Module Structure#

The Pigweed module structure is designed to keep as much code as possible for a particular slice of functionality in one place. That means including the code from multiple languages, as well as all the related documentation and tests.

Additionally, the structure is designed to limit the number of places a file could go, so that when reading callsites it is obvious where a header is from. That is where the duplicated <module> occurrences in file paths comes from.

Example module structure#

pw_foo/...

  docs.rst         # Docs landing page (required)
  concepts.rst     # Conceptual docs (optional)
  design.rst       # Design docs (optional)
  guides.rst       # How-to guides (optional)
  api.rst          # API reference (optional)
  cli.rst          # CLI reference (optional)
  gui.rst          # GUI reference (optional)
  tutorials/*.rst  # Tutorials (optional)

  BUILD.gn   # GN build required
  BUILD      # Bazel build required

  # C++ public headers; the repeated module name is required
  public/pw_foo/foo.h
  public/pw_foo/baz.h

  # Exposed private headers go under internal/
  public/pw_foo/internal/bar.h
  public/pw_foo/internal/qux.h

  # Public override headers must go in 'public_overrides'
  public_overrides/gtest/gtest.h
  public_overrides/string.h

  # Private headers go into <module>_*/...
  pw_foo_internal/zap.h
  pw_foo_private/zip.h
  pw_foo_secret/alxx.h

  # C++ implementations go in the root
  foo_impl.cc
  foo.cc
  baz.cc
  bar.cc
  zap.cc
  zip.cc
  alxx.cc

  # C++ tests also go in the root
  foo_test.cc
  bar_test.cc
  zip_test.cc

  # Python files go into 'py/<module>/...'
  py/BUILD.gn     # Python packages are declared in GN using pw_python_package
  py/setup.py     # Python files are structured as standard Python packages
  py/foo_test.py  # Tests go in py/ but outside of the Python package
  py/bar_test.py
  py/pw_foo/__init__.py
  py/pw_foo/__main__.py
  py/pw_foo/bar.py
  py/pw_foo/py.typed  # Indicates that this package has type annotations

  # Rust crates go into 'rust/...'
  rust/BUILD.bazel
  rust/crate_one.rs          # Single file crates are in rust/<crate_name>.rs
  rust/crate_two/lib.rs      # Multi-file crate's top level source in:
                             #   rust/<crate>/lib.rs
  rust/crate_two/mod_one.rs  # Multi-file crate's modules in:
  rust/crate_two/mod_two.rs  #   rust/<crate>/<module_name>.rs
                             # Prefer not using mod.rs files.

  # Go files go into 'go/...'
  go/...

  # Examples go in examples/, mixing different languages
  examples/demo.py
  examples/demo.cc
  examples/demo.go
  examples/BUILD.gn
  examples/BUILD

  # Size reports go under size_report/
  size_report/BUILD.gn
  size_report/base.cc
  size_report/use_case_a.cc
  size_report/use_case_b.cc

  # Protobuf definition files go into <module>_protos/...
  pw_foo_protos/foo.proto
  pw_foo_protos/internal/zap.proto

  # Other directories are fine, but should be private.
  data/...
  graphics/...
  collection_of_tests/...
  code_relating_to_subfeature/...

Module name#

Pigweed upstream modules are always named with a prefix pw_ to enforce namespacing. Projects using Pigweed that wish to make their own modules can use whatever name they like, but we suggest picking a short prefix to namespace your product (e.g. for an Internet of Toast project, perhaps the prefix could be it_).

C++ module structure#

C++ public headers#

Located {pw_module_dir}/public/<module>. These headers are the public interface for the module.

Public headers should take the form:

{pw_module_dir}/public/<module>/*.h

Exposed private headers should take the form:

{pw_module_dir}/public/<module>/internal/*.h

Examples:

pw_foo/...
  public/pw_foo/foo.h
  public/pw_foo/a_header.h
  public/pw_foo/baz.h

For headers that must be exposed due to C++ limitations (i.e. are included from the public interface, but are not intended for use), place the headers in a internal subfolder under the public headers directory; as {pw_module_dir}/public/<module>/internal/*.h. For example:

pw_foo/...
  public/pw_foo/internal/secret.h
  public/pw_foo/internal/business.h

Note

These headers must not override headers from other modules. For that, there is the public_overrides/ directory.

