# Helper script to automatically add blocks **URL:** \ **Category:** GNU Radio\ **Created:** [August 16, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/helper-script-to-automatically-add-blocks/193359 "2010-08-16T14:48:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pytlik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/779978/32.png) [@pytlik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pytlik)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/helper-script-to-automatically-add-blocks/193359/1 "2010-08-16T14:48:11Z")
Hi list, since pretty much all of my GNU Radio’ing consists of dealing with out-of-tree modules I started a script to modify those. In the current state, it can add blocks to an existing out-of-tree module. It will attempt to guess a lot of stuff and then add skeleton code for the blocks and the QA code and edit the makefiles accordingly. I will still have to add some blocks to my modules before it actually saves _me_ some time, but I just got pretty annoyed at editing all the makefiles by hand, and always forgetting one line somewhere. Following George’s request, I made it available on CGRAN. I couldn’t resist calling it ‘devtools’ and making it a project for all kinds of tools, scripts etc. which help developing. Being an optimist, I’m assuming there might be others who’ve made scripts, vim/emacs/Eclipse-plugins etc. and are just waiting for a platform to publish these. Grab infos and the code at [https://www.cgran.org/wiki/devtools](https://www.cgran.org/wiki/devtools) Disclaimer: This script actually edits your files. It might cause damage, and take no responsibility. Use at your own risk. I only want to know about it if it’s in form of a bug report. ## Cheers, MB Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) Communications Engineering Lab (CEL) Dipl.-Ing. Martin B. Research Associate Kaiserstraße 12 Building 05.01 76131 Karlsruhe Phone: +49 721 608-3790 Fax: +49 721 608-6071 www.cel.kit.edu KIT – University of the State of Baden-Württemberg and National Laboratory of the Helmholtz Association ---
**Author:** ![pytlik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/779978/32.png) [@pytlik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pytlik)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/helper-script-to-automatically-add-blocks/193359/2 "2010-08-17T21:01:01Z")
thanks for the contribution Martin 🙂 I have some tools I could add to it myself. I think “devtools” was the right thing to do. Hopefully several people will contribute other tools to it. I will move it to the top of the Projects page. ---
**Author:** ![pytlik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/779978/32.png) [@pytlik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pytlik)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/helper-script-to-automatically-add-blocks/193359/3 "2010-08-17T22:00:09Z")
On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 11:56:20AM -0700, George N. wrote: > I have some tools I could add to it myself. I think “devtools” was the > right thing to do. Hopefully several people will contribute other tools to > it. I will move it to the top of the Projects page. Another interesting thing in this context could be what toolset/ setup people are using for their ‘daily’ GNU Radio development. Although I know there’s a lot of people out there (like me) quite happy with their setup of vim + gdb + {insertyourtoolhere} grown over the years it might be interesting to have a plugin for eclipse or something of this kind. (read: less scary for beginners). Some time back I experimented around with writing a plugin for eclipse, since at our institute a lot of people getting into contact with GNU Radio for the first time are quite intimidated by the rather let’s say … not overly comfortable autotools. Please don’t start throwing rocks already 😉 Beeing not a real java programmer and running out of time for exams I haven’t achieved a lot yet but nevertheless to me it seemed like a good place to try since eclipse’s wizard structure does conform quite well with the usual everyday programming tasks for out of tree modules / applications. Maybe a frontend to Martin’s script might be another approach worth trying. So maybe if we add information on work in progress / unfinished projects and ideas for future devtools to the wikipage we might find people with common interests. So far, Moritz