kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Dick Hollenbeck <dick@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 06.03.2014 12:27, dileep kushwaha wrote:
> Hi Dick,
>             I'm interested to contribute. I have few queries and points. Please help me
> out here.
> 
> 1. What is the time frame you are expecting the task to finish?
> 2. I'm new to wxPython, but i'll learn it asap.
> 3.  Few suggestions on tutorials and documentations for the tasks will be very helpful


Hi Dileep,

Unfortunately I will be unable to offer a lot of help.  I don't have the time, my time is
very valuable to a business that I run.

If it ever got to a point where it was taking more of my time to help you than it would to
write this myself, then it would not make any sense for us to go down this path.

There will be help on the developer's mailing list if you ask.  You can get help from
others, maybe make it into a team task if you want.  That is your choice.  I won't be on
the team until later, when I have to blend in the C++ support underneath.



There is only one screen in the kicad.exe program.  So you could write it 5 times quickly
in wxPython and pick the best one.  :)


I do think you are fortunate to have been asked to do this part.  It will look good on
your resume, and will be the first thing that a KiCad user sees when he fires up the
software in the future.

Python is easy to change quickly.   It is a scripting language, so don't think anything
you are doing is locked in concrete.  Do it once, do it again better, then better yet.
And don't be discouraged if someone changes what you did later.

As far as time frame, I need something working in 4 weeks.  That is when I would be at
that point myself, to start from nothing at that time.  This is when I expect to complete
milestone B).

Start by looking at the most simple of examples for wxPython programs.  Then checkout the
KiCad source code using bzr.

Add a new directory called kicad.py at the same level as kicad dir.  It is the competing
python version of kicad project manager, this is the top most directory.  Then do

bzr add files... py

as you create new files that you want to keep.

Eventually you can push the branch to launchpad.

Ask the developer's list, not me, for help on this please.  Somebody may be very helpful
and get you started.


Best wishes,

Dick
















> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Thu, Mar 6, 2014 at 7:51 PM, Dick Hollenbeck <dick@xxxxxxxxxxx
> <mailto:dick@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
> 
>     Dileep,
> 
>     Thanks for asking.  I realize I did not give you clear instruction, here is more.
> 
> 
>     On 06.03.2014 08:07, Dick Hollenbeck wrote:
>     > On 06.03.2014 07:56, Dileep Kumar wrote:
>     >> hi team,
>     >>                 This is Dileep. I'm pursuing M.tech in VLSI Design.
>     >> Apart from VLSI Flow (and experience on other proprietary EDA Tools like
>     >> Cadence Virtuso), i'm familiar with Perl,Tk. Kindly suggest me tasks.
>     >> I'm willing to learn other languages as well. I'll be doing this work as
>     >> a part of my academic work.
>     >>
>     >> Kudos
>     >> Dileep Kumar
>     >>
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     > You could start writing a new top level wxPython based project manager.  I have this
>     to do
>     > for milestone C) of modular kicad.
> 
>     > For now, simply duplicate the functionality of the
>     > kicad.exe program.
> 
> 
>     Well feel free to innovate beyond that kicad.exe program.  We have to support multiple
>     concurrently open projects, so the UI model in kicad.exe is not golden or set in stone for
>     that.
> 
> 
>     See here, read the entire document, and look at milestone C):
> 
>        https://blueprints.launchpad.net/kicad/+spec/modular-kicad
> 
>     (click on the link "Read the full specification".)
> 
>     I have most of milestone A) done, and when its done it will get a week of testing, then
>     merged into product branch.  I also have some of milestone B) done, and that will come
>     with the testing and merging also.  For milestone B) that work will probably be done "in
>     product tree", as it pertains only to kicad.exe.
> 
> 
>     Milestone C) is the wxPython alternative to kicad.exe.  With that work, we open the doors
>     to numerous contributors who can only be productive in the python world, not the C++
>     world.  And I expect that it may take some time before the wxPython stuff brings more
>     value than the kicad.exe (C++) project manager.  However, since its a higher level
>     language, with more contributors, that form will eventually win out.
> 
> 
>     Dick
> 
> 
> 
> 
>     >
>     > At some point I would take it over and inject the DLL/DSO bridging.  Until then, you
>     could
>     > wrap the program launching code in a function which can be redone later.
>     >
>     > Add menus for project neutral utilities, and wxpython plugins, bridges to other open
>     > source programs, etc.
>     >
>     > Dick
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Dileep Kumar
> M.Tech(VLSI Design)
> Mob:9891455965