Removed JSON-for-VHDL submodule.

LarsAsplund · LarsAsplund · commit 19d8a5f8cf24 · 2026-02-21T23:18:24.000+01:00
JSON-for-VHDL support is now provided through a separate VUnit package. Install it with:

pip install vunit-json-for-vhdl
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
 [submodule "vunit/vhdl/osvvm"]
 	path = vunit/vhdl/osvvm
 	url = ../../OSVVM/OSVVM.git
-[submodule "vunit/vhdl/JSON-for-VHDL"]
-	path = vunit/vhdl/JSON-for-VHDL
-	url = ../../Paebbels/JSON-for-VHDL.git
diff --git a/LICENSE.rst b/LICENSE.rst
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
 **VUnit**, except for the projects below, is released under the terms of `Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0`_.
 |copy| 2014-2024 Lars Asplund, lars.anders.asplund@gmail.com.
 
-The following libraries are `redistributed`_ with VUnit for convenience:
+The following library is `redistributed`_ with VUnit for convenience:
 
 * **OSVVM** (``vunit/vhdl/osvvm``): these files are licensed under the terms of `Apache License, v 2.0`_,
   |copy| 2010 - 2023 by `SynthWorks Design Inc`_. All rights reserved.
 
-* **JSON-for-VHDL** (``vunit/vhdl/JSON-for-VHDL``): these files are licensed under the terms of `Apache License,
-  v 2.0`_, |copy| 2015 - 2022 Patrick Lehmann.
-
 The font used in VUnit's logo and illustrations is 'Tratex', the traffic sign typeface used on swedish road signs:
 
 - `transportstyrelsen.se: Teckensnitt <https://transportstyrelsen.se/sv/vagtrafik/Trafikregler/Om-vagmarken/Teckensnitt/>`__
diff --git a/docs/about.rst b/docs/about.rst
@@ -60,10 +60,7 @@ Main Features
     `actor model <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actor_model>`__.
   * :doc:`Verification Components library <./verification_components/user_guide>` providing verification components (VCs)
     for interfaces such as AXI, Avalon or Wishbone, along with utilities for writing your own self-checking VCs.
-  * Third-party submodules:
-
-    * `OSVVM <https://github.com/OSVVM/OSVVM>`__
-    * `JSON-for-VHDL <https://github.com/Paebbels/JSON-for-VHDL>`__
+  * Third-party submodule `OSVVM <https://github.com/OSVVM/OSVVM>`__
 
 Overview
 --------
@@ -79,7 +76,7 @@ The core of VUnit is the Python plumbing composed by the library and testbench A
 runner for interacting with HDL testbenches.
 Sibling ``run`` HDL libraries allow specifying tests within testbenches.
 
-Moreover, VUnit includes multiple optional HDL libraries, along with third-party resources such as OSVVM and JSON-for-VHDL.
+Moreover, VUnit includes multiple optional HDL libraries, along with the third-party OSVVM library.
 Those are made available through the built-ins API, which is based on the library and testbench API.
 
 Both the core and builtins are available in the public :ref:`python_interface` of VUnit.
diff --git a/docs/hdl_libraries.rst b/docs/hdl_libraries.rst
@@ -72,15 +72,6 @@ Moreover, multiple approaches are supported for using `OSVVMLibraries <https://g
 VUnit.
 See :ref:`OSVB: Examples » SISO AXI4 Stream <osvb:Examples:AXI4Stream>`.
 
