Dependency Sets

What are Dependency Sets?

Dependency sets are named collections of package dependencies. They allow you to define different dependency profiles for different scenarios, such as development vs. release, or different build targets.

Why Use Dependency Sets?

Separate Concerns

Development and release often need different dependencies:

Development needs:

• Testing frameworks (pytest, unittest)

• Debugging tools

• Documentation generators

• Linters and formatters

• Build tools

Release needs:

• Only runtime dependencies

• Minimal footprint

• No development tools

Example: A verification IP might depend on UVM libraries at runtime, but also need waveform viewers and coverage tools during development.

Multiple Build Targets

Different configurations may need different dependencies:

• FPGA vs ASIC builds

• Simulation vs synthesis

• Different test suites

• Platform-specific dependencies

Faster Updates

By selecting only the dependencies you need, ivpm update runs faster and uses less disk space.

Defining Dependency Sets

Basic Structure

Define dependency sets in your ivpm.yaml:

package:
  name: my-project
  default-dep-set: default-dev  # Default when not specified

  dep-sets:
    - name: default           # Release dependencies
      deps:
        - name: runtime-lib
          url: https://github.com/org/runtime-lib.git

    - name: default-dev       # Development dependencies
      deps:
        - name: runtime-lib
          url: https://github.com/org/runtime-lib.git
        - name: pytest
          src: pypi
        - name: test-framework
          url: https://github.com/org/test-framework.git

Standard Names

While you can use any names, IVPM recognizes these standard names:

default

Release/runtime dependencies. Use this for packages you’re distributing.

default-dev

Development dependencies. Includes everything from default plus development tools.

Using Dependency Sets

Selecting a Set

On the command line:

# Use development dependencies (default if default-dep-set is set)
ivpm update

# Explicitly use development dependencies
ivpm update -d default-dev

# Use release dependencies
ivpm update -d default

# Use custom dependency set
ivpm update -d fpga-build

Setting the default:

package:
  name: my-project
  default-dep-set: default-dev

If default-dep-set is specified, that set is used when no -d option is given to ivpm update.

Complete Examples

Example 1: Simple Dev/Release Split

package:
  name: uart-ip
  default-dep-set: default-dev

  dep-sets:
    - name: default
      deps:
        - name: wishbone-if
          url: https://github.com/vendor/wishbone.git
          branch: v1.0

    - name: default-dev
      deps:
        - name: wishbone-if
          url: https://github.com/vendor/wishbone.git
          branch: v1.0
        - name: cocotb
          src: pypi
        - name: vcd-tools
          url: https://github.com/tools/vcd.git

Example 2: Multiple Build Targets

package:
  name: soc-design
  default-dep-set: sim

  dep-sets:
    - name: sim
      deps:
        - name: cpu-core
          url: https://github.com/org/cpu.git
        - name: verilator
          url: https://github.com/verilator/verilator.git

    - name: fpga
      deps:
        - name: cpu-core
          url: https://github.com/org/cpu.git
        - name: xilinx-ips
          url: https://github.com/org/xilinx.git

    - name: asic
      deps:
        - name: cpu-core
          url: https://github.com/org/cpu.git
        - name: pdk-libs
          url: https://github.com/org/pdk.git

Hierarchical Dependency Sets

When a dependency has its own ivpm.yaml, you can control which of its dependency sets is loaded.

Dependency Set Inheritance

By default, sub-packages inherit the parent’s dependency set name:

Root Project
  dep-set: "default-dev"
    ↓
  Dependency A (uses "default-dev")
    ↓
  Sub-dependency A1 (uses "default-dev")

Example:

# Root project
package:
  name: root-project
  dep-sets:
    - name: default-dev
      deps:
        - name: sub-package
          url: https://github.com/org/sub.git
          # No dep-set specified → inherits "default-dev"

When ivpm update -d default-dev runs:

1. Loads root-project with default-dev

2. Fetches sub-package

3. Loads sub-package with default-dev (inherited)

Overriding Dependency Sets

You can explicitly specify which dependency set a sub-package should use:

package:
  name: root-project
  dep-sets:
    - name: default-dev
      deps:
        - name: library-a
          url: https://github.com/org/library-a.git
          dep-set: default  # Use release deps from library-a

        - name: test-tools
          url: https://github.com/org/tools.git
          dep-set: default-dev  # Use dev deps from tools

Use case: Include a third-party library’s release dependencies even when developing, to avoid pulling in all their development tools.

Default Dependency Set for Sub-Packages

You can set a default dep-set that all sub-packages will use:

package:
  name: root-project
  dep-sets:
    - name: default-dev
      default-dep-set: default  # All sub-packages use "default"
      deps:
        - name: library-a
          url: https://github.com/org/library-a.git
          # Uses "default" (from default-dep-set)

        - name: library-b
          url: https://github.com/org/library-b.git
          dep-set: default-dev  # Override: use dev deps

Dependency Set Diagram

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Root Project: ivpm update -d default-dev         │
│   default-dep-set in dep-set: default            │
└────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────┘
         │
         ├─ Library A (dep-set: not specified)
         │    → Uses "default" (from parent's default-dep-set)
         │    ├─ Sub-dep A1 → Uses "default" (inherited)
         │    └─ Sub-dep A2 → Uses "default" (inherited)
         │
         ├─ Library B (dep-set: default-dev)
         │    → Uses "default-dev" (explicitly overridden)
         │    └─ Sub-dep B1 → Uses "default-dev" (inherited)
         │
         └─ Tool C (dep-set: not specified)
              → Uses "default" (from parent's default-dep-set)

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Shared Dependencies

Include common dependencies in both sets:

dep-sets:
  - name: default
    deps:
      - name: core-lib
        url: https://github.com/org/core.git

  - name: default-dev
    deps:
      - name: core-lib
        url: https://github.com/org/core.git
      - name: pytest
        src: pypi

Pattern 2: Development Tools Only

Keep development tools completely separate:

dep-sets:
  - name: default
    deps:
      - name: runtime-lib
        url: https://github.com/org/runtime.git

  - name: tools
    deps:
      - name: linter
        src: pypi
      - name: formatter
        src: pypi

Usage: ivpm update -d default && ivpm update -d tools

Pattern 3: Conditional Dependencies

Use different dependency sets for optional features:

dep-sets:
  - name: minimal
    deps:
      - name: core
        url: https://github.com/org/core.git

  - name: with-gui
    deps:
      - name: core
        url: https://github.com/org/core.git
      - name: gui-toolkit
        url: https://github.com/org/gui.git

  - name: with-plugins
    deps:
      - name: core
        url: https://github.com/org/core.git
      - name: plugin-system
        url: https://github.com/org/plugins.git

Best Practices

1. Use standard names (default, default-dev) for consistency

2. Set default-dep-set in your project root for developer convenience

3. Keep release deps minimal - only include what’s needed at runtime

4. Document custom sets - explain when to use each set

5. Control sub-dependencies - use dep-set override to avoid pulling excess deps

6. Test both profiles - ensure default works without dev tools

Troubleshooting

Missing Dependency Set

Error: Dep-set <name> is not present in project <project>

Solution: Check that:

1. The dep-set is defined in the project’s ivpm.yaml

2. The name matches exactly (case-sensitive)

3. If using dep-set override, the target package has that set

Package Not Loading

Issue: Expected package not appearing in packages/

Check:

1. Is it in the active dependency set?

2. Run ivpm update -d <set-name> with the correct set

3. Check if deps: skip is set on any dependencies

Wrong Dependencies Loaded

Issue: Getting development tools when you wanted release deps

Solution:

1. Check default-dep-set in root ivpm.yaml

2. Explicitly specify: ivpm update -d default

3. Check default-dep-set in each dependency set

See Also

• Core Concepts - Understanding IVPM’s model

• Package Types & Sources - Complete dependency attribute reference