compiler error developing library based on NewSoftSerial

Projects Programming
1

I am trying to write a library that interfaces with a serial device, and I want to use a NewSoftSerial (NSS) port to do so. I've written code in the past using NSS, so at that level (I think) I know what I am doing there. But I am trying to put together all the code relevant to the device into a class. I have a bunch of code, but I've stripped things down to a small .cpp, a small .h, and a small sketch that together show the problem I'm encountering (using Arduino 022 on Windows).

Here's the contents of the file TESTLIB.h:

#ifndef TESTLIB_H
#define TESTLIB_H

#include <WProgram.h>
#include "../NewSoftSerial/NewSoftSerial.h"

class TESTLIB : NewSoftSerial
{
public:
	TESTLIB ( uint8_t receivePin, uint8_t transmitPin );
	~TESTLIB ( void );
};

#endif

Here's the contents of TESTLIB.cpp:

#include <WProgram.h>
#include "TESTLIB.H"

TESTLIB::TESTLIB ( uint8_t receivePin, uint8_t transmitPin ) : NewSoftSerial ( receivePin, transmitPin )
{
	begin ( 9600 );
}

TESTLIB::~TESTLIB ( void )
{
}

And here's the code in my sketch:

#include <TESTLIB.h>

TESTLIB tl ( 1, 2 );

void setup ( )
{
}

void loop ( )
{
}

The errors I get back from the compiler are as follows:

TESTLIB\TESTLIB.cpp.o: In function `~TESTLIB':
C:\Users\TASTEWAR\Documents\Arduino\libraries\TESTLIB/TESTLIB.cpp:11: undefined reference to `NewSoftSerial::~NewSoftSerial()'
TESTLIB\TESTLIB.cpp.o: In function `TESTLIB':
C:\Users\TASTEWAR\Documents\Arduino\libraries\TESTLIB/TESTLIB.cpp:4: undefined reference to `NewSoftSerial::NewSoftSerial(unsigned char, unsigned char, bool)'
C:\Users\TASTEWAR\Documents\Arduino\libraries\TESTLIB/TESTLIB.cpp:6: undefined reference to `NewSoftSerial::begin(long)'
TESTLIB\TESTLIB.cpp.o:(.rodata._ZTV7TESTLIB+0x4): undefined reference to `NewSoftSerial::write(unsigned char)'

Can anyone help me understand what I've done wrong? Also, with the NSS lib installed in my user libraries area, I have to use the funky relative path reference. Is there a better way? How should a user library build upon another user library?

Thank you!

2

Because of the way that Arduino puts things together so that it knows what to compile and link, you have to include <NewSoftSerial.h> in your main sketch.

It's a little quirk. (We all have our little quirks, right?)

Regards,

Dave

3

Wow! What a great community -- the answer to a problem that's been giving me grief for hours, solved in mere minutes! A little experimentation shows that the #include is indeed required in both places. Does seem quirky, but it's a big relief to understand.

Thanks, davekw7x!

Is there a better/cleaner way to reference the NewSoftSerial.h file from TESTLIB.h?

4

tastewar:
...Is there a better/cleaner way to reference the NewSoftSerial.h file from TESTLIB.h?

I don't know. I don't see any particular downside to using the relative path. I mean with the current version of Arduino we don't have any control over the compiler command line when we compile from inside the Arduino IDE, and I don't know of any other way to tell the compiler where to look.

Maybe somebody who has come up with something more pleasing to your sensibilities can offer suggestions.

Regards,

Dave

5

tastewar:
Is there a better/cleaner way to reference the NewSoftSerial.h file from TESTLIB.h?

How do you feel about adding / altering an environment variable?

6

I just want to know that that's the way someone else would do it, given the same situation.

I guess I'd rather leave it in a state that would be compatible with most peoples' installs. I'd rather dictate that NSS must be installed in the standard location than require someone to add/modify an env. var. But thanks!