-JSON-for-VHDL
--------------
-
-VUnit includes `JSON-for-VHDL <https://github.com/Paebbels/JSON-for-VHDL>`__ as a submodule.
-JSON-for-VHDL is an alternative to composite top-level generics, which supports any depth in the content structure.
-
-See :meth:`add_json4vhdl() <vunit.ui.VUnit.add_json4vhdl>`, :vunit_file:`json4vhdl.py <vunit/json4vhdl.py>` and example
-:ref:`JSON-for-VHDL <examples:vhdl:json4vhdl>`.
-
 System Verilog
 ==============
 
diff --git a/examples/vhdl/json4vhdl/run.py b/examples/vhdl/json4vhdl/run.py
diff --git a/examples/vhdl/json4vhdl/src/test/data/data.json b/examples/vhdl/json4vhdl/src/test/data/data.json
diff --git a/examples/vhdl/json4vhdl/src/test/tb_json_gens.vhd b/examples/vhdl/json4vhdl/src/test/tb_json_gens.vhd
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ setenv=
     acceptance-rivierapro: VUNIT_SIMULATOR=rivierapro
 
 commands=
-    fmt:         {envpython} -m black ./ --exclude 'vunit/vhdl/JSON-for-VHDL|.eggs|.git|.hg|.mypy_cache|.nox|.tox|.venv|_build|buck-out|build|dist' {posargs}
+    fmt:         {envpython} -m black ./ --exclude .eggs|.git|.hg|.mypy_cache|.nox|.tox|.venv|_build|buck-out|build|dist' {posargs}
     unit:        {envpython} -m pytest -v -ra tests/unit {posargs}
     lint:        {envpython} -m pytest -v -ra tests/lint {posargs}
     docs:        {envpython} tools/build_docs.py {envtmpdir}/docsbuild {posargs}
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/test_external_run_scripts.py b/tests/acceptance/test_external_run_scripts.py
@@ -201,13 +201,6 @@ def test_vhdl_configuration_example_project(self):
             ],
         )
 
-    @mark.xfail(
-        not (simulator_is("ghdl") or simulator_is("nvc")),
-        reason="Support complex JSON strings as generic",
-    )
-    def test_vhdl_json4vhdl_example_project(self):
-        self.check(ROOT / "examples/vhdl/json4vhdl/run.py")
-
     def test_vhdl_array_example_project(self):
         self.check(ROOT / "examples/vhdl/array/run.py")
 
diff --git a/tests/lint/test_license.py b/tests/lint/test_license.py
@@ -144,11 +144,6 @@ def find_licensed_files():
                 continue
             if file_name == "AlertLogPkg.vhd":
                 continue
-            if is_prefix_of(
-                (VHDL_PATH / "JSON-for-VHDL").resolve(),
-                (Path(root) / file_name).resolve(),
-            ):
-                continue
             if Path(file_name).suffix in (".vhd", ".vhdl", ".py", ".v", ".sv"):
                 licensed_files.append(str(Path(root) / file_name))
     return licensed_files
diff --git a/vunit/about.py b/vunit/about.py
@@ -20,14 +20,11 @@ def license_text():
 **VUnit**, except for the projects below, is released under the terms of `Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0`_.
 |copy| 2014-2024 Lars Asplund, lars.anders.asplund@gmail.com.
 
-The following libraries are `redistributed`_ with VUnit for convenience:
+The following library is `redistributed`_ with VUnit for convenience:
 
 * **OSVVM** (``vunit/vhdl/osvvm``): these files are licensed under the terms of `Apache License, v 2.0`_,
   |copy| 2010 - 2023 by `SynthWorks Design Inc`_. All rights reserved.
 
-* **JSON-for-VHDL** (``vunit/vhdl/JSON-for-VHDL``): these files are licensed under the terms of `Apache License,
-  v 2.0`_, |copy| 2015 - 2022 Patrick Lehmann.
-
 The font used in VUnit's logo and illustrations is 'Tratex', the traffic sign typeface used on swedish road signs:
 
 - `transportstyrelsen.se: Teckensnitt <https://transportstyrelsen.se/sv/vagtrafik/Trafikregler/Om-vagmarken/Teckensnitt/>`__
diff --git a/vunit/builtins.py b/vunit/builtins.py
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ def add(name, deps=tuple()):
         add("verification_components", ["com", "osvvm"])
         add("osvvm")
         add("random", ["osvvm"])
-        add("json4vhdl")
 
     def add(self, name, args=None):
         self._builtins_adder.add(name, args)
@@ -449,18 +448,6 @@ def _add_osvvm(self):
 
             library.add_source_files(file_name, preprocessors=[])
 
