kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Damien RANNOU <damien.rannou@...>]

What I was thinking, is using a library that made for us the syntax 
work, that's why I was thinking about XML, which is very used, well 
known, and very easy to use. I made some tests with TinyXML, Hear is an 
example :

TiXmlDocument doc;
TiXmlDeclaration* decl = new TiXmlDeclaration( "1.0", "", "" );
doc.LinkEndChild( decl );

TiXmlElement * root = new TiXmlElement( "root" );
doc.LinkEndChild( root );
{
TiXmlElement * msg = new TiXmlElement( "SCH_TEXT" );
//root->LinkEndChild( msg );

wxString Name = m_Text;
msg->LinkEndChild( new TiXmlText(Name.mb_str( wxConvUTF8 )));
root->LinkEndChild(msg);
}
if(doc.SaveFile( "/tmp/essai.xml" ))
wxMessageBox(_("File Successfully saved\n\n"));


With that code I get :

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<root>
<SCH_TEXT>test</SCH_TEXT>
</root>


Which is clear, easy to write. That's what I was thinking about. Parse 
this file is very easy, and we don't have to write anything :)



al davis a écrit :
> On Tuesday 05 May 2009, Damien RANNOU wrote:
> > I have a question about file save format : wouldn't it be
> > interesting to use XML file format instead of actual kicad
> > file format ? Xml parser are integrated in wxWidget (for
> > example
> >
> > :http://wiki.wxwidgets.org/Object_serialization_using_XTI_and 
> <http://wiki.wxwidgets.org/Object_serialization_using_XTI_and>
> > :_XML).
> >
> > Using XML file format would be interesting for
> > interoperability, cleaner save code in object (because
> > wxwidget make a lot) and cleaner backup code (why do not use
> > the same structure between classical objects and Text (and
> > other things) ?)
>
> not really ..
>
> XML is just a syntax. The syntax doesn't really matter. You
> could just as well choose C-like, Ada-like, Lisp-like, or
> whatever.
>
> What matters is how the data is represented and organized.
>
> Regarding interoperability, you want a format that is defined by
> some kind of standard, and is in common use. If you can't find
> one that is an exact match, look at the neighbors, and what you
> might want to interoperate with.
>
> Kicad is very limited because of the lack of import and export
> facilities. There is a serious need for a general translator
> system.
>
> I suggest something based on extending a netlist format, such as
> the structural subset of Verilog. It might be easier to think
> of the Spice format for this, but it is too restrictive and
> irregular.
>
> I make a write-up to get started for gEDA, here:
> http://geda.seul.org/wiki/geda:format_translation 
> <http://geda.seul.org/wiki/geda:format_translation>
>
> It should be easy to extend it to represent layout too.
>
> Ideally, this system would support gEDA and Kicad equally, and
> provide a path between them, both ways. It could also provide
> import and export capability, and links to simulators and other
> tools.
>
> You could use this format directly, but to get started, the best
> way is to use it as a neutral intermediate format so there is no
> pressure to change the tool formats.
>
> I have a start for this with Gnucap language plugins. The work
> needed is to make a driver program for a stand-alone translator,
> and language plugins for the schematic and layout programs.
>
> My plate is too full to do it, but I can guide someone else. Is
> anyone here interested in making the translator?

--

Damien RANNOU

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