IMO the stepping flag should also be added to EMC_TRAJ_STAT::update here https://github.com/LinuxCNC/linuxcnc/blob/master/src/emc/nml_intf/emc.cc#L1688

Not wanting to distract with trivialities, but "singlestep" would disambiguate from anything stepper-motor related.
(I initially assumed the latter when this PR appeared)

I was originally trying to add it in update. But was struggling to get it to work properly . I'd welcome pointers in the right direction.

I'm OK of changing the name. The amount of "status" variables that are different status objects made this way harder than expected.

Can you elaborate what didn't work?

I just tried this PR and added this line

index 0b4117b229..d1d6e3f68b 100644
--- a/src/emc/nml_intf/emc.cc
+++ b/src/emc/nml_intf/emc.cc
@@ -1702,6 +1702,7 @@ void EMC_TRAJ_STAT::update(CMS * cms)
     cms->update(queueFull);
     cms->update(id);
     cms->update(paused);
+    cms->update(stepping);
     cms->update(scale);
     cms->update(rapid_scale);
     EmcPose_update(cms, &position);

It compiles without issues, runtests completes without error Runtest: 272 tests run, 272 successful, 0 failed + 0 expected, 4 skipped, 0 shmem errors. Didn't really check if the flag is doing what it's intended to though.

The stepping variable wasn't updated.

Having thought more on this, can the name of the flag be changed? "stepping" is ambiguous. "single-step" or a variant would be better.

Regards from our Video meeting discussing this PR: Andy and Robert are still confused over the "stepping variable not being updated". What is the context here?

I am unaware of another way to get feedback if linuxcnc interpreter is running normally or executing a single line at a time.

(Its been a while since I worked on this) iirc axis and qt remember the last state of the button being pushed on the UI.

This gave a way of polling the real value from the python module.

The question was regarding the context of your comment on 9th October, it isn't clear what question that was an answer to.

your statement

I was originally trying to add it in update. But was struggling to get it to work properly . I'd welcome pointers in the right direction.

prompted me to ask

Can you elaborate what didn't work?

I just tried this PR and added this line
[...]

to which you replied

The stepping variable wasn't updated.

Thats what's confusing.

Can you elaborate what didn't work?

I just tried this PR and added this line

index 0b4117b229..d1d6e3f68b 100644
--- a/src/emc/nml_intf/emc.cc
+++ b/src/emc/nml_intf/emc.cc
@@ -1702,6 +1702,7 @@ void EMC_TRAJ_STAT::update(CMS * cms)
     cms->update(queueFull);
     cms->update(id);
     cms->update(paused);
+    cms->update(stepping);
     cms->update(scale);
     cms->update(rapid_scale);
     EmcPose_update(cms, &position);

It compiles without issues, runtests completes without error Runtest: 272 tests run, 272 successful, 0 failed + 0 expected, 4 skipped, 0 shmem errors. Didn't really check if the flag is doing what it's intended to though.

So this updates everything just fine it seems.

Testing with axis: hitting "pause" on a running program sets the status.motion.traj.paused flag, doing a single step ('T') sets the stepping flag. "paused" and "stepping" stay set until program is continued with 'S', even if motion of a step is completed.

Now I'm not so sure about the utility of this flag any more...

IMO to be consistent with other flags in the same structure we should call it "single_stepping" (traj status "is paused", "is enabled", "is probing", "is single stepping")

seems it is not possible to add to a PR -- see #3732

It will be a few months before I'll have access to a development computer again. Could make a separate pr.

Oh that's sad to hear. So i guess the use-case of this feature also gone away. I made a separate PR #3732 .

Left the Job that allowed me to work on/with LCNC. Summer time should allow for more play time on my own mill.

Closing in favour of yours, assuming you tested it.