ROS HOWTO - Revision history

GiulioFontana at 10:19, 9 November 2016

2016-11-09T10:19:12Z

GiulioFontana at 10:18, 9 November 2016

2016-11-09T10:18:29Z

GiulioFontana: /* Building ROS software */

2016-11-09T10:17:25Z

‎Building ROS software

GiulioFontana at 10:16, 9 November 2016

2016-11-09T10:16:30Z

GiulioFontana at 10:11, 9 November 2016

2016-11-09T10:11:18Z

GiulioFontana: /* ROS in AIRWiki */

2016-11-09T09:37:57Z

‎ROS in AIRWiki

GiulioFontana: /* ROS in AIRWiki */

2016-11-09T09:35:27Z

‎ROS in AIRWiki

GiulioFontana at 09:35, 9 November 2016

2016-11-09T09:35:08Z

GiulioFontana: /* More about ROS packages */

2016-11-09T09:31:01Z

‎More about ROS packages

GiulioFontana at 09:30, 9 November 2016

2016-11-09T09:30:10Z

@@ Line 126: / Line 126: @@
 The template includes a single C++ class comprehending a suitable set of member variables and member functions, plus a very simple ''main'' block. By uncommenting the parts of the template that you require for your ROS node, you can quickly set up the structure of the node. Moreover, the template includes notes and comments that explain how a ROS node is built and works in practice.
-== Building ROS software ==
+= Building ROS software =
 ''[Note: this section only deals with C++ software. TODO: expand to the Python case.]''

@@ Line 120: / Line 120: @@
 In practice, '''a node is implemented as a single executable file'''. This is produced from a source code file written in one of the programming languages supported by ROS. For instance, if you use C++ you will have to write a .cpp file comprising a main block (and anything else your program needs to work, such as additional functions, data types, #include directives and so on).
-== AIRLab's general node template ==
+=== AIRLab's general node template ===
 [[Image:ExampleROSTemplate.png  |thumb|right|200px|A fragment of the template. Click on the image for a larger view.]]

@@ Line 129: / Line 129: @@
 ''[Note: this section only deals with C++ software. TODO: expand to the Python case.]''
-ROS packages, either provided by ROS or user-generated, take the form of C++ or Python software. Such software defines the structure and operation of the ROS nodes of the package. To know what a node can do, see [[#ROS nodes]].
+ROS packages, either provided by ROS or user-generated, take the form of C++ or Python software. Such software defines the structure and operation of the ROS nodes of the package. To know what a node can do, see [[#ROS nodes|the section dedicated to ROS nodes]].
 When C++ is used, the .cpp files that define ROS nodes can have any name, provided that such names [http://www.ros.org/wiki/ROS/Concepts#Names.Names are legal].

@@ Line 126: / Line 126: @@
 The template includes a single C++ class comprehending a suitable set of member variables and member functions, plus a very simple ''main'' block. By uncommenting the parts of the template that you require for your ROS node, you can quickly set up the structure of the node. Moreover, the template includes notes and comments that explain how a ROS node is built and works in practice.
-== Filenames and node names ==
+== Building ROS software ==
-''[Note: this section is only valid if C++ is used to define nodes. TODO: expand to the Python case.]''
+''[Note: this section only deals with C++ software. TODO: expand to the Python case.]''
-Currently, the system used by ROS to manage package compilation is called ''catkin''. Refer to [http://wiki.ros.org/catkin/Tutorials/using_a_workspace this tutorial] for instructions about using catkin to compile ROS software. The key command used to compile software is <code> catkin_make </code>.
+ROS packages, either provided by ROS or user-generated, take the form of C++ or Python software. Such software defines the structure and operation of the ROS nodes of the package. To know what a node can do, see [[#ROS nodes]].
-In general, the .cpp files that define ROS nodes can have any name, provided that such names [http://www.ros.org/wiki/ROS/Concepts#Names.Names are legal].
+When C++ is used, the .cpp files that define ROS nodes can have any name, provided that such names [http://www.ros.org/wiki/ROS/Concepts#Names.Names are legal].
 When a .cpp file is compiled by ROS the files that are generated by the compilation process (which include the executables in the /bin subdirectory) take the names that are specified by the ''CMakeLists.txt'' file. The syntax used in this file is described [http://wiki.ros.org/catkin/CMakeLists.txt here]. For instance, putting in CMakeLists.txt the line

