Build option build_src_flags in platformio.ini doesn't work

[ar7eniyan]

Setting build_src_flags to anything doesn't pass the flags to the compiler on esp32 boards. Creating the issue here because the same configuration does compile on platform = atmelavr and board = uno.

platformio.ini

[env:esp32dev]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32dev
framework = espidf

build_src_flags = -D THIS_MACRO_WONT_WORK=42

main.c

#include "stdio.h"

void app_main() {
    printf("%d", THIS_MACRO_WONT_WORK);
}

Verbose build log

 *  Executing task: C:\Users\<user>\.platformio\penv\Scripts\platformio.exe run --verbose --environment esp32dev 

Processing esp32dev (platform: espressif32; board: esp32dev; framework: espidf; build_src_flags: -D THIS_MACRO_WONT_WORK=42)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONFIGURATION: https://docs.platformio.org/page/boards/espressif32/esp32dev.html
PLATFORM: Espressif 32 (6.1.0) > Espressif ESP32 Dev Module
HARDWARE: ESP32 240MHz, 320KB RAM, 4MB Flash
DEBUG: Current (cmsis-dap) External (cmsis-dap, esp-bridge, esp-prog, iot-bus-jtag, jlink, minimodule, olimex-arm-usb-ocd, olimex-arm-usb-ocd-h, olimex-arm-usb-tiny-h, olimex-jtag-tiny, tumpa)
PACKAGES: 
 - framework-espidf @ 3.50001.0 (5.0.1) 
 - tool-cmake @ 3.16.4 
 - tool-esptoolpy @ 1.40500.0 (4.5.0) 
 - tool-idf @ 1.0.1 
 - tool-mconf @ 1.4060000.20190628 (406.0.0) 
 - tool-ninja @ 1.9.0 
 - toolchain-esp32ulp @ 1.23500.220830 (2.35.0)
 - toolchain-xtensa-esp32 @ 11.2.0+2022r1
Reading CMake configuration...
LDF: Library Dependency Finder -> https://bit.ly/configure-pio-ldf
LDF Modes: Finder ~ chain, Compatibility ~ soft
Found 0 compatible libraries
Scanning dependencies...
No dependencies
Building in release mode
Using tempfile F:\Projects\Platformio\issue-showcase-esp-idf\.pio\build\esp32dev\tmp5j5605zx.tmp for command line:
xtensa-esp32-elf-gcc -o .pio/build/esp32dev/src/main.o -c -Og -Wall -Werror=all -Wextra -Wno-enum-conversion -Wno-error=deprecated-declarations -Wno-error=unused-but-set-variable -Wno-error=unused-function -Wno-error=unused-variable -Wno-frame-address -Wno-old-style-declaration -Wno-sign-compare -Wno-unused-parameter -fdata-sections -ffunction-sections -fmacro-prefix-map=C:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf=/IDF -fmacro-prefix-map=F:/Projects/Platformio/issue-showcase-esp-idf=. -fno-jump-tables -fno-tree-switch-conversion -fstrict-volatile-bitfields -gdwarf-4 -ggdb -mlongcalls -std=gnu17 -mlongcalls -Wno-frame-address -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -Wall -Werror=all -Wno-error=unused-function -Wno-error=unused-variable -Wno-error=deprecated-declarations -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter -Wno-sign-compare -Wno-enum-conversion -gdwarf-4 -ggdb -Og -fmacro-prefix-map=F:/Projects/Platformio/issue-showcase-esp-idf=. -fmacro-prefix-map=C:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf=/IDF -fstrict-volatile-bitfields -Wno-error=unused-but-set-variable -fno-jump-tables -fno-tree-switch-conversion -Wno-old-style-declaration -D_POSIX_READER_WRITER_LOCKS -DESP_PLATFORM -DIDF_VER=\"5.0.1\" -D_GNU_SOURCE -DconfigENABLE_FREERTOS_DEBUG_OCDAWARE=1 -DPLATFORMIO=60110 -DARDUINO_ESP32_DEV -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/xtensa/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/xtensa/esp32/include -I.pio/build/esp32dev/config -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/newlib/platform_include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/freertos/FreeRTOS-Kernel/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/freertos/esp_additions/include/freertos -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/freertos/FreeRTOS-Kernel/portable/xtensa/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/freertos/esp_additions/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_hw_support/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_hw_support/include/soc -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_hw_support/include/soc/esp32 -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_hw_support/port/esp32 -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_hw_support/port/esp32/private_include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/heap/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/log/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/soc/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/soc/esp32 -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/soc/esp32/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/hal/esp32/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/hal/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/hal/platform_port/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_rom/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_rom/include/esp32 -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_rom/esp32 -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_common/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_system/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_system/port/soc -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_system/port/include/private -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/lwip/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/lwip/include/apps -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/lwip/include/apps/sntp -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/lwip/lwip/src/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/lwip/port/esp32/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/lwip/port/esp32/include/arch -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_ringbuf/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/efuse/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/efuse/esp32/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_timer/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/driver/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/driver/deprecated -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/driver/esp32/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_pm/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/mbedtls/port/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/mbedtls/mbedtls/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/mbedtls/mbedtls/library -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/mbedtls/esp_crt_bundle/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_app_format/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/bootloader_support/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/bootloader_support/bootloader_flash/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_partition/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/app_update/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/spi_flash/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/pthread/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/app_trace/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_event/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/nvs_flash/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_phy/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_phy/esp32/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/vfs/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_netif/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/wpa_supplicant/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/wpa_supplicant/port/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/wpa_supplicant/esp_supplicant/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_wifi/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/unity/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/unity/unity/src -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/cmock/CMock/src -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/console -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/http_parser -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp-tls -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp-tls/esp-tls-crypto -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_adc/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_adc/interface -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_adc/esp32/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_adc/deprecated/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_eth/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_gdbstub/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_gdbstub/xtensa -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_gdbstub/esp32 -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_hid/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/tcp_transport/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_http_client/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_http_server/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_https_ota/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_lcd/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_lcd/interface -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/protobuf-c/protobuf-c -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/protocomm/include/common -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/protocomm/include/security -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/protocomm/include/transports -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_local_ctrl/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/esp_psram/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/espcoredump/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/espcoredump/include/port/xtensa -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/wear_levelling/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/sdmmc/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/fatfs/diskio -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/fatfs/vfs -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/fatfs/src -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/idf_test/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/idf_test/include/esp32 -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/ieee802154/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/json/cJSON -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/mqtt/esp-mqtt/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/perfmon/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/spiffs/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/ulp/ulp_common/include -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/ulp/ulp_common/include/esp32 -IC:/Users/<user>/.platformio/packages/framework-espidf/components/wifi_provisioning/include -Iinclude -Isrc src/main.c
xtensa-esp32-elf-gcc @F:\Projects\Platformio\issue-showcase-esp-idf\.pio\build\esp32dev\tmp5j5605zx.tmp
src/main.c: In function 'app_main':
src/main.c:4:18: error: 'THIS_MACRO_WONT_WORK' undeclared (first use in this function)
    4 |     printf("%d", THIS_MACRO_WONT_WORK);
      |                  ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
src/main.c:4:18: note: each undeclared identifier is reported only once for each function it appears in

