Lcnc & Ethercat data types, Ethercat automated hal pin setup.

I really don't get the dev's why they stay using .comp code, and even worse: promoting it to use.

Nobody is forced to use it. I like the 'comp' format and I do promote it. The point is that it lowers the bar for people who are not C developers to create their own components. There are a lot of components (possibly even 'cia402.comp') that would not have been created if that tool did not exist.


Note that the 'halcompile' tool will actually create a .c file from a .comp file for you, if that is what you want to work with.
linuxcnc.org/docs/html/man/man1/halcompile.1.html

Was able to build and test it. Interesting.
There is the problem with the size of normal data types.
But also with compound variables/pdos like an uint32 that is really 12 bits input and 20 bits of nothing. Can be handled separately in a hal component to create individual pins I guess, but adds to it.
The naming of the pins is horrible, but you have all the info from the drive so can be fixed.
It's easy to compare to the situation with lcec_conf that offers solutions to I think all situations.
But adds its own complexity and isn't ideal. Too many details often go wrong.
You made a start with the ethercat_twincat configurator, that looks like an appealing way forward.