Issue with compiling custom action message

Hi there
I am working on the custom action quiz in the 9th module. I have modified the Cmakelist and the package.xml.
when I use the catkin_make, it doesn’t seem to recognize the custom file.
I have tried to source both the kinetic setup.bash and the catkin setup.bash
And I have tried to use rospack profile

here is my cmakelist.

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0.2)
project(actions_quiz)

## Compile as C++11, supported in ROS Kinetic and newer
# add_compile_options(-std=c++11)

## Find catkin macros and libraries
## if COMPONENTS list like find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS xyz)
## is used, also find other catkin packages
find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS
  rospy
  std_msgs
  actionlib_msgs
)

## System dependencies are found with CMake's conventions
# find_package(Boost REQUIRED COMPONENTS system)


## Uncomment this if the package has a setup.py. This macro ensures
## modules and global scripts declared therein get installed
## See http://ros.org/doc/api/catkin/html/user_guide/setup_dot_py.html
# catkin_python_setup()

################################################
## Declare ROS messages, services and actions ##
################################################

## To declare and build messages, services or actions from within this
## package, follow these steps:
## * Let MSG_DEP_SET be the set of packages whose message types you use in
##   your messages/services/actions (e.g. std_msgs, actionlib_msgs, ...).
## * In the file package.xml:
##   * add a build_depend tag for "message_generation"
##   * add a build_depend and a exec_depend tag for each package in MSG_DEP_SET
##   * If MSG_DEP_SET isn't empty the following dependency has been pulled in
##     but can be declared for certainty nonetheless:
##     * add a exec_depend tag for "message_runtime"
## * In this file (CMakeLists.txt):
##   * add "message_generation" and every package in MSG_DEP_SET to
##     find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS ...)
##   * add "message_runtime" and every package in MSG_DEP_SET to
##     catkin_package(CATKIN_DEPENDS ...)
##   * uncomment the add_*_files sections below as needed
##     and list every .msg/.srv/.action file to be processed
##   * uncomment the generate_messages entry below
##   * add every package in MSG_DEP_SET to generate_messages(DEPENDENCIES ...)

## Generate messages in the 'msg' folder
# add_message_files(
#   FILES
#   Message1.msg
#   Message2.msg
# )

## Generate services in the 'srv' folder
# add_service_files(
#   FILES
#   Service1.srv
#   Service2.srv
# )

## Generate actions in the 'action' folder
add_action_files(
   FILES
   CustomActionMsg.action
 )

## Generate added messages and services with any dependencies listed here
generate_messages(
   DEPENDENCIES
   std_msgs
   actionlib_msgs
 )

################################################
## Declare ROS dynamic reconfigure parameters ##
################################################

## To declare and build dynamic reconfigure parameters within this
## package, follow these steps:
## * In the file package.xml:
##   * add a build_depend and a exec_depend tag for "dynamic_reconfigure"
## * In this file (CMakeLists.txt):
##   * add "dynamic_reconfigure" to
##     find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS ...)
##   * uncomment the "generate_dynamic_reconfigure_options" section below
##     and list every .cfg file to be processed

## Generate dynamic reconfigure parameters in the 'cfg' folder
# generate_dynamic_reconfigure_options(
#   cfg/DynReconf1.cfg
#   cfg/DynReconf2.cfg
# )

###################################
## catkin specific configuration ##
###################################
## The catkin_package macro generates cmake config files for your package
## Declare things to be passed to dependent projects
## INCLUDE_DIRS: uncomment this if your package contains header files
## LIBRARIES: libraries you create in this project that dependent projects also need
## CATKIN_DEPENDS: catkin_packages dependent projects also need
## DEPENDS: system dependencies of this project that dependent projects also need
catkin_package(
#  INCLUDE_DIRS include
#  LIBRARIES actions_quiz
  CATKIN_DEPENDS rospy std_msgs
#  DEPENDS system_lib
)

###########
## Build ##
###########

## Specify additional locations of header files
## Your package locations should be listed before other locations
include_directories(
# include
  ${catkin_INCLUDE_DIRS}
)

## Declare a C++ library
# add_library(${PROJECT_NAME}
#   src/${PROJECT_NAME}/actions_quiz.cpp
# )

## Add cmake target dependencies of the library
## as an example, code may need to be generated before libraries
## either from message generation or dynamic reconfigure
# add_dependencies(${PROJECT_NAME} ${${PROJECT_NAME}_EXPORTED_TARGETS} ${catkin_EXPORTED_TARGETS})