-    def _add_json4vhdl(self):
-        """
-        Add JSON-for-VHDL library
-        """
-        library = self._add_library_if_not_exist(
-            "JSON", "Library 'JSON' previously defined. Skipping addition of builtin JSON-for-VHDL (95e848b8)."
-        )
-        if library is None:
-            return
-
-        library.add_source_files(VHDL_PATH / "JSON-for-VHDL" / "src" / "*.vhdl")
-
     def _add_vhdl_logging(self):
         """
         Add logging functionality
diff --git a/vunit/json4vhdl.py b/vunit/json4vhdl.py
@@ -5,50 +5,43 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2014-2026, Lars Asplund lars.anders.asplund@gmail.com
 
 """
-json4vhdl helper functions
+Removed functions.
 """
 
-from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Union
-import json
-from base64 import b16encode as b16enc
 
+_REMOVAL_NOTICE = """\
+{function} has been removed. JSON-for-VHDL support is now provided through a separate package.
 
-def encode_json(obj: object):
-    """
-    Convert object to stringified JSON
-
-    :param obj: Object to stringify
+Install it with:
 
-    :example:
+pip install vunit-json-for-vhdl
 
-    .. code-block:: python
+Then:
 
-       stringified_generic = encode_json(generics)
-    """
-    return json.dumps(obj, separators=(",", ":"))
+from vunit_json_for_vhdl import {function}
+"""
 
 
-def read_json(filename: str):
+def encode_json(obj: object):  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
     """
-    Read a JSON file and return an object
-
-    :param filename: The name of the file to read
-
-    :example:
+    Removed function.
+    """
+    function = "encode_json"
+    raise RuntimeError(_REMOVAL_NOTICE.format(function=function))
 
-    .. code-block:: python
 
-       generics = read_json(join(root, "src/test/data/data.json"))
+def read_json(filename: str):  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
+    """
+    Removed function.
     """
-    with Path(filename).open("r", encoding="utf-8") as fptr:
-        return json.loads(fptr.read())
+    function = "read_json"
+    raise RuntimeError(_REMOVAL_NOTICE.format(function=function))
 
 
-def b16encode(data: Union[str, bytes]):
+def b16encode(data: Union[str, bytes]):  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
     """
-    Encode a str|bytes using Base16 and return a str|bytes
+    Removed function.
     """
-    if isinstance(data, str):
-        return b16enc(bytes(data, "utf-8")).decode("utf-8")
-    return b16encode(data)
+    function = "b16encode"
+    raise RuntimeError(_REMOVAL_NOTICE.format(function=function))
diff --git a/vunit/ui/__init__.py b/vunit/ui/__init__.py
@@ -254,11 +254,7 @@ def add_external_library(self, library_name, path: Union[str, Path], vhdl_standa
             file_name = None
 
         self._project.add_library(
-            library_name,
-            directory,
-            self._which_vhdl_standard(vhdl_standard),
-            is_external=True,
-            file_name=file_name
+            library_name, directory, self._which_vhdl_standard(vhdl_standard), is_external=True, file_name=file_name
         )
         return self.library(library_name)
 
@@ -1318,9 +1314,19 @@ def add_osvvm(self):
 
     def add_json4vhdl(self):
         """
-        Add JSON-for-VHDL library
+        Removed json4vhdl add-on.
         """
-        self._builtins.add("json4vhdl")
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            """\
+add_json4vhdl() has been removed. JSON-for-VHDL support is now provided through a separate package.
+
+Install it with:
+
+pip install vunit-json-for-vhdl
+
+Then replace the add_json4vhdl() call with add_package("vunit-json-for-vhdl").
+"""
+        )
 
     def update_test_pattern(
         self,
diff --git a/vunit/vhdl/JSON-for-VHDL b/vunit/vhdl/JSON-for-VHDL