C++ public override headers#

Located {pw_module_dir}/public_overrides/<module>. In general, the Pigweed philosophy is to avoid having “things hiding under rocks”, and having header files with the same name that can override each other is considered a rock where surprising things can hide. Additionally, a design goal of the Pigweed module structure is to make it so there is ideally exactly one obvious place to find a header based on an #include.

However, in some cases header overrides are necessary to enable flexibly combining modules. To make this as explicit as possible, headers which override other headers must go in

{pw_module_dir}/public_overrides/...`

For example, the pw_unit_test module provides a header override for gtest/gtest.h. The structure of the module is (omitting some files):

pw_unit_test/...

  light_public_overrides/pw_unit_test/framework_backend.h
  googletest_public_overrides/pw_unit_test/framework_backend.h

  public_overrides/gtest
  public_overrides/gtest/gtest.h

  public/pw_unit_test
  public/pw_unit_test/simple_printing_event_handler.h
  public/pw_unit_test/event_handler.h

Note that the overrides are in a separate directory public_overrides.

C++ implementation files#

Located {pw_module_dir}/. C++ implementation files go at the top level of the module. Implementation files must always use “” style includes.

Example:

pw_unit_test/...
  main.cc
  framework.cc
  test.gni
  BUILD.gn
  README.md

Compile-time configuration#

Pigweed modules are intended to be used in a wide variety of environments. In support of this, some modules expose compile-time configuration options. Pigweed has an established pattern for declaring and overriding module configuration.

Tip

Compile-time configuration provides flexibility, but also imposes restrictions. A module can only have one configuration in a given build. This makes testing modules with compile-time configuration more difficult. Where appropriate, consider alternatives such as C++ templates or runtime configuration.

Declaring configuration#

Configuration options are declared in a header file as macros. If the macro is not already defined, a default definition is provided. Otherwise, nothing is done. Configuration headers may include static_assert statements to validate configuration values.

// Example configuration header

#ifndef PW_FOO_INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE_BYTES
#define PW_FOO_INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE_BYTES 128
#endif  // PW_FOO_INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE_BYTES

static_assert(PW_FOO_INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE_BYTES >= 64);

The configuration header may go in one of three places in the module, depending on whether the header should be exposed by the module or not.

pw_foo/...

  # Publicly accessible configuration header
  public/pw_foo/config.h

  # Internal configuration header that is included by other module headers
  public/pw_foo/internal/config.h

  # Internal configuration header
  pw_foo_private/config.h

The configuration header is provided by a build system library. This library acts as a facade. The details depend on the build system.

GN compile-time configuration#

The facade uses a variable such as pw_foo_CONFIG. In upstream Pigweed, all config facades default to the pw_build_DEFAULT_MODULE_CONFIG backend. The config facade is declared as follows:

declare_args() {
  # The build target that overrides the default configuration options for this
  # module. This should point to a source set that provides defines through a
  # public config (which may -include a file or add defines directly).
  pw_foo_CONFIG = pw_build_DEFAULT_MODULE_CONFIG
}

# An example source set for each potential config header location follows.

# Publicly accessible configuration header (most common)
pw_source_set("config") {
  public = [ "public/pw_foo/config.h" ]
  public_configs = [ ":public_include_path" ]
  public_deps = [ pw_foo_CONFIG ]
}

# Internal configuration header that is included by other module headers
pw_source_set("config") {
  sources = [ "public/pw_foo/internal/config.h" ]
  public_configs = [ ":public_include_path" ]
  public_deps = [ pw_foo_CONFIG ]
  visibility = [":*"]  # Only allow this module to depend on ":config"
  friend = [":*"]  # Allow this module to access the config.h header.
}

