# How It Works
This page describes how the main functionalities of this tool work.

## Environment Setup
`ntxbuild` usage starts with setting up the NuttX environment.
When `start` option is called, the "environment" is prepared. This means things:
- An environment file is created which is used to store some information
- The path to the NuttX repository is added to the env file
- The path to the NuttX Application repository is also added to the env file
- The build tool is added to the env file (Make or CMake)

Also, the `start` option supports CMake based build. By passing `--use-cmake`, the user
will configure the environment to use CMake instead of Make.

This env file will be used by the tool to locate the repositories.
In the future (as a TO-DO task), the same file could be used to store other information,
such as out-of-tree repositories and path to toolchains.

### Makefile based builds
The default build tool is Make.

Once the environment file is setup, a `MakeBuilder` instance is created and
it sets up the NuttX environment by checking if the repository is valid
and finally, executes the `nuttx/tools/configure.sh` script (remember, this tool
is a wrapper around NuttX).

### CMakeLists based builds
If the `--use-cmake` option is passed, a `CMakeBuilder` instance is created
and used instead. Internally, it initializes CMake and uses the `build` directory
as output and defaults to using the Ninja generator. The operation replicates the
following command for `sim:nsh`:

```
cmake -B build -DBOARD_CONFIG=sim:nsh -GNinja
```

## Setting KConfig Options
KConfig options are set through the `ConfigManager` class. When instantiated,
it requires the path to the NuttX workspace and the apps directory name.
The NuttX directory name defaults to `nuttx` within the workspace.

Underneath this feature, kconfiglib is used as the framework for managing KConfig, including
menuconfig interface.

## Building
Building is still done by the `NuttXBuilder` class. The method `build` triggers
a `make` command and optionally supports passing the parallel jobs.
TO-DO: it should support extra options.

## Cleaning Environment
Also done by the `NuttXBuilder` class, it wraps the `make` and `make distclean`
on NuttX.