File Confidence

Ensuring the integrity of all input and output files is a core aspect of Corsair, directly reflecting the "Validate everything" principle outlined in our philosophy. This section provides an overview of how Corsair handles file validation, helping you understand te built-in checks and how to leverage them.

Input File Validation

Corsair primarily deals with two types of input files: the Build file and the Register file. Both are crucial for the correct generation of your desired outputs.

Build File

The Build file (e.g., csrbuild.yaml) contains the recipe that describes how to load your register descriptions and transform them into various outputs.

• Automatic Validation: When Corsair parses a Build file, it's validated against a Pydantic model. This ensures the structure and data types conform to the expected schema.
• Manual Validation: You can manually check the integrity of your Build file using the corsair check command. For more details, refer to the CLI documentation.
• Schema-based Validation: For integration with external validators or for a deeper understanding of the expected structure, Corsair provides a JSON schema for the Build file. You can:
  • Generate it using the corsair schema command (see CLI documentation).
  • Find it in the Corsair repository.
  • Access it on the documentation site.

Register File

The Register file (e.g., in YAML or JSON format) contains the actual definitions of your registers and bitfields.

• Automatic Validation: Similar to the Build file, the Register file is validated against a Pydantic model during the parsing stage.
• Manual Validation: You can manually check your Register file using the corsair check command (see CLI documentation).
• Schema-based Validation: A JSON schema is also available for the Register file to facilitate validation with other tools. You can:
  • Generate it using the corsair schema map command (see CLI documentation).
  • Find it in the Corsair repository.
  • Access it on the documentation site.

Output File Validation (Coming Soon)

Corsair aims to produce clean and error-free output files. The validation strategies for generated outputs are currently under development and will include:

• HDL Outputs: Generated HDL files (e.g., Verilog, VHDL) will be tested using strict compilation options to ensure they are lint-free and warning-free.
• Documentation Outputs: Linters will be employed during testing to verify the cleanliness and correctness of generated documentation files.
• Software Outputs: Similarly, linters will be used to check the generated software files (e.g., C headers) for quality and correctness.

This multi-layered validation approach ensures that from input to output, Corsair maintains a high level of confidence in the files it processes and produces, contributing to a more robust and reliable workflow.