# Internal configuration header
pw_source_set("config") {
  public = [ "pw_foo_private/config.h" ]
  public_deps = [ pw_foo_CONFIG ]
  visibility = [":*"]  # Only allow this module to depend on ":config"
}

Bazel compile-time configuration#

The module that uses configuration depends on a label_flag, conventionally named config, that by default points to the //pw_build:default_module_config. For example,

# A module with a public config. That config doesn't need to be broken out
# into a separate cc_library.
cc_library(
  name = "pw_foo",
  hdrs = ["config.h"],
  deps = [":config"],
)

label_flag(
  name = "config",
  build_setting_default = "//pw_build:default_module_config",
)

# A module with an internal config that's included by other module headers.
cc_library(
  name = "pw_bar",
  deps = [":internal_config"],
)

cc_library(
  name = "internal_config",
  hdrs = ["config.h"],
  deps = [":config"],
  visibility = ["//visibility:private"],
)

label_flag(
  name = "config",
  build_setting_default = "//pw_build:default_module_config",
)

# A module with a private config.
cc_library(
  name = "pw_bar",
  implementation_deps = [":private_config"],
)

cc_library(
  name = "private_config",
  hdrs = ["config.h"],
  deps = [":config"],
  visibility = ["//visibility:private"],
)

label_flag(
  name = "config",
  build_setting_default = "//pw_build:default_module_config",
)

Overriding configuration#

As noted above, all module configuration facades default to the same backend (pw_build_DEFAULT_MODULE_CONFIG in GN, //pw_build:default_module_config in Bazel). This allows projects to override configuration values for multiple modules from a single configuration backend, if desired. The configuration values may also be overridden individually by setting backends for the individual module configurations (e.g. in GN, pw_foo_CONFIG = "//configuration:my_foo_config", in Bazel --//pw_foo:config=//configuration:my_foo_config).

Configurations options are overridden by setting macros in the config backend. In Bazel, the only supported override mechanism are compilation options, such as -DPW_FOO_INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE_BYTES=256. In GN and CMake, configuration macro definitions may also be set in a header file. The header file is included using the -include compilation option.

GN config override example#

This example shows two ways to configure a module in the GN build system.

# In the toolchain, set either pw_build_DEFAULT_MODULE_CONFIG or pw_foo_CONFIG
pw_build_DEFAULT_MODULE_CONFIG = get_path_info(":define_overrides", "abspath")

# This configuration sets PW_FOO_INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE_BYTES using the -D flag.
pw_source_set("define_overrides") {
  public_configs = [ ":define_options" ]
}

config("define_options") {
  defines = [ "PW_FOO_INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE_BYTES=256" ]
}

# This configuration sets PW_FOO_INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE_BYTES in a header file.
pw_source_set("include_overrides") {
  public_configs = [ ":set_options_in_header_file" ]

  # Header file with #define PW_FOO_INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE_BYTES 256
  sources = [ "my_config_overrides.h" ]
}

config("set_options_in_header_file") {
  cflags = [
    "-include",
    rebase_path("my_config_overrides.h", root_build_dir),
  ]
}

Bazel config override example#

This shows the only supported way to configure a module in Bazel.

# To use these overrides for all modules, set the global module config label
# flag,
#
# --@pigweed//pw_build:default_module_config=//path_to:config_overrides
#
# To use them just for one module, set the module-specific config label
# flag,
#
# --@pigweed//pw_foo:config_override=//path_to:config_overrides
cc_library(
  name = "config_overrides",
  defines = [
     "PW_FOO_INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE_BYTES=256",
  ],
)

To conditionally enable targets based on whether a particular config override is enabled, a config_setting can be defined that looks at the config_override label flag value. This allows use of target_compatible_with to enable targets.

