kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Andy Peters <devel@xxxxxxxxx>]

> On Nov 22, 2017, at 7:53 AM, Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> On 11/22/2017 08:42 AM, jp charras wrote:
>> Le 22/11/2017 à 14:28, Marco Ciampa a écrit :
>>> On Wed, Nov 22, 2017 at 08:14:02AM -0500, Wayne Stambaugh wrote:
>>>> The devs discussed this some time ago and the general consensus is that
>>>> symbol is the preferred term.  I've already started converting the UI
>>>> strings to use the term symbol.  I'm sure there are UI strings that I
>>>> missed.  If you find them, please let me know so I can correct them.
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> I think that then there is some term confusion here ...
>>> 
>>> #: eeschema/menubar.cpp:462
>>> msgid ""
>>> "Edit components to symbols library links to switch to an other library link "
>>> "(library IDs)"
>>> 
>>> This obviously is not "symbol to symbol link" ...
>>> 
>>> I really think that we should stick with the terms "footprint" and
>>> "symbol" only, and get rid of all the "component", "part", "module" and
>>> such altogether...
>>> 
>>> TIA
>> 
>> Sure 'This obviously is not symbol to symbol link",
>> but what is the meaning of "symbol to symbol link"
>> 
>> Symbols live in symbol libraries, and components in schematic files, at least for this menu.
>> And currently a symbol does not live in a schematic,
>> and a component has a link (lib id) to the symbol it uses in the schematic.
> 
> I think the terminology should be "library symbol" and "schematic
> symbol".  Both exist but schematic symbols have no graphic items other
> than fields.  The actual graphical representation of the symbol itself
> is a link to a symbol in a library.

From a user’s perspective, at least for Mario’s original question:

“Component” and “part” are synonymous. At least, this is the consensus over at the kicad.info user forum.

That consensus extends to: A component is a symbol which has an associated footprint. This implies that CvPCB is not used, and a component in a symbol library has a valid entry in its Footprint field. When you place a component onto the schematic, it contains everything necessary to use it in the layout.

If the symbol in the library has an empty footprint field, it is just a symbol. A user may create a symbol so something might be included in the BOM. A symbol might be created for use with SPICE. The power symbols are just that, symbols.

A “fully atomic part” is a symbol with a footprint and some kind of part number information to make it unique. That is, an OPA551PA symbol will have its footprint field filled in with DIP8_300 (or some other 8-pin DIP package) and a custom Part Number field is added and is filled in with something useful for the user.

All that said, whatever nomenclature ends up being chosen should be documented so everyone understands what is meant by each term.