kicad-developers team mailing list archive

["Magnus Beischer" <magnus@...>]

I really want scripting support! It can be Python or any other scrip
language, probably not that important to the user what script language
KiCAD uses. The important thing is that scripting support would take
KiCAD to the next level and in time make it compete with the very best
ecad tools available, commercial or not. KiCAD really has that
potential thanks to all the developers and the user community!

Priority number 1 for scripting support would i my opinion be to
repeatedly produce the same quality of some action. For instance when
I produce my PCB production files I usually do that about 10 times
then I release a board having to make a lot of settings and make a lot
of clicks in the right order and naming and packaging the result files
i a proper way etc. Script support would for me give me a higher
quality on by boards

// Magnus

--- In kicad-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Dick H." <dick@...> wrote:
>
> I looked into the existing python support today. It did not seem
> complete, and unless I don't understand something, it was less than
> 15% complete.
> 
> 
> 
> So I ask:
> 
> 1) whether we want to support Python?
> 
> 
> 2) if yes, should we consider using SWIG instead of Boost.Python?
> 
> 
> 
> I think SWIG might be better for this project, because:
> 
> 
> A) wxPython is based on swig, and wxPython is part of the kicad to
> python solution. If SWIG is good enough for wxPyton, it would be good
> enough for KICAD-python.
> 
> 
> B) Boost.Python may be a bigger tool, but the build environment is
> overkill and probably harder to get working on both Windows and Linux.
> 
> 
> C) If we use, SWIG, we can get bindings to other languages besides
> Python, such as Java.
> 
> 
> D) The resultant SWIG binaries are easier to distribute if SWIG is
> used: they are smaller and there is distutil to install them into a
> python environment.
> 
> Scope of Work
> -------------
> 
> For the python support to be complete, we need to develop a bridge
> into the C++ classes BOARD, MODULE, and 12 or so other classes. After
> that, a person could use python to write import and export scripts,
> BOM scripts, and font size change scripts, and complete UI extensions.
> 
> I am in favor of it, and could get it done, but I don't have the time
> to do it now, (if I were only retired, or funded...).
> 
> Is the original developer of the python interface still around and
> interested and capable?
>