twister: add option to create shorter build paths

Add possibility to create shorter build paths when --short-build-path
option is enabled. This can help during run Twister on Windows OS and
building programs by CMake which has a problem when paths with building
files are too long. The solution based on symbolic links which help to
connect "traditional" long paths with shorter one like:
"twister_links/test_0".

Fixes #41929

Signed-off-by: Piotr Golyzniak <piotr.golyzniak@nordicsemi.no>

scripts/pylib/twister/twisterlib.py

@@ -2812,6 +2812,9 @@ class TestSuite(DisablePyTestCollectionMixin):
         # run integration tests only
         self.integration = False
 
+        # used during creating shorter build paths
+        self.link_dir_counter = 0
+
         self.pipeline = None
         self.version = "NA"
 
@@ -3898,6 +3901,48 @@ class TestSuite(DisablePyTestCollectionMixin):
                 logger.error(f"{log_info} - unrecognized platform - {platform}")
                 sys.exit(2)
 
+    def create_build_dir_links(self):
+        """
+        Iterate through all no-skipped instances in suite and create links
+        for each one build directories. Those links will be passed in the next
+        steps to the CMake command.
+        """
+
+        links_dir_name = "twister_links"  # folder for all links
+        links_dir_path = os.path.join(self.outdir, links_dir_name)
+        if not os.path.exists(links_dir_path):
+            os.mkdir(links_dir_path)
+
+        for instance in self.instances.values():
+            if instance.status != "skipped":
+                self._create_build_dir_link(links_dir_path, instance)
+
+    def _create_build_dir_link(self, links_dir_path, instance):
+        """
+        Create build directory with original "long" path. Next take shorter
+        path and link them with original path - create link. At the end
+        replace build_dir to created link. This link will be passed to CMake
+        command. This action helps to limit path length which can be
+        significant during building by CMake on Windows OS.
+        """
+
+        os.makedirs(instance.build_dir, exist_ok=True)
+
+        link_name = f"test_{self.link_dir_counter}"
+        link_path = os.path.join(links_dir_path, link_name)
+
+        if os.name == "nt":  # if OS is Windows
+            command = ["mklink", "/J", f"{link_path}", f"{instance.build_dir}"]
+            subprocess.call(command, shell=True)
+        else:  # for Linux and MAC OS
+            os.symlink(instance.build_dir, link_path)
+
+        # Here original build directory is replaced with symbolic link. It will
+        # be passed to CMake command
+        instance.build_dir = link_path
+
+        self.link_dir_counter += 1
+
 
 class CoverageTool:
     """ Base class for every supported coverage tool

scripts/twister

@@ -569,7 +569,8 @@ structure in the main Zephyr tree: boards/<arch>/<board_name>/""")
 
     parser.add_argument(
         "-N", "--ninja", action="store_true",
-        help="Use the Ninja generator with CMake.")
+        help="Use the Ninja generator with CMake.",
+        required="--short-build-path" in sys.argv)
 
     parser.add_argument(
         "-n", "--no-clean", action="store_true",
@@ -684,6 +685,16 @@ structure in the main Zephyr tree: boards/<arch>/<board_name>/""")
         help="Execute time-consuming test cases that have been marked "
              "as 'slow' in testcase.yaml. Normally these are only built.")
 
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--short-build-path",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Create shorter build directory paths based on symbolic links. "
+             "The shortened build path will be used by CMake for generating "
+             "the build system and executing the build. Use this option if "
+             "you experience build failures related to path length, for "
+             "example on Windows OS. This option can be used only with "
+             "'--ninja' argument (to use Ninja build generator).")
+
     parser.add_argument(
         "--show-footprint", action="store_true",
         help="Show footprint statistics and deltas since last release."
@@ -1236,6 +1247,9 @@ def main():
         logger.info("Completed in %d seconds" % (duration))
         return
 
+    if options.short_build_path:
+        suite.create_build_dir_links()
+
     retries = options.retry_failed + 1
     completed = 0