Workflow for avr build

[brentfpage]

(Following up on some of the discussion in #381.)
This PR:

• adds a workflow (avr.yml) for the firmware
• makes edits to continuous.yml:
  • adds a firmware compilation job
  • adds support for the mac build scheme described in the bullet below
• revises mac.yml so that:
  • when mac.yml is called by continuous.yml, the firmware .hex asset produced by continuous.yml is packaged into the mac desktop interface
  • when mac.yml is called in some other context, the firmware .hex asset produced by the most recent call to continuous.yml is packaged into the desktop interface

The versioning is centralized, but not automatic. Namely, the current version of the firmware has to be set in a repository-wide variable, AVR_VER, under (repo home)->settings->secrets+variables->actions->variables->(repository variables). In the fork, AVR_VER=0x0007. At compile time, this variable gets injected:

• into AVR_Code as the macro FIRMWARE_VERSION_ID, which previously was defined in AVR_Code/globals.h
• into the desktop interface as the macro EXPECTED_FIRMWARE_VERSION, which previously was defined in Desktop_Interface/genericusbdriver.h

It would be nicer to have AVR_VER defined in some location like continuous.yml instead, but it needs to be available to mac.yml when that workflow is called individually. I don't know of any other place to define AVR_VER where it would be available to both workflows.

Also, the inclusion of the version number in the .hex file names has been retained, so they are, e.g., labrafirm_0007_0{1 or 2}.hex. To me, this is worthwhile because then the firmware that's packaged into a given release can be very easily determined.

If we decide to go forward with this approach, extending it to encompass the android, linux, and windows builds I think would be straightforward. Also, a prerequisite for merging would be #404 .

[brentfpage]

Copying from a previous draft of this PR:

---

Posted by @mi-hol

@brentfpage I like the approach documented above and would approve it. With the number of changes a real review seems impossible though.

Lets see how other maintainers react.

The is only a minor nit pick

Namely, the current version of the firmware has to be set in a repository-wide variable, AVR_VER

I'd suggest to change name of variable from AVR_VER to AVR_FIRMWARE_VERSION so its purpose is completely self explanatory

[mi-hol]

@brentfpage I triggered re-run of all workflows after merging #404 but they still fail

[brentfpage]

@brentfpage I triggered re-run of all workflows after merging #404 but they still fail

I just added AVR_VER as a repo-wide variable here (harmless and reversible) , which should make the mac build work. The other builds with automated firmware packaging have not been implemented.

[brentfpage]

As an aside, the firmware that's currently configured to be packaged is that from the most recent "continuous release" in my fork. This practice will be necessary unless/until this PR is fully merged into the genuine repo and a continuous release is run that generates firmware files.

[mi-hol]

added AVR_VER as a repo-wide variable here (harmless and reversible) , which should make the mac build work.

Well I re-ran and it still failed :(
Is something preventing you from running these actions in your fork?
Running them would give you the confidence that the changes actually work as expected and is the key to merging them quickly.
I trust in contributors to provide 100% working changes after initial discussions have completed within the team about a proposed approach.

scoperangeenterdialog.cpp:4:131: warning: unused parameter 'delay' [-Wunused-parameter]
    4 | scopeRangeEnterDialog::scopeRangeEnterDialog(QWidget *parent, bool buttonVisible, double yTop, double yBot, double window, double delay) :
      |                                                                                                                                   ^
genericusbdriver.cpp:479:75: error: expected expression
  479 |     qDebug("EXPECTING FIRMWARE VERSION 0x%04hx", EXPECTED_FIRMWARE_VERSION);
      |                                                                           ^
genericusbdriver.cpp:484:45: error: expected expression
  484 |     if((firmver != EXPECTED_FIRMWARE_VERSION) || (variant != DEFINED_EXPECTED_VARIANT)){
      |                                             ^
1 warning generated.
2 errors generated.

The other builds with automated firmware packaging have not been implemented.

Please add these changes, test, change status to "ready for review" and we'll review again after that has happened.

[brentfpage]

Unfortunately I had missed this key point:
"[variables] are not passed to workflows that are triggered by a pull request from a fork"
from the heading of https://github.com/espotek-org/Labrador/settings/variables/actions . So, the workflow won't work in full unless/until the PR is merged. As a stop-gap solution, I simply hard-coded the value of AVR_VER (0x0007) in mac.yml. The mac build now works.

The PR is still a draft (only one workflow has been implemented), so I'll hold off on indicating that it's "Ready for review".