kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 9/22/2010 10:25 AM, Lorenzo Marcantonio wrote:
> On Wed, 22 Sep 2010, Dick Hollenbeck wrote:
> 
>> A) I don't find alias support to be particularly valuable, especially in
>> the presence of good library browsing capability.
> 
> I actually like it a lot, since I can skip a rename (i.e. 1N4004 alias
> for DIODE). Any other kind of indirection, or sharing would be likely
> useful if aliasing were considered too 'primitive'.

There is nothing preventing you from creating a generic DIODE component.
 With proper cut and paste, simply copy the DIODE component and paste it
into a library as 1N4004.  You get the best of both worlds.  The
advantage of components is that you can define all the relevant fields
such as footprint to eliminate the need to us CvPCB to assign footprint
to each component.  You could even create manufacturer specific
component libraries that include URL's to the data sheets and spice
models.  You currently cannot do this with aliases.

> 
>> B) EESCHEMA's library browser needs to be strong.
> 
> At least for picking a part to edit. Is ridiculous to use the browser
> and then type the name in the editor.
> 
>> C) Copying is not sharing.  Sharing is when a single edit affects
>> multiple parts.  There is not a significant value in "sharing" graphical
>> symbols between part specific components, particularly if it were
>> possible to simply copy a graphical symbol through the clipboard.
> 
> Sharing is useful for consistency IMHO.

Copy and paste minimizes the need for shared components.  Since the
library files are plain text, global search and replace in your favorite
text editor can be used to make changes to a library with a lot of
identical component drawing definitions.

Wayne

> 
>> D) Project specific library support is important, and could be the
>> domain where symbols become part specific.
> 
> I simply classify special part when the need arise. Why make it project
> specific if I can use it next week on another thing?
>