From c33bbfaa3507c4665f64520b4fd3f33a82ddfe64 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Edward Wall <edward.wall@psi.ch>
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:50:17 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] adds function to build default frontend with custom name and
 event id

---
 CMakeLists.txt           | 72 +++++++++++-----------------------------
 README.md                | 32 +++---------------
 frontend/expmag_scfe.cxx |  5 ++-
 3 files changed, 26 insertions(+), 83 deletions(-)

diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3d9b459..ed2c920 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -37,22 +37,9 @@ if (${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES Linux)
    set(LIBS ${LIBS} -lpthread -lutil -lrt -lbsd -ldl)
 endif()
 
-option(
-  BUILD_FRONTEND
-  "If ON, build the default frontend executable"
-  OFF
-)
-
 set(CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH "$ENV{MIDASSYS}")
 find_package(Midas REQUIRED)
 
-set(
-  TCPIP_DRIVER_DIR
-  $ENV{MIDASSYS}/drivers/bus/tcpip.cxx
-  CACHE STRING
-  "path to tcpip driver that should be used"
-)
-
 set(SYS_LIBS
     pthread
     util
@@ -66,8 +53,6 @@ set(MIDAS_LIBS
     midas::mscb
 )
 
-set(TCPIP_DRIVER)
-
 set(LIBS ${SYS_LIBS} ${MIDAS_LIBS})
 set(EPICS_LIBS
     ${LIBS}
@@ -79,29 +64,6 @@ if(NOT TARGET midas_lan_gpib)
   add_subdirectory(midas_lan_gpib)
 endif()
 
-################################################################################
-## make tcpip library configurable
-################################################################################
-
-if(IS_DIRECTORY ${TCPIP_DRIVER_DIR})
-  add_subdirectory(
-      # TODO not sure, should it be a submodule? does it really make sense to
-      # separate everything?
-      ${TCPIP_DRIVER_DIR} ./bus/tcpip
-  )
-
-  set(
-    LIBS
-    ${LIBS}
-    tcpip
-  )
-else()
-  set(
-    TCPIP_DRIVER
-    ${TCPIP_DRIVER_DIR}
-  )
-endif()
-
 ################################################################################
 ## Device Libraries
 ################################################################################
@@ -110,8 +72,7 @@ add_library(
   expmag
   device/expmag.cxx
   device/spline.cxx
-  ${TCPIP_DRIVER}
-  $ENV{MIDASSYS}/drivers/class/generic.cxx
+  $ENV{MIDASSYS}/drivers/bus/tcpip.cxx
 )
 
 set_property(
@@ -143,8 +104,7 @@ add_library(
   device/expmag.cxx
   device/epics_ca.cxx
   device/spline.cxx
-  ${TCPIP_DRIVER}
-  $ENV{MIDASSYS}/drivers/class/generic.cxx
+  $ENV{MIDASSYS}/drivers/bus/tcpip.cxx
 )
 
 set_property(
@@ -181,27 +141,32 @@ target_compile_definitions(
 )
 
 ################################################################################
-## Test Frontend
+## Default Frontend Builder
 ################################################################################
 
-if(${BUILD_FRONTEND})
-  set(EXPMAG_FRONTEND_NAME "Magnets_instr" CACHE STRING "Overridable frontend name")
+set(_DEFAULT_EXPMAG_FRONTEND_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}" CACHE INTERNAL "")
+
+function(default_expmag_frontend F_TARGET F_NAME F_EVENT_ID F_NUM_CHAN)
 
   add_executable(
-    Magnets_instr_scfe
-    frontend/expmag_scfe.cxx
+    ${F_TARGET}
+    ${_DEFAULT_EXPMAG_FRONTEND_DIR}/frontend/expmag_scfe.cxx
+    $ENV{MIDASSYS}/drivers/class/generic.cxx
   )
 
-  add_compile_definitions(Magnets_instr_scfe PRIVATE FRONTEND_NAME="${EXPMAG_FRONTEND_NAME}")
+  target_compile_definitions(${F_TARGET} PRIVATE FRONTEND_NAME="${F_NAME}")
+  target_compile_definitions(${F_TARGET} PRIVATE FRONTEND_ID=${F_EVENT_ID})
+  target_compile_definitions(${F_TARGET} PRIVATE FRONTEND_NUM_CHAN=${F_NUM_CHAN})
+
   set_property(
     TARGET
-      Magnets_instr_scfe
+      ${F_TARGET}
     PROPERTY
       CXX_STANDARD 11
   )
 
   target_include_directories(
-    Magnets_instr_scfe
+    ${F_TARGET}
     PRIVATE
       $ENV{MIDASSYS}/drivers
       $ENV{MIDASSYS}/include
@@ -209,14 +174,15 @@ if(${BUILD_FRONTEND})
   )
 
   target_link_libraries(
-    Magnets_instr_scfe
+    ${F_TARGET}
     expmag_epics
     midas::mfe
   )
 
   install(
     TARGETS
-      Magnets_instr_scfe
+      ${F_TARGET}
     RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
  )
-endif()
+
+endfunction()
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a79b5ec..3ba13b2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -41,32 +41,10 @@ add_subdirectory(
     <path-to-expmag-repository>
 )
 
-add_executable(
-  <frontend-name>
-  <frontend-code-path-1>
-  <frontend-code-path-2>
-  :
-)
-
-set_property(
-  TARGET
-    <frontend-name>
-  PROPERTY
-    CXX_STANDARD 11
-)
-
-target_include_directories(
-  <frontend-name>
-  PRIVATE
-    $ENV{MIDASSYS}/drivers
-    $ENV{MIDASSYS}/include
-)
-
-target_link_libraries(
-  <frontend-name>
-  expmag
-  <additional-library-1>
-  <additional-library-2>
-  :
+default_expmag_frontend(
+  Magnets_instr_scfe  # Target Name
+  Magnets_instr       # Frontend Name
+  16                  # Event ID
+  4                   # Number of channels
 )
 ```
diff --git a/frontend/expmag_scfe.cxx b/frontend/expmag_scfe.cxx
index d760a41..f8b87cf 100644
--- a/frontend/expmag_scfe.cxx
+++ b/frontend/expmag_scfe.cxx
@@ -57,8 +57,7 @@ BOOL equipment_common_overwrite = FALSE;
 
 /* device driver list */
 DEVICE_DRIVER expmag_driver[] = {
-    {FRONTEND_NAME, expmag, 9, NULL,
-     DF_PRIO_DEVICE}, /* initial demand value taken from instrument */
+    {"EXPMAG", expmag, FRONTEND_NUM_CHAN, NULL, DF_PRIO_DEVICE}, /* initial demand value taken from instrument */
     };
 
 EQUIPMENT equipment[] = {
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ EQUIPMENT equipment[] = {
     {
         FRONTEND_NAME, /* equipment name */
         {
-            16,
+            FRONTEND_ID,
             0,        /* event ID, trigger mask */
             "SYSTEM", /* event buffer */
             EQ_SLOW,  /* equipment type */