How to integrate my own UI code without modifying lv_port_pc_visual_studio source?

[yunfenggao66-dot]

Hi everyone 👋

I’m using lv_port_pc_visual_studio
as a submodule in my own project.
I want to:

Run my own UI code inside the simulator

Avoid modifying the original simulator source code (main.c etc.)

Reuse the same UI code on both Windows simulator and embedded hardware

My current structure looks like this:

MyProject/
├─ lv_port_pc_visual_studio/ # submodule (original)
├─ src/
│ ├─ ui_app.c
│ └─ ui_app.h
└─ main_x86.c # my own entry for simulator
└─ CMakeLists.txt

I’m planning to:

Write my own main_pc.c to initialize LVGL and call ui_app_init()

Keep the submodule untouched

Add main_x86.c and ui_app.c to the build system (Visual Studio)

Is this the recommended approach?
Or is there a cleaner/more “LVGL style” way to hook my code into the simulator startup?

Thanks a lot 🙏

Environment:

OS: Windows

Compiler: Visual Studio 2022

Simulator: lv_port_pc_visual_studio submodule

[MouriNaruto]

Actually the modification of simulator Visual Studio project won't affect the LVGL submodule source code if you don't change the LVGL submodule source code.

But I will tidy the source code like provide blank LVGL project without examples, it will be helpful for users to integrate their logic.

Kenji Mouri

[MouriNaruto]

I forgot to notice that the current usage of LVGL VS repository is adding your logic to the VS project.

Kenji Mouri

[yunfenggao66-dot]

Thanks for your reply

So if I understand correctly, the current recommended usage of this repository is to modify the existing VS project / code directly to add our own UI logic, right?

My concern is that modifying the original code may make it harder to keep the submodule clean or update it later.
Is there any officially supported way (or plan) to hook our code without touching the original source?

I forgot to notice that the current usage of LVGL VS repository is adding your logic to the VS project.

Kenji Mouri

[MouriNaruto]

So if I understand correctly, the current recommended usage of this repository is to modify the existing VS project / code directly to add our own UI logic, right?

Yes, it's also the way the many LVGL VS repo users asked and hoped. This is also the Visual Studio project design. (You should follow the Visual Studio way instead of CMake way.) This project also done the separation between LVGL submodule and user customize things a.k.a. VS project.

My concern is that modifying the original code may make it harder to keep the submodule clean or update it later.

Many LVGL VS repo users needs to do some modification for submodule itself to do something they need. This is why I need to write some synchronization tools to synchronize the submodule update for the project before.

Is there any officially supported way (or plan) to hook our code without touching the original source?

In current stage, touching VS project configuration won't touch the original LVGL source, unless you change the source code in the LVGL submodule. (The contents in LvglPlatform folder.)

Kenji Mouri

[MouriNaruto]

Visual Studio C++ projects has some limitations which cause that we cannot add the code without modifying the project file, if you want to use the IDE view properly. This is why I wrote the project updater tools before, which will be have a friendly usage for end users if I solve some issues.

Kenji Mouri

[yunfenggao66-dot]

Visual Studio C++ projects has some limitations which cause that we cannot add the code without modifying the project file, if you want to use the IDE view properly. This is why I wrote the project updater tools before, which will be have a friendly usage for end users if I solve some issues.

Kenji Mouri

Yes, the Visual Studio project has some limitations, so I tried using lv_port_pc_vscode.

It uses CMake for building, and integrating my own code logic without modifying the original source is very straightforward.
This ensures that the third-party library code remains clean.

Thank you again for your explanation.