kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxx>]

Kristoffer,

There is no confusion and there is nothing to fix.  The document field
is just like any other field.  It is initially imported from the library
symbol to the schematic symbol (they are *not* the same nor should they
be) when a symbol is added to the schematic.  Once you modify a field in
a schematic symbol it takes precedence over the the field in the library
symbol that was linked when the symbol was added to the schematic.  It
has to be this way.  You would not want your schematic symbol fields
updated every time the library symbol fields are changed.  This only
makes sense for atomic (fully defined ) symbols and would completely
fall apart for generic symbols like op-amps and logic gates.  I believe
Orson recently added a tool to refresh the schematic symbol fields with
the linked library symbol fields.  I haven't tried it yet but you may
find that useful.

Cheers,

Wayne

On 10/12/2017 9:12 AM, Kristoffer Ödmark wrote:
> Sorry for double messages but one solution could be to use the Library
> stored documentation to autofill the FIELD variable IF it is empty. And
> then base all the functionality on the field variable?
> 
> I could probably fix this if it seems an okay solution to everyone? This
> would basically be making the field variable overriding the properties
> information. But still not break anything from the libs.
> 
> Or should this just be left as is until the new symbool format is
> implemented?
> 
> On 10/12/2017 03:00 PM, Kristoffer Ödmark wrote:
>> Hey!
>>
>> I noticed today that there are two places to store the datasheet
>> information, one is in the Mandatory Field "Datasheet", and one is in
>> the porperty of the part in the lib. These have different
>> functionality in the schematic editor and in the library part editor.
>>
>> I think these should somehow be merged or one of them removed. As it
>> is now, it is a bit confusing with the "Open Documentation" context
>> menu, and the "Show Datasheet" button in the properties editor.
>>
>> For me, mergin every functionality into the field variable seems like
>> the most robust way, since most other tools are using these field
>> variables and that is the most accesible way, and since the Datasheet
>> field is mandatory anyway, but can still be empty.
>>
>>
>