... goes on ...

====================================================================== [FAILED] Took 3.70 seconds ======================================================================

[Jason2866]

Maybe build_src_flags = -DTHIS_MACRO_WONT_WORK=42?

[ar7eniyan]

Maybe build_src_flags = -DTHIS_MACRO_WONT_WORK=42?

This doesn't build either. It's not just macro definitions that don't work, but any compiler options as well.

[Jason2866]

Macros can be tricky. This one works

[env:esp32dev]
platform = espressif32 @ 6.1.0
board = esp32dev
framework = espidf
build_flags = -DTHIS_MACRO_WONT_WORK='42'

[ar7eniyan]

build_flags = -DTHIS_MACRO_WONT_WORK='42'

Not build_flags, but build_src_flags. The point is that the first one works and the second one doesn't.

[Jason2866]

Your orig. example is not correct at all. Without escaping the value it shouldnt work.
But yes there is a bug with build_src_flags = -DTHIS_MACRO_WONT_WORK='42'

Strange why it should work for atmelavr imho this is in Platformio Core
Here https://github.com/platformio/platformio-core/blob/develop/platformio/builder/tools/piolib.py#L942

[ar7eniyan]

Found a workaround by using target_compile_options() in a main component's cmakelists (<project>/src/CMakeLists.txt):
target_compile_options(${COMPONENT_LIB} PRIVATE <options>)
Defines and include search directories can be added using more specific commands: target_compile_definitions()/target_include_directories()

Can someone mark this issue as a bug?

[valeros]

Thanks for reporting, should be fixed in the dev branch.

[udem1234]

I'm not sure if my problem is related but I used build_src_flags in platformio.ini specific board sections to include appropriate header file based on the board used. Here is a short example :

...

[env:lilygo-t-display-s3]
...
build_src_flags =
${env.build_src_flags}
-include lib/boards/Lilygo-T-Display-S3.hpp

[env:makerfabs-s3-35]
...
build_src_flags =
${env.build_src_flags}
-include lib/boards/MakerFabs_Parallel_S3.hpp

...

But it seems that the appropriate #include is not considered in src/main.cpp as expected when building. A specific function is not found with this method (but is found when I add the #include directly in the main.cpp).

Or is it me who don't understand how to implement the behavior I need ?

[valeros]

@udem1234, just run your project in verbose mode and check if your -include flag is correctly passed to the compiler.