6.1.6.4. Types Files and the OpenFAST Registry

Being a modern software project, OpenFAST has a complex system of custom data types. In Fortran, these are known as “derived data types.” Each module contains a unique collection of derived types which may add on to but must comply with the OpenFAST Framework. The module types are generally auto-generated by an included program called OpenFAST Registry. The OpenFAST Registry is written in C and adapted from a similar utility used in WRF. Visit the OpenFAST Registry README for more information.

The OpenFAST Registry requires an input file to describe the necessary types for a given module. Generally, all module use a similar naming convention, <Module>_Registry.txt, and resulting Fortran code will be in a file called <Module>_Types.f90. For example, the AeroDyn OpenFAST Registry input file is located at openfast/modules/aerodyn/src/AeroDyn_Registry.txt and the resulting auto-generated Fortran source code is at openfast/modules/aerodyn/src/AeroDyn_Types.f90.

Since the types-modules are autogenerated, any changes to the data types directly should be expressed in the OpenFAST Registry input files so that the changes are not subsequently overwritten.

6.1.6.4.1. Compiling the OpenFAST Registry

The OpenFAST Registry is included in the OpenFAST build system through CMake. However, the default is to not compile the OpenFAST Registry executable and instead use the types modules that are included in git while compiling OpenFAST. To include the OpenFAST Registry in the build process and compile the Registry program, configure CMake with the GENERATE_TYPES flag:

cmake .. -DGENERATE_TYPES=ON

With GENERATE_TYPES enabled, CMake will configure the openfast-registry target to compile as a dependency of all other targets. The OpenFAST Registry executable will be found in openfast/build/modules/openfast-registry/openfast-registry.

6.1.6.4.2. Regenerating a types module

With the GENERATE_TYPES flag enabled, an additional step will be added to modules that are configured can make use of the OpenFAST Registry. The additional step will execute the OpenFAST Registry and regenerate the types module overwriting the existing modules. Any changes to the types module will be evident in git. For modules where the registry input file has not changed, the resulting types module will not change. However, for registry input files that have been modified, the output types module will be recompiled.

6.1.6.4.3. Adding a new types module

The process for adding a new types module follows Regenerating a types module closely. Here, an additional step is required to configure CMake to execute the Registry on the new input file and include the resulting types module in the compile step.

First, a new OpenFAST Registry input file must be created. Then, it must be configured to pass through the Registry in the corresponding module’s CMakeLists.txt:

# This is the control statement for allowing the Registry to execute
if (GENERATE_TYPES)

    # Here is the CMake wrapper-function to execute the Registry
    # syntax: generate_f90_types(<Registry input file> <output file location>)
    generate_f90_types(src/AeroDyn_Registry.txt ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/src/AeroDyn_Types.f90)
    generate_f90_types(src/New_Registry.txt ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/src/New_Types.f90)
endif()

Finally, the resulting types module must be added to the source files for the corresponding module:

# AeroDyn lib
set(AD_LIBS_SOURCES
    src/AeroDyn.f90
    src/AeroDyn_IO.f90
    src/AirfoilInfo.f90
    src/BEMT.f90
    src/DBEMT.f90
    src/BEMTUncoupled.f90
    src/UnsteadyAero.f90
    src/fmin_fcn.f90
    src/mod_root1dim.f90
    src/AeroDyn_Types.f90
    src/AirfoilInfo_Types.f90
    src/BEMT_Types.f90
    src/DBEMT_Types.f90
    src/UnsteadyAero_Types.f90

    # Add the new types module here
    src/New_Types.f90
)

With CMake properly configured, a message will display during the build process indicating that the OpenFAST Registry is executing:

[ 64%] Generating ../../../modules/aerodyn/src/New_Types.f90

----- FAST Registry --------------
----------------------------------------------------------
input file: /Users/rmudafor/Development/openfast/modules/aerodyn/src/New_Registry.txt
# more build process output will follow

And finally there should be an indication that the resulting types module is compiled:

Scanning dependencies of target aerodynlib
[ 70%] Building Fortran object modules/aerodyn/CMakeFiles/aerodynlib.dir/src/New_Types.f90.o