## Declare a C++ executable
## With catkin_make all packages are built within a single CMake context
## The recommended prefix ensures that target names across packages don't collide
# add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME}_node src/actions_quiz_node.cpp)

## Rename C++ executable without prefix
## The above recommended prefix causes long target names, the following renames the
## target back to the shorter version for ease of user use
## e.g. "rosrun someones_pkg node" instead of "rosrun someones_pkg someones_pkg_node"
# set_target_properties(${PROJECT_NAME}_node PROPERTIES OUTPUT_NAME node PREFIX "")

## Add cmake target dependencies of the executable
## same as for the library above
# add_dependencies(${PROJECT_NAME}_node ${${PROJECT_NAME}_EXPORTED_TARGETS} ${catkin_EXPORTED_TARGETS})

## Specify libraries to link a library or executable target against
# target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}_node
#   ${catkin_LIBRARIES}
# )

#############
## Install ##
#############

# all install targets should use catkin DESTINATION variables
# See http://ros.org/doc/api/catkin/html/adv_user_guide/variables.html

## Mark executable scripts (Python etc.) for installation
## in contrast to setup.py, you can choose the destination
# catkin_install_python(PROGRAMS
#   scripts/my_python_script
#   DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_BIN_DESTINATION}
# )

## Mark executables for installation
## See http://docs.ros.org/melodic/api/catkin/html/howto/format1/building_executables.html
# install(TARGETS ${PROJECT_NAME}_node
#   RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_BIN_DESTINATION}
# )

## Mark libraries for installation
## See http://docs.ros.org/melodic/api/catkin/html/howto/format1/building_libraries.html
# install(TARGETS ${PROJECT_NAME}
#   ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_LIB_DESTINATION}
#   LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_LIB_DESTINATION}
#   RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CATKIN_GLOBAL_BIN_DESTINATION}
# )

## Mark cpp header files for installation
# install(DIRECTORY include/${PROJECT_NAME}/
#   DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_INCLUDE_DESTINATION}
#   FILES_MATCHING PATTERN "*.h"
#   PATTERN ".svn" EXCLUDE
# )

## Mark other files for installation (e.g. launch and bag files, etc.)
# install(FILES
#   # myfile1
#   # myfile2
#   DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_SHARE_DESTINATION}
# )

#############
## Testing ##
#############

## Add gtest based cpp test target and link libraries
# catkin_add_gtest(${PROJECT_NAME}-test test/test_actions_quiz.cpp)
# if(TARGET ${PROJECT_NAME}-test)
#   target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}-test ${PROJECT_NAME})
# endif()

## Add folders to be run by python nosetests
# catkin_add_nosetests(test)

my xml file

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<package format="2">
  <name>actions_quiz</name>
  <version>0.0.0</version>
  <description>The actions_quiz package</description>

  <!-- One maintainer tag required, multiple allowed, one person per tag -->
  <!-- Example:  -->
  <!-- <maintainer email="jane.doe@example.com">Jane Doe</maintainer> -->
  <maintainer email="user@todo.todo">user</maintainer>


  <!-- One license tag required, multiple allowed, one license per tag -->
  <!-- Commonly used license strings: -->
  <!--   BSD, MIT, Boost Software License, GPLv2, GPLv3, LGPLv2.1, LGPLv3 -->
  <license>TODO</license>


  <!-- Url tags are optional, but multiple are allowed, one per tag -->
  <!-- Optional attribute type can be: website, bugtracker, or repository -->
  <!-- Example: -->
  <!-- <url type="website">http://wiki.ros.org/actions_quiz</url> -->


  <!-- Author tags are optional, multiple are allowed, one per tag -->
  <!-- Authors do not have to be maintainers, but could be -->
  <!-- Example: -->
  <!-- <author email="jane.doe@example.com">Jane Doe</author> -->


