The app must packaged so that the PC software can upload it to the robot control. An app package is a zip file containing one or more app directories, which contain the app definition files, binaries and other app-dependent files.
Create a zip file of so that its structure is as follows. This way the robot control automatically starts your app.
.
└── <name of your app>
├── <main binary or python script>
├── rcapp.xml
└── ui.xml
└── <other files, directories, python scripts, etc. that the app depends on>
The main binary or python script may be in a subdirectory, in this case you will need to enter the path in the <executable ...> entry in rcapp.xml.
You can make your binary app cross-platform compatible by adding both the Raspberry Pi (no file extension) and Windows (.exe) binaries. The robot control chooses depending on the system.
To run your app on a different device or for testing you need to remove the <executable.../> lines from rcapp.xml. The app package only needs rcapp.xml and ui.xml in the same structure as above.
After installing and enabling the app in iRC / CPRog you can start and connect your app with the gRPC socket of the robot control. You can disconnect and restart at any time.
The robot control provides an update installation mode that only changes the main files while keeping configuration.
Specifically it updates the following (if present):
- rcapp.xml
- ui.xml
- executables mentioned in rcapp.xml (but no other executables, libraries or scripts)
- AppData directory
If your app package contains apps that are not installed yet they will be installed normally.