How can I use batch files to create an executable for a model which has model references?

Let's say we have models r1 and r2 where r1 is a model reference inside r2. When we generate code for r2 via Simulink coder - Generate code only, everything works fine and we get the artifacts. In the artifacts, we have a 'r2.bat' file in 'r2_grt_rtw\'.

When we run 'r2_grt_rtw\r2.bat' the make process fails as it does not know how to make or find 'r1' model libraries. Now, the 'r2_grt_rtw\r2.bat' build will pass if we manually make 'r1.bat' found in 'slprj\grt\r1' and we also need to build the shared library using 'slprj\grt\_sharedutils\rtwshared.bat'.

Questions:

• How can I automate this such that the making of model references and shared libraries links these two, i.e. executing 'slprj\grt\r1\r1.bat' and 'slprj\grt\_sharedutils\rtwshared.bat' becomes part of 'r2_grt_rtw\r2.bat'?
• If the first question is not feasible then how can we add custom hooks into 'r2_grt_rtw\r2.bat' or 'r2_grt_rtw\r2.mk' through Simulink Coder, to achieve the execution of 'slprj\grt\r1\r1.bat', 'slprj\grt\_sharedutils\rtwshared.bat' and potentially more model references batch scripts? My assumption here is that hooks in a makefile can help us in executing make commands for referenced models.

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

Starting in R2020b, a new API has been introduced called 'codebuild' which can successfully generate a CMakeLists.txt for the complete application.

https://www.mathworks.com/help/releases/R2020b/rtw/ref/codebuild.html

Alternatively, you can use the 'PackNGo' feature to obtain the list of files. You would need to use 'packType = hierarchical' and then add the makefiles to the 'buildInfo' before calling 'PackNGo'. Please see the following documentation page for more information: 

https://www.mathworks.com/help/releases/R2020b/coder/ref/packngo.html

If these options do not work for your use case, please consider the following points for achieving this manually:

Through a suitable hook like "postCodeGenCommand" you can programmatically construct an overarching script that calls the individual makefiles and bat scripts. 

https://www.mathworks.com/help/releases/R2023a/rtw/ug/customizing-post-code-generation-build-processing.html

You can access the list of referenced models by querying 'buildInfo.ModelRefs'. 'BuildInfo' is one of the auto-generated artifacts in the form of a MAT file, which you can load and access its data.

Lastly, please see the following pseudocode that will compose paths of Model Reference libraries (and 'rtwsharedlib'), which should serve as a template to achieve the script you are aiming for.

% Extract referenced model info
mdls = args.buildInfo.ModelRefs;

% Find the path of the directory code generation was started from
startDir = args.buildInfo.Settings.LocalAnchorDir;

% Initialize empty cell for path info
paths = cell(size(mdls));

% Additional Code for the Relative Directory
% Determine your current working directory
currentDir = pwd;

% Remove the starting directory from the current directory, this will leave
% only the path from the starting directory to the current folder.
pathFromAnchor = currentDir(2+length(startDir):end);

% Extract all the folders between the starting directory and the current
% directory
folders = strsplit(pathFromAnchor,'\');

% Create the relative path to the start directory based on the number of
% folders between the start and current directories.
relativePath = repmat('../',1,length(folders));

% If there are model references loop over them and construct the path for
% each reference

if ~isempty(mdls)
  for i = 1:length(mdls)
      libname = mdls(i).Name;
      fullpath = replace(mdls(i).Path,'$(START_DIR)\', relativePath);
      paths{i} = [fullpath,'\',libname];
  end
end