Files
essim/README.md
François cccc5f131d docs: rewrite DESIGN + README for the core/frontends structure
DESIGN.md: new layered Build section (essim_core + ESSIM_FRONTEND, FTXUI per
frontend, split tests), a rewritten Layout tree (src/core/{domain,imports,app},
src/frontends/tui, tests/{,tui}), and a new "Architecture — core vs frontends"
section stating the rule (core never depends on a frontend) with the export
operation as the worked example. README: layered-build note, FTXUI-is-the-tui-
frontend's dependency, core-vs-frontend test split, nested project-layout tree.

Also keep the binary at ./build/essim via RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY now that the
exe is produced from the frontend subdir.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-06-03 19:39:21 +02:00

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4.5 KiB
Markdown

# essim — system digital twin
Interactive simulator for the inter-card connections inside a system. Built
around a domain model of **modules → parts → pins / signals → connections**,
with importers for Mentor Graphics, Altium and ODS pinout sheets, a TUI shell
with scripting, snapshots and BFS net analysis.
Status: early work-in-progress.
## Quick start
```sh
cmake -S . -B build
cmake --build build -j
./build/essim
```
The build is **layered**: `essim_core` is the frontend-agnostic business
library (domain + importers + operations); the `essim` binary comes from a
**frontend** under `src/frontends/<name>/` that links it. Select one with
`-DESSIM_FRONTEND=<name>` (default `tui`); `-DESSIM_FRONTEND=none` builds the
core + tests only, with no GUI toolkit fetched. Architecture in
[`DESIGN.md`](DESIGN.md).
Inside the shell, type `help` for the live command list — or read the
auto-generated reference at [`doc/user/commands.md`](doc/user/commands.md).
A worked bring-up script is at [`test/system.essim`](test/system.essim);
load it with `source test/system.essim`.
To run a script without the TUI and print its output to stdout (CI-friendly):
```sh
./build/essim --batch --source bring-up.essim
```
Step-by-step walkthroughs for both the batch and TUI workflows are in
[`doc/user/tutorial.md`](doc/user/tutorial.md).
## Dependencies
- **C++17 compiler** and **CMake 3.14+**.
- System libraries **libzip** and **pugixml** — install the *development*
packages:
- Debian/Ubuntu — `sudo apt install libzip-dev libpugixml-dev`
- Arch — `sudo pacman -S libzip pugixml`
- Fedora — `sudo dnf install libzip-devel pugixml-devel`
- **libbsdl** — the standalone BSDL parser, a sibling repo expected at
`../libbsdl`, pulled in via `add_subdirectory` and linked dynamically.
Override its location with `-DBSDL_DIR=/path/to/libbsdl`. Powers the
`attach-bsdl` command and the pin/JTAG checks.
- Fetched automatically via `FetchContent` (nothing to install): **FTXUI**
v6.1.9 — only when building the **tui** frontend — and **doctest** v2.4.11
for the tests.
- Optional, only for the `doc` target: **doxygen** and **python3**.
libzip, pugixml and libbsdl are the **core** dependencies; FTXUI belongs to the
tui frontend, so a `-DESSIM_FRONTEND=none` build needs none of it.
## Tests
```sh
./build/essim_tests
# or
ctest --test-dir build
```
`ctest` runs `essim_tests` (core — links `essim_core`, no GUI toolkit) and
`essim_tui_tests` (the FTXUI frontend's tests, under `tests/tui/`).
Skip building tests entirely:
```sh
cmake -S . -B build -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF
```
## Documentation
- [`doc/user/`](doc/user/) — user guide, command reference, scripting.
- [`doc/api/`](doc/api/) — auto-generated C++ API reference.
- [`DESIGN.md`](DESIGN.md) — implementation notes (domain conventions, TUI
internals, gotchas).
- [`doc/README.md`](doc/README.md) — how the doc pipeline is wired.
Regenerate auto-generated parts after substantive code changes:
```sh
cmake --build build --target doc # needs doxygen + python3
```
## Project layout
```
src/
core/ business logic, NO GUI toolkit (→ libessim_core)
domain/ model (Module/Part/Pin/Signal, Connection, Transform…) + analyses
imports/ Mentor / Altium / ODS netlist importers + ODS writer
app/ use-case operations (export → CSV/ODS, …)
frontends/ one dir per GUI/TUI engine, each links essim_core
tui/ FTXUI shell + main.cpp (→ libessim_tui + the `essim` binary)
tests/ core tests (link essim_core)
tui/ frontend tests (link essim_tui)
doc/ api/ + user/ Markdown, Doxyfile.in, gen_api_md.py
test/ sample netlists + system.essim bring-up script
```
Full layout & rationale in [`DESIGN.md`](DESIGN.md).
## Licence
Copyright (c) 2026 François Dausseur
Licensed under the **European Union Public Licence (EUPL), Version 1.2**
the "Licence". You may not use this work except in compliance with the
Licence. You may obtain a copy of the Licence in the [`LICENSE`](LICENSE)
file or at <https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/software/page/eupl>.
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the Licence is distributed on an "AS IS" basis,
**WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND**, either express or
implied. See the Licence for the specific language governing permissions
and limitations under the Licence.
SPDX-License-Identifier: EUPL-1.2