@@ Line 129: / Line 129: @@
 ''[Note: this section is only valid if C++ is used to define nodes. TODO: expand to the Python case.]''
-''[Note: this section may be partly obsolete. In fact, starting from ROS version ''Groovy'', [http://www.ros.org/news/2012/12/ros-groovy-galapagos-released.html rosbuild is no more the standard build system for ROS]. It has been substituted with a new system, called [http://www.ros.org/wiki/catkin/conceptual_overview#What_is_a_Build_System.3F ''catkin'']. Some important differences exist between rosbuild and catkin: for instance, [http://www.ros.org/wiki/catkin/conceptual_overview#Differences_in_rosbuild_and_catkin_Build_Step rosmake is no more the standard compile command]. Initially, [http://www.ros.org/wiki/catkin/conceptual_overview#catkin.2BAC8-rosbuild_Compatibility compatibility with rosmake will be retained], though it is now deprecated; but in the long run rosmake will be eliminated. So '''new project must use catkin'''.]''
+Currently, the system used by ROS to manage package compilation is called ''catkin''. Refer to [http://wiki.ros.org/catkin/Tutorials/using_a_workspace this tutorial] for instructions about using catkin to compile ROS software. The key command used to compile software is <code> catkin_make </code>.
-The .cpp files that define ROS nodes can have any name, provided that such names [http://www.ros.org/wiki/ROS/Concepts#Names.Names are legal].
+In general, the .cpp files that define ROS nodes can have any name, provided that such names [http://www.ros.org/wiki/ROS/Concepts#Names.Names are legal].
-When a .cpp file is compiled using rosmake, the files that are generated by the compilation process (which include the executables in the /bin subdirectory) take the names that are specified by the CMakeLists.txt file. For instance, putting in CMakeLists.txt the line
+When a .cpp file is compiled by ROS the files that are generated by the compilation process (which include the executables in the /bin subdirectory) take the names that are specified by the ''CMakeLists.txt'' file. The syntax used in this file is described [http://wiki.ros.org/catkin/CMakeLists.txt here]. For instance, putting in CMakeLists.txt the line
 : <code>rosbuild_add_executable(name_of_executable src/name_of.cpp)</code>
-instructs rosmake to compile file name_of.cpp and call name_of_executable the resulting binary file.
+instructs catkin_make to compile file name_of.cpp and call name_of_executable the resulting binary file.
 The name of the executable takes the role of the name of ''type of node''. All ROS nodes which are run using such executable are of the same type (i.e., they work in the exact same way) but take different names depending on the way they are run.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 The page you are reading is an introduction to ROS. If you are a ROS beginner, we suggest that you start from it. AIRWiki pages dedicated to ROS users also include more advanced pages such as:
-: [[ROS summary]], dealing with ROS installation and configuration, ROS packages and interaction with external systems such as Eclipse or Gazebo
+: [[ROS summary]], dealing with ROS installation/configuration, ROS packages, interaction of ROS with external systems (e.g.: Gazebo, Eclipse)
 : [[ROS components]], dealing with specific ROS components (such as tf, the parameter server, rviz...)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 = ROS in AIRWiki =
 The page you are reading is an introduction to ROS. If you are a ROS beginner, we suggest that you start from it. AIRWiki pages dedicated to ROS users also include more advanced pages such as:
 [[ROS summary]], dealing with ROS installation and configuration, ROS packages and interaction with external systems such as Eclipse or Gazebo
 = ROS in general =

@@ Line 47: / Line 47: @@
 === More about ROS packages ===
-There are many other things that can be said about ROS packages, such as what is their internal structure. You can find this information in the AIRWiki page specifically dedicated to ROS packages : [[ROS summary]].
+There are many other things that can be said about ROS packages, such as what is their internal structure. You can find this information in the AIRWiki page [[ROS summary]].
 == How to get information about ROS ==