  <!-- The *depend tags are used to specify dependencies -->
  <!-- Dependencies can be catkin packages or system dependencies -->
  <!-- Examples: -->
  <!-- Use depend as a shortcut for packages that are both build and exec dependencies -->
  <!--   <depend>roscpp</depend> -->
  <!--   Note that this is equivalent to the following: -->
  <!--   <build_depend>roscpp</build_depend> -->
  <!--   <exec_depend>roscpp</exec_depend> -->
  <!-- Use build_depend for packages you need at compile time: -->
  <!--   <build_depend>message_generation</build_depend> -->
  <!-- Use build_export_depend for packages you need in order to build against this package: -->
  <!--   <build_export_depend>message_generation</build_export_depend> -->
  <!-- Use buildtool_depend for build tool packages: -->
  <!--   <buildtool_depend>catkin</buildtool_depend> -->
  <!-- Use exec_depend for packages you need at runtime: -->
  <!--   <exec_depend>message_runtime</exec_depend> -->
  <!-- Use test_depend for packages you need only for testing: -->
  <!--   <test_depend>gtest</test_depend> -->
  <!-- Use doc_depend for packages you need only for building documentation: -->
  <!--   <doc_depend>doxygen</doc_depend> -->
  <buildtool_depend>catkin</buildtool_depend>
  <build_depend>rospy</build_depend>
  <build_depend>std_msgs</build_depend>
  <build_export_depend>rospy</build_export_depend>
  <build_export_depend>std_msgs</build_export_depend>
  <exec_depend>rospy</exec_depend>
  <exec_depend>std_msgs</exec_depend>

  <build_depend>actionlib_msgs</build_depend>
  <build_export_depend>rospy</build_export_depend>
  <exec_depend>rospy</exec_depend>
  


  <!-- The export tag contains other, unspecified, tags -->
  <export>
    <!-- Other tools can request additional information be placed here -->

  </export>
</package>

my action file:

string goal
---
---
string feedback

my output:

finding for the msg:
Screen Shot 2020-11-26 at 11.53.07 PM

directory:
Screen Shot 2020-11-26 at 11.55.18 PM

Update: I think it has something to do with the webserver. Since if I download the package folder into my local machine, it compiles perfectly.

Hi @hank880907,

It’s difficult to tell the exact problem you have based on your description, but here is a hint:

  • you have created this (kind of) message before getting to the quiz BUT you must create a new one inside the quiz package again. Don’t try to use the one created before, which should be in another package.

Hi @bayodesegun
I have tried to recreate the package. but the result is the same.
I created a new package called “actions_quiz” inside ~/catkin_ws/src folder. and inside the package, I created an action folder. And I put my .action file in there.

The Cmake file and the XML file are configured as the instruction given in the tutorial. (ROS basics in 5 days chapter 9)

However, If I download my “actions_quiz” package to my local machine, It compiles perfectly.

Is it possible that it is the webserver’s problem?

What is the problem exactly? Is it that the quiz package is not working on our platform OR the quiz grader is failing you?

Whatever it’s, please be very clear about it.

hi @bayodesegun

The problem is that I cannot generate the custom action message.

the quiz package seems to not working on your platform, since it works perfectly on my local machine.

And because of this, I cannot import the CostomActionMsgAction in my python scripts: test.py

#! /usr/bin/env python
import rospy
from actions_quiz.msg import CostomActionMsgAction, CostomActionMsgGoal, CostomActionMsgFeedback, CostomActionMsgResult

print("success!")

I can run it by

$ rosrun actions_quiz test.py

It cannot import the packages. it will show errors

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/user/catkin_ws/src/actions_quiz/scripts/test.py", line 3, in <module>
    from actions_quiz.msg import CostomActionMsgAction, CostomActionMsgGoal, CostomActionMsgFeedback, CostomActionMsgResult
ImportError: No module named actions_quiz.msg

When I build the package by catkin_make

It should display some “message generation” message but I did not see any

I should be able to see the action message generated after catkin_make. But I did not see the package generating.

If I use the

$ rosmsg list | grep CustomActionMsg

This should show me the generated message, but It is not there.

I have source the workspace setup.bash by

$ source ~/catkin_ws/devel/setup.bash

but the result is still the same.

If I put the actions_quiz package into my local machine, the message will generate normally.
on my local machine, I am able to import the custom message.
everything is good on my local machine. I can generate the custom message and import them in my python scripts on my local machine.

Hi @hank880907,

Okay, thanks for elaborating. Try removing the build and devel folders and run catkin_make again.

rm -rf build/ devel/
catkin_make

1 Like

Had the same problem, and this worked for me.
/K

3 Likes

I faced the same problem and this solution works

I did this and the problem extended to this: