Identifying and resolving firmware component dependencies

An apparatus,

• comprising:
• at least one processor;
• and
• a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon that are executable by the at least one processor and which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to
• access, by means of a graphical user interface, dependency information for a firmware project comprising a plurality of firmware components, the dependency information defining one or more of
• (iv) a group of optional dependencies for the plurality of firmware components, a first optional dependency of the group of optional dependencies being defined using a first dependency expression, a first label operator, a first source control path, and a first label,
• (v) a group of mandatory dependencies for the plurality of firmware components, a first mandatory dependency of the group of mandatory dependencies being defined using a second dependency expression, a second label operator, a second source control path, and a second label, or
• (vi) a group of incompatible dependencies for the plurality of firmware components, a first incompatible dependency of the group of incompatible dependencies being defined using a third dependency expression, a third label operator, a third source control path, and a third label;
• evaluate the dependency information for the plurality of firmware components in the firmware project during development of the firmware to identify one or more unsatisfied dependencies present in the firmware project;
• in response to identifying at least one unsatisfied dependency present in the firmware project during the development of the firmware, receive input information indicating to resolve the at least one unsatisfied dependency;
• and
• resolve the at least one unsatisfied dependency by performing at least a first operation of a group of operations comprising updating a firmware component in the firmware project.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• access, by means of a graphical user interface, dependency information for a firmware project comprising a plurality of firmware components, the dependency information defining one or more of
• (vii) a group of optional dependencies for the plurality of firmware components, a first optional dependency of the group of optional dependencies being defined using a first dependency expression, a first label operator, a first source control path, and a first label,
• (viii) a group of mandatory dependencies for the plurality of firmware components, a first mandatory dependency of the group of mandatory dependencies being defined using a second dependency expression, a second label operator, a second source control path, and a second label, or
• (ix) a group of incompatible dependencies for the plurality of firmware components, a first incompatible dependency of the group of incompatible dependencies being defined using a third dependency expression, a third label operator, a third source control path, and a third label;
• evaluate the dependency information for the plurality of firmware components in the firmware project during development of the firmware to identify one or more unsatisfied dependencies present in the firmware project;
• in response to identifying at least one unsatisfied dependency present in the firmware project during the development of the firmware, receive input information indicating to resolve the at least one unsatisfied dependency;
• and
• resolve the at least one unsatisfied dependency by performing at least a first operation of a group of operations comprising updating a firmware component already in the firmware project.