User Interface

The CMSIS Solution extension provides the Keil Studio GUI for project management and build tools with the CMSIS-Toolbox. Combined with other Arm and third-party extensions, it implements a powerful embedded development environment.

Overview

CMSIS view

The GUI consists of these elements:

1. Dedicated views from the side bar

  • Explorer view Explorer view lists all local files of the CMSIS solution.
  • Search view Search view enables searching all files of the CMSIS solution
  • Source Control view Source Control view allows you to work with git.
  • Extensions view Extensions view lets you work with VS Code extensions.
  • Run and Debug view Run and Debug view switches the GUI to a dedicated debug view.
  • CMSIS view CMSIS view is the main view for working with CMSIS solution-based projects.

Note

The ordering of the icons may be different in your VS Code environment.

2. Main area of the CMSIS view

The CMSIS view CMSIS icon shows the content of the active projects included in the solution. Each project contains configuration settings, source code files, build settings, and other project-specific information. The main area of the CMSIS view shows:

  • Board and device information and related documentation.
  • Groups and files: Groups and user files that you add to the project and that you can edit
  • constructed-files: Contains generated files such as the RTE_Components.h header file for each context
  • linker: Contains a linker script file and a <regions>.h file (or other user-defined header files)
  • Components: Shows the software components selected for the project with their source files, user code templates, and APIs. Click the files to open them in the editor. Click the book icon of a component to open the related documentation. If you are using a generator to configure your device or board, then a Run Configuration Generator option is available to start a generator session.
  • Layer Type (if available): The software layers in the project with their source files, preconfigured software components, and configuration files

3. Icons available through the CMSIS view

  • Build solution Build solution calls the compiler toolchain and builds the CMSIS solution.
  • Load and Run Application Load & Run application flashes the binary onto the target and starts the application.
  • Load & Debug application Load & Debug application flashes the binary onto the target and starts a debug session.
  • Open csolution.yml file Open csolution.yml file opens the CMSIS solution YML file for editing.
  • Manage Solution Settings Manage Solution Settings allows you to manage the CMSIS solution settings.
  • .../Views and more actions shows further views and more actions.

4. Main area icons

Depending on the file and the context, various icons may appear:

  • clangd information active IntelliSense is active for this cproject file.
  • Open file Open the file.
  • Manage software components Manage the software components of the cproject file.
  • Add groups or files Add groups or files to the cproject file.

5. Status bar

The VS Code status bar displays information about the status of your development environment and the project. The number of extensions installed might vary.

  • Status message of the clangd extension (used for IntelliSense).

  • You can inspect errors and warnings for a context set. For active projects in the context set, errors and warnings display when you move your cursor over the Context Set in the status bar. The indicator is red for errors and yellow in case of warnings. Click the indicator to open the Output tab for the CMSIS Solution category. If you previously closed the Manage Solution view, then this action also re-opens the view. Context Set errors and warnings

  • The Arm Tools Environment Manager extension shows information about the tools installed. Move your mouse over Arm Tools to review the list. Click Arm Tools to get more options. Arm Tools

  • If you are using licensed Arm tools, the active license displays. Click the active license to manage it.

Available commands

You can access commands to manage your solution and the projects it includes in the following ways:

  • From the CMSIS view.

  • When you right-click the *.csolution.yml file from the Explorer view.

  • When you click the Context Set status bar item.

  • When you press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows and Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) to open the Command Palette.

Command Description
Create a Solution Create a new csolution project.
Configure Solution Set a compiler and add software layers
Manage Solution Settings Configure the build context and debug setup.
Manage Software Components Review, add, or remove software components
Run Configuration Generator Open a configuration tools such as CubeMX
Build solution Build the solution with the current context set
Rebuild solution Rebuild the solution with the current context set
Debug Debug the solution with the current context set
Run Run the solution on your target
Focus on Solution View Open the CMSIS view
Select Active Solution from workspace If you have several solutions in your workspace, switch between solutions and select the active solution
Convert µVision project to CMSIS solution Convert uvprojx files to csolution project format
Refresh (reload packs, update RTE) Reload information from all installed packs and run cbuild setup update-rte
Clean all out and tmp directories Clean all out and tmp directories for the active solution