loadrt on different lines

Thank you,

Nicolas

Hi,
as a note I have tested:

#Does not work: 65 with personality using count
#Does not work: 65 with personality using names
#64 names with personality works

There is a commit aimed at supporting realtime components
that depend on prior load of loadusr compoents:
github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc/commit/b03ca613f9ea501708

also, this commit supports backslash line extends:
github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc/commit/0e515b9a6

both commits are applied in the 2.8 and master branches

For other problems, the twopass docs give a method to
workround problems with unusal/nonconforming hal files:

linuxcnc.org/docs/2.8/html/hal/twopass.html
explain how to exclude a halfile from twopass processing:
linuxcnc.org/docs/2.8/html/hal/twopass.html#_exluding_hal_files

Ref:

ref: linuxcnc.org/docs/2.8/html/man/man1/halcompile.1.html

(sudo needed if using deb install, not reqd (or recommended)
for non-root RIP usage)

As a note also, I have identified in src/hal/hal.h, so of course better not putting too long names:
Thanks @dgarrett for your help

Nicolas

There are numerous string (and memory) limits that may prevent
very long line processing even with backslash line continuation.

With twopass, the need for very long lines could/should be
mitigated.

These features are lightly tested, so the error messages may not
be fully explanatory