(nuttx) 01/07: Documentation: migrate "NxTerm Example" from wiki

[ac...@apache.org]

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acassis pushed a commit to branch master
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commit 200f709092beb94a239a1df8e5c45a486fc52470
Author: raiden00pl <ra...@railab.me>
AuthorDate: Mon Nov 6 10:56:55 2023 +0100

    Documentation: migrate "NxTerm Example" from wiki
    
    link: https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/NUTTX/NxTerm+Example
---
 .../applications/examples/nxterm/index.rst         | 174 +++++++++++++++++++++
 .../applications/examples/nxterm/nxtermexample.png | Bin 0 -> 15366 bytes
 2 files changed, 174 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/applications/examples/nxterm/index.rst b/Documentation/applications/examples/nxterm/index.rst
index 5deb2d749f..de3744d99a 100644
--- a/Documentation/applications/examples/nxterm/index.rst
+++ b/Documentation/applications/examples/nxterm/index.rst
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 ``nxterm`` Display NuttShell (NSH) as NX Console
 ================================================
 
+.. figure:: nxtermexample.png
+  :align: center
+
 This directory contains yet another version of the NuttShell (NSH). This version
 uses the NX console device defined in ``include/nuttx/nx/nxterm.h`` for output.
 the result is that the NSH input still come from the standard console input
@@ -45,3 +48,174 @@ The following configuration options can be selected to customize the test:
 - ``CONFIG_EXAMPLES_NXTERM_SERVERPRIO`` – The server priority. Default: ``120``.
 - ``CONFIG_EXAMPLES_NXTERM_LISTENERPRIO`` – The priority of the event listener
   thread. Default: ``80``.
+
+Initialization
+==============
+
+NX Server
+---------
+
+The NxTerm example initializes the NX Server through the following steps:
+
+* Calls ``boardctl(BOARDIOC_NX_START, 0)`` to start the NX server, then
+* Calls ``nx_connect()`` to connect to the NX server.
+* It also creates a separate thread at entry ``nxterm_listener()`` to listen for
+  NX server events.
+
+Window Creation
+---------------
+
+The Nxterm Example then initializes the Windows:
+
+* Calls ``nxtk_openwindow()`` to create a bordered window,
+* Calls ``nxtk_setposition()`` and ``nxtk_setsize()`` to position the window in
+  the display,
+* Calls ``nxtk_opentoolbar()`` to create a toolbar sub-window on the main window
+  (This toolbar window is not used by the example, it is just for illustration).
+
+A more practical use case for, say, a handheld device with a single NxTerm display
+would be to use the background window.  The background is a window like any other
+with these special properties:  It cannot be moved; it is always positioned at (0,0).
+It cannot be resized; it is always the full size of the display.  And it cannot be
+raised, it is always the lowest windows in the z-axis.
+
+NxTerm Driver
+-------------
+
+And binds the Nxterm driver to the permit drawing in the window. This is done when it:
+
+* Calls ``boardctl(BOARDIOC_NXTERM, (uintptr_t)&nxcreate)``
+
+Console Task
+------------
+
+Finally, it sets up the NxTerm and starts the console task:
+
+* Opens the NxTerm driver,
+* It then re-directs stdout and stderr to the NxTerm driver. This will cause all
+  standard output to be rendered into the main windows, and
+* It then starts a separate console daemon that inherits the re-directed output
+  and exits.
+
+Character I/O
+=============
+
+Normal Keyboard Input
+---------------------
+
+Keyboard and mouse inputs are received by the application through window callbacks,
+just like with the Xorg X server.  Some listener needs to inject the keyboard input
+via ``nx_kbdin()`` (``libs/libnx/nx_kbdin.c``) which sends a message containing the
+keyboard input to the NX server.  The NX server will forward that keyboard input to
+the window that has focus.
+
+The Window application listens for NX server events by calling ``nx_eventhandler()``
+(``libs/libnx/nx_eventhandler``) on another listener thread.  If the window has
+focus when the key press is entered, ``nx_eventhandler()`` will forward the key
+press information to the registered window event handler.
+
+In ``apps/examples/nxterm``, ``nxterm_listener.c`` is the thread that drives
+``nx_eventhandler()``. The window NX keyboard callback is the function ``nxwndo_kbdin()``
+in ``nxterm_wndo.c``.  That callback function is just a stub that writes the keyboard
+data to stdout.  It is a stub because keyboard input is not received from the NxTerm
+in this example.
+
+The apps/examples/nxterm/ Kludge
+--------------------------------
+
+``apps/examples/nxterm`` does not do things in the normal way.  NSH does not receive
