Add pre/post build actions for FPGA

[raphschru]

I'm bringing back to life this long-lost idea: https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-FPGA-Idea-Exchange/pre-and-post-build-options/idi-p/2364676

as I think there are lots of situations where pre/post build actions could be useful for FPGA.

For example, as suggested here: https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Populate-FPGA-array-with-values/m-p/4145330#M1195362

I have a large array of coefficients that I want to load from a file, then populate an array constant with it. I have a script to do it, now I would like to automatically run it before compiling the bitfile. For context, I want it to be a constant because controls take more resources and do not allow constant folding optimization.

I already had another situation where I made a tool to auto-generate code in case structures based on some specifications given by the developer. If however the developer forgets to run it before compiling, the FPGA VI won't work properly as necessary code has not been generated.

More generally, I think scripting for FPGA is way underrated. As FPGA code is quite often tedious and redundant to create (because optimization is priorized over readability, and because of the lack of type genericity), scripting has a great potential here. Allowing to run pre/post build actions for FPGA bitfiles would surely take FPGA scripting to the next level !

[Terry_ALE]

I agree that this is useful.  One other ability this would help is to auto-increment a build constant to be in the FPGA VI.

Glad you posted.  I recently added some ideas/feedback to this forum.  This can be the place to send NI whenever they ask us "What else do you need in LabVIEW FPGA?"