kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 10/12/2014 9:14 PM, Mark Roszko wrote:
> Very minor but the main KiCAD window calls it "Schematic Library
> Editor", eeschema calls it "Library Editor" and the window itself is
> "Parts Library Editor".
> 
> Can the name be standardized?
> 
> It might be better to just call it "Component Library Editor" because
> that's what the schematic symbols are called instead of Parts. Just
> like PCB Footprint Editor is for Footprints.
> 

The easy answer to your question is yes, the naming can and should be
consistent.  The hard part of your question is consistently what?  This
topic has been thoroughly discussed before.  You will find there is
really no consensus.  Personally, I prefer symbol.  When I think of
parts or components, I think of the physical objects themselves.  I
don't actually place a resistor or an IC in a schematic.  I place a
symbolic representation of that component in my schematic.  Dick's
preference was part and he had valid justifications for his preference.
 He even renamed some of the Eeschema code object names from COMPONENT
to PART.  I really don't have a strong preference, that's why I never
pushed the issue.  I doubt you are going to get a consensus on this
issue.  You'll have to pick a term and live with the unhappy developers
and users.  Welcome to open source programming :).