+keyboard input from NX; it gets keyboard input directly from the default stdin which
+is probably not a keyboard at all but more likely the host PC serial console. This is
+okay because only a single window is used and that example does not need the help of
+NX to select the window that has focus.
+
+Re-direction of stdout and stderr
+---------------------------------
+
+stdin in and stderr are re-directed to the NxTerm character driver in ``nxterm_main.c``
+just before starting the console task.  That logic looks like this:
+
+.. code-block:: C
+
+   /* Now re-direct stdout and stderr so that they use the NX console driver.
+    * Note that stdin is retained (file descriptor 0, probably the serial
+    * console).
+    */
+
+    printf("nxterm_main: Starting the console task\n");
+
+    fflush(stdout);
+    fflush(stderr);
+
+    fclose(stdout);
+    fclose(stderr);
+
+    dup2(fd, 1);
+    dup2(fd, 2);
+
+Note that stdin is not re-directed in this example!  This means that keyboard
+input does not come from the NxTerm driver but, rather, from whatever input
+device was previously configured for stdin, often a serial console.
+
+There is a configuration option that determines if NxTerm receives keyboard
+input or not:  ``CONFIG_NXTERM_NXKBDIN``,  For this NxTerm example, that option can be disabled.
+
+What Is BOARDIOC_NXTERM_IOCTL and Where Is It Used?
+---------------------------------------------------
+
+The ``boardctl()`` command ``BOARDIOC_NXTERM_IOCTL`` allows an application to
+inject keyboard data into NX for forwarding to the window with focus.
+In ``apps/examples/nxterm``, the ``BOARDIOC_NXTERM_IOCTL`` is only called for the
+case of a redraw event. A redraw event may happen when a window above the current
+window is moved and the text is exposed.
+
+If you use only a single window for the NxTerm example, then that window will
+always have focus. It will always have focus and will never be redrawn and the
+``BOARDIOC_NXTERM_IOCTL`` will never be used (Unless, perhaps, you choose to implement
+pop-up error messages or menus on top of the NxTerm window).
+
+Redraw callbacks will not be received even in a multi-window configuration if you
+use per-window frame buffers, either. In that case, the system will automatically
+redraw windows as needed using the per-window frame buffer shadow memory.  This is
+controlled by the option ``CONFIG_NX_RAMBACKED``. This option is recommended for
+performance reasons if you have sufficient memory to support it.
+
+Character Data Flow:  Keyboard to Display
+=========================================
+
+Character Data Flow in apps/examples/nxterm
+-------------------------------------------
+
+* Character input driver receives input
+* NSH receives input on stdin and processes it (stdin is not redirected)
+* Data is output to stdout (redirected to the NxTerm driver)
+
+In this simple, single-window case, ``BOARDIOC_NXTERM_IOCTL`` will never be used.
+
+Character Data Flow in the Generic Window Case
+----------------------------------------------
+
+See, for an example, ``apps/graphics/nxwm/src/cnxterm.cxx``.  In this case, the
+behavior will change, depending on the selection of ``CONFIG_NXTERM_NXKBDIN``:
+If ``CONFIG_NXTERM_NXKBDIN`` is not selected, then the behavior will be similar
+to ``apps/examples/nxterm``; stdin will not be redirected an keyboard input will
+come directly from the the system console.
+
+But is ``CONFIG_NXTERM_NXKBDIN`` is select, NSH's stdin will be re-redirected to
+the to the NxTerm character driver. Keyboard input will arrive on stdin from the
+NxTerm driver rather than from the system console.  The following sequence describes
+the keyboard input in this latter case:
+
+* Character input driver receives input,
+* Some keyboard listener thread receives input and injects it into NX via
+  a call to ``nx_kbdin()``,
+* NX sends an event to the registered ``kbdin()`` method of the window that has
+  focus, providing the keyboard input to the window application.  In this case,
+  the window application of interest is the window bound to the NxTerm character
+  driver by the application.  The ``kbin()`` callback provides the focused keyboard
+  input to the NxTerm driver via ``boardctl(BOARDIOC_NXTERM_IOCTL, (uintptr_t)&iocargs)``,
+* The NxTerm character driver receives keyboard data, buffers it, and provides
+  that keyboard input for the next read operation,
+* NSH receives input on stdin which was re-directed to the NxTerm character driver.
+  NSH processes the input, and
+* ,NSH outputs data to stdout which was re-directed to the NxTerm character driver.
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