Sources

The sources section in Bender.yml defines the source files, include directories, and preprocessor definitions that make up your package.

Basic File Listing

The simplest way to include files is to list them as strings. All paths are relative to the location of the Bender.yml file.

sources:
  - src/my_pkg.sv
  - src/my_ip.sv
  - src/my_vhdl.vhd

Source Groups

You can group files together to apply common settings like include directories, preprocessor defines, or targets.

sources:
  - include_dirs:
      - include
      - src/common/include
    defines:
      USE_FAST_ALU: ~        # Define without a value
      BIT_WIDTH: 64          # Define with a value
    target: synthesis
    files:
      - src/rtl/alu.sv
      - src/rtl/top.sv

• include_dirs: Paths added to the +incdir+ flag during compilation. These directories apply only to the files in this source group and any nested child groups; they are generally not visible to sibling groups or to dependents of the package. To expose headers to other packages, use export_include_dirs instead.
• defines: Preprocessor macros added via +define+.
• target: A target expression that determines if this entire group is included in the current flow.

Target-Conditional Include Dirs and Defines

Individual entries in include_dirs and defines can also be filtered by target. Use the { target: <expr>, dir: <path> } form for include directories, and { target: <expr>, value: <value> } for define values:

sources:
  - include_dirs:
      - include
      # Only added when the `fpga` target is active
      - { target: fpga, dir: include/fpga }
    defines:
      # Static define
      BIT_WIDTH: 64
      # Only set when the `test` target is active
      TEST_COMPONENTS: { target: any(test, regression_test), value: "all" }
    files:
      - src/rtl/top.sv

The same { target: <expr>, dir: <path> } form is accepted in export_include_dirs.

Glob Patterns

Bender supports glob patterns for automatically including multiple files without listing them individually:

sources:
  - src/*.sv                # All .sv files in the src directory
  - src/submodules/**/*.sv  # All .sv files in all subdirectories (recursive)

Custom File Types

While Bender automatically detects file types by standard extensions (.sv, .v, .vhd), you can explicitly specify the type for encrypted or non-standard files:

sources:
  - sv: vendor/encrypted_src.svp
  - v: vendor/legacy_code.vp
  - vhd: vendor/encrypted_vhdl.e

External File Lists (external_flists)

If you have existing EDA tool file lists (often .f or .flist), you can include them directly. Bender will attempt to parse them for source files, include directories, and defines:

sources:
  - external_flists:
      - scripts/files.f
    files: []

File Overrides

The override_files: true flag allows a source group to replace files with the same basename from other parts of the dependency tree. Use it to “patch” dependencies or swap implementations at the top level.

sources:
  - override_files: true
    files:
      - patches/axi_fifo.sv # Will replace any 'axi_fifo.sv' found in the dependency tree

Exported Include Directories

If your package provides headers that its dependents need (e.g., UVM macros or shared packages), use the export_include_dirs section at the top level of the manifest:

package:
  name: my_utils

export_include_dirs:
  - include

Any package that depends on my_utils will automatically have the include directory added to its include search path.

Best Practice: To avoid naming collisions, place your headers in a sub-folder named after your package.

The Problem: If two packages (axi and apb) both export a header named typedefs.svh, a file including `include "typedefs.svh" will be ambiguous, and the compiler will pick whichever directory it finds first in the include path.

The Solution: Structure your files as include/axi/typedefs.svh and include/apb/typedefs.svh, then include them with the package prefix:

`include "axi/typedefs.svh"
`include "apb/typedefs.svh"