Free IDE / Editor for Arduino / Genuino and its clones

# EDRUINO - Installation

The installation is quite simple: just unpack the zip file to an arbitrary folder with one exception: avoid the c:\Program files and c:\Program files (x86) folder.

Edruino does not write to the Windows registry and keeps all its files under its own folder. In case of uninstallation, just delete the Edruino folder.

When the Edruino is run for the first time, it complains that path to user sketches is not defined. Click OK and specify a path to your Arduino sketches in the Options dialog window along with the path to the Arduino software:

Edruino is built upon the standard Arduino software and suppose that it is already installed on the computer. For compilation and program uploading, Edruino calls Arduino with correct parameters.

For this, it is necessary to tell Edruino where to look for Arduino. For this, open Tools | Options menu and click on the down-arrow next to the Path to Arduino. After opennnig a Select path to Arduino dialog, select Arduino.exe and confirm. Path to Arduino.exe is remembered from now on.

Being in the Option panel, select also path to your projects (sketches) in the same manner.

### Avoid "Program files" directories

The Edruino writes some temporary files to disk. Windows starting with Vista if I remember correctly require special rights for writing to the program files directories (\Program Files (x86) and Program Files). Therefore, I strongly recomend to install Edruino to some other direcory, e.g. c:\Programs\Edruino.

## Edruino folders and files

### Files

- Edruino.exe - the Edruino program
- TermMj32.exe - stand-alone terminal
- Edruino.Datasheets - definition file for User HW documentation
- Edruino.ini - INI file with windows positions etc.
- Edruino.sto - second INI file with windows positions etc.
- Edruino.prj - default project properties, used if no project-specific configuration is defined
- Edruino.templates - Code templates for assistence with writing source code
- *.NewSketch - templates for new projects (sketches)
- *.bat - temporary auxiliary files for calling Arduino.exe for compilation and upload

### Folders

- Datasheets - folder with user documentation for Arduino boards, shields etc.
- Help - Edruino help files
- Temp - Temporary folder where Arduino stores its aux. files during compilation and building

## User projects folder structure

Edruino utilizes the same file structure as Arduino. There is one (root) folder and all the user projects (sketeches) are stored under it. Path to this folder is stored in the Options dialog.

It is possible to change this path from the Options dialog and simulate different work-spaces. If there is a demand I can extend Edruino to work with workspaces more comfortly.

User sketches use the standard .ino extensions but older format .pde is supported as well.

In order to allow development of projects consisting of more (possibly different) Arduinos, Arduino can define project configuration (stored in the sketch folder in the Edruino.prj file). This allows specify different board / CPU, default COM port number and Baudreate.

If there is no configuration or configuration specifies Default project then pdefault parameters stored in the Edruino.prj file in the Edruino folder are used.

A project can consist of more than one ino file. In that case, when opening a project, the main project file (i.e. with the same name as project folder) is opened in a new tab and all the project files are listed in a pane to the right side of the editor. Clicking on these files opens them in the editor window.

## Edruino configuration

### Board configuration

Edruino utilizes Arduino board list from standard Arduino installation. Most of the users usually uses only couple of available Arduinos. Inorder to make border selection easier, it is possible to check only those boards which you are using and then the list of available boards is limited only to selected boards.

## Setting Arduino software to External editor mode

Standard Arduino software normally expect that it sees all the source code changes. Using Edruino, it is necessary to tell Arduino that the source code is going to be edited outside the Arduino environment.

To set this behaviour you need to open the Arduino software, select File | preferences menu and check the "Use external editor" option.