Ampersand post-processing in post-build action

[ghost]

Description

There is an advanced use case in which a post-build action comes with a couple of cascaded scripts executed in succession, in case the first one is successfully executed (a && b, or "execute b if a was successful"). Here is an example:

$PROJ_DIR$/script1.bat && $PROJ_DIR$/script2.bat

The ampersand (&) is a special character in the XML specification. The IDE escapes it so that the <postbuild> tag becomes:

<postbuild>$PROJ_DIR$/script1.bat &amp;&amp; $PROJ_DIR$/script2.bat</postbuild>

When EWPtool post-process the project file containing such entry, the tag becomes:

<postbuild>$PROJ_DIR$/script1.bat &amp;amp;&amp;amp; $PROJ_DIR$/script2.bat</postbuild>

If EWPtool processes the project once more:

<postbuild>$PROJ_DIR$/script1.bat &amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp; $PROJ_DIR$/script2.bat</postbuild>

...and so on. These entries in excess make the project fail to build.

Workaround

No automated workaround known to the date. Manual XML intervention required.

Resolution

EWPtool was initially designed with the sole purpose of populating an empty project and such advanced use case was not predicted from the start, as it involves exceptional handling for XML special characters. Hence, this special use case will be addressed in the next version.

[NotKasperNielsen]

Hi @felipe-iar

I ran into this issue as well, after switching to EWARM 9.40.2. The migration of the .ewp introduced the && to the .postbuild
I hadn't gotten around to reporting it, and now you've saved me the effort.
The workaround is manageable for now. Thanks for taking up the issue.

// Kasper

[ghost]

Hi @NotKasperNielsen and thanks for your feedback. Right now, fixing this one is amongst my top priority items. Please hold on as 4.2.4 will also cover #42.