# Setup config_setting that is enabled when a particular config override is
# set.
config_setting(
  name = "config_override_setting",
  flag_values = {
    "--@pigweed//pw_foo:config_override": ":config_overrides",
  },
)

# For targets that need some specific config setting to build, conditionally
# enable them.
pw_cc_test(
  name = "test",
  target_compatible_with = select({
     ":config_override_setting": [],
     "//conditions:default": ["@platforms//:incompatible"],
  }),
  ...
)

Why this config pattern is preferred#

Alternate patterns for configuring a module include overriding the module’s config header or having that header optionally include a header at a known path (e.g. pw_foo/config_overrides.h). There are a few downsides to these approaches:

The module needs its own config header that defines, provides defaults for, and validates the configuration options. Replacing this header with a user-defined header would require defining all options in the user’s header, which is cumbersome and brittle, and would bypass validation in the module’s header.
Including a config override header at a particular path would prevent multiple modules from sharing the same configuration file. Multiple headers could redirect to the same configuration file, but this would still require creating a separate header and setting the config backend variable for each module.
Optionally including a config override header requires boilerplate code that would have to be duplicated in every configurable module.
An optional config override header file would silently be excluded if the file path were accidentally misspelled.

Python module structure#

Python code is structured as described in the Pigweed Module Structure for Python Code section of Pigweed’s GN Python Build.

Facades#

In Pigweed, facades represent a dependency that can be swapped at compile time. Facades are similar in concept to a virtual interface, but the implementation is set by the build system. Runtime polymorphism with facades is not possible, and each facade may only have one implementation (backend) per toolchain compilation.

In the simplest sense, a facade is just a dependency represented by a variable. For example, the pw_log facade is represented by the pw_log_BACKEND build variable. Facades typically are bundled with a build system library that depends on the backend.

Facades are essential in some circumstances:

Low-level, platform-specific features (pw_cpu_exception).
Features that require a macro or non-virtual function interface (pw_log, pw_assert).
Highly leveraged code where a virtual interface or callback is too costly or cumbersome (pw_tokenizer).

Caution

Modules should only use facades when necessary. Facades are permanently locked to a particular implementation at compile time. Multiple backends cannot be used in one build, and runtime dependency injection is not possible, which makes testing difficult. Where appropriate, modules should use other mechanisms, such as virtual interfaces, callbacks, or templates, in place of facades.

The GN build system provides the pw_facade template as a convenient way to declare facades.

Multiple Facades#

A module may contain multiple facades. Each facade’s public override headers must be contained in separate folders in the backend implementation, so that it’s possible to use multiple backends for a module.

# pw_foo contains 2 facades, foo and bar
pw_foo/...
  # Public headers
  # public/pw_foo/foo.h #includes pw_foo_backend/foo.h
  # public/pw_foo/bar.h #includes pw_foo_backend/bar.h
  public/pw_foo/foo.h
  public/pw_foo/bar.h

pw_foo_backend/...

  # Public override headers for facade1 and facade2 go in separate folders
  foo_public_overrides/pw_foo_backend/foo.h
  bar_public_overrides/pw_foo_backend/bar.h

Documentation#

See 0102: Consistent Module Documentation.

Creating a new Pigweed module#

New Pigweed modules can be easily created using pw module create MODULE_NAME (refer to the Module name guidelines).

Tip

Connect with the Pigweed community (by mailing the Pigweed list or raising your idea in the Pigweed chat) to discuss your module idea before getting too far into the implementation. This can prevent accidentally duplicating work, or avoiding writing code that won’t get accepted.

This command will create a folder with the provided module name as well as a number of basic build files. After this command has run, new code should be added in the following locations:

Add C++ public headers files in {pw_module_dir}/public/{pw_module_name}/
Add C++ implementation files files in {pw_module_dir}/
Add module documentation to {pw_module_dir}/docs.rst. See 0102: Consistent Module Documentation for additional documentation options.
Add GN build targets to {pw_module_dir}/BUILD.gn.
- Add new pw_test targets to the list in pw_test_group("tests").
- Add any additional .rst documentation files to pw_docs_group("docs").
Add Bazel build targets to {pw_module_dir}/BUILD.bazel.
Add CMake build targets to {pw_module_dir}/CMakeLists.txt.
Run pw module check to ensure that the new module has been properly configured.
- $ pw module check {pw_module_dir}
Contribute your module to upstream Pigweed (optional but encouraged!)