To create a package the program mkpkg can be used. The set of files to put into the package should be in the desired location in the $(PackagesDir) directory. The mkpkg command should be run with $(PackagesDir) as the working directory and all files to go into the package must be referred to using relative paths. A package must have a package description file that is placed in the $(PackagesDir)/packages directory. The package description file name must end with _package.xml. If a package is to create entries in the new project wizard then it must have a file name project_templates.xml.

For example, a package for the mythical FX150 processor would supply the following files:

• A project template file called targets/FX150/project_templates.xml. The format of the project templates file is described in Project Templates file format.
• The $(PackagesDir)-relative files that define the functionality of the package.
• A package description file called packages/FX150_package.xml. The format of the package description file is described in Package Description file format.

The package file FX150.emPackage would be created using the following command line:

mkpkg -c packages/FX150.emPackage targets/FX150/project_templates.xml … packages/FX150_package.xml 

You can exclude specific files or directories from being added to a package using the -exclude option:

mkpkg -c packages/FX150.emPackage targets/FX150 -exclude targets/FX150/excluded_file.txt -exclude targets/FX150/excluded_directory packages/FX150_package.xml 

You can list the contents of the package using the -t option:

mkpkg -t packages/FX150.emPackage

You can remove an entry from a package using the -d option:

mkpkg -d packages/FX150.emPackage -d fileName 

You can add or replace a file into an existing package using the -r option:

mkpkg -r packages/FX150.emPackage -r fileName 

You can extract files from an existing package using the -x option:

mkpkg -x packages/FX150.emPackage outputDirectory 

You can automate the package creation process using a Combining project type.

• Using the new project wizard create a combining project in the directory $(PackagesDir).
• Set the Output File Path property to be $(PackagesDir)/packages/mypackage.emPackage.
• Set the Combine command property to $(StudioDir)/bin/mkpkg -c $(CombiningOutputFilePath) $(CombiningRelInputPaths).
• Add the files you want to go into the package into the project using the Project Explorer.
• Right-click the project node in the Project Explorer and choose Build.

When a package is installed, the files in the package are copied into the desired $(PackagesDir)-relative locations. When a file is copied into the $(PackagesDir)/packages directory and its filename ends with _package.xml the file $(PackagesDir)/packages/installed_packages.xml is updated with an entry:

<include filename="FX150_package.xml" /> 

During development of a package you can manually edit this file. The same applies to the file $(PackagesDir)/targets/project_templates.xml which will contain a reference to your project_templates.xml file.

Usage:

mkpkg [options] packageFileName file1 file2 …

Option	Description
-c	Create a new package.
-compress level	Change compression level (0 for none, 9 for maximum).
-d	Remove files from a package.
-exclude path	Exclude path when adding files to a package.
-f	Output files to stdout.
-overwrite	Overwrite existing files.
-no-date	Do not add date attribute to package.
-r	Replace files in a package.
-readonly	Force all files to have read only attribute.
-set-attr attribute=value	Set package attribute to value.
-sub-arch-endian	Create architecture and endian specific sub packages.
-sub-arch-endian-compatiblity	Create architecture and endian specific sub packages including compatibility packages for versions of the IDE that don't have $(LibEndian) macro.
-sub-base-type	Specify the type description of the base package.
-sub-type	Specify the type description of the sub packages.
-t	List the contents of a package.
-v	Be chatty.
-V	Show version information.
-x	Extract files from a package.