kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Jan Mrázek <email@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

I develop and maintain several KiCAD plugins. Many of my users started 
switching/would like to KiCAD 5.99 as it brings many exciting features. 
Therefore, I get frequently a question when KiCAD v5.99 will be 
supported. However, as there were some breaking changes and some parts 
of the API are gone and their substitutes are missing, I cannot support 
nightly (e.g., [1]). I remember there were some promises on the API for 
5.99/6 during summer-autumn 2020 that it could be ready around end of 
January 2021. However, as I checked the source code, there are no news 
regarding the API. I also did not found any draft on the proposed 
feature of the API.

Therefore, I would like to ask you:

- is there any proposal of the new API for pcbnew and eeschema we could 
check out? I am interested to see it, possibly start adapting my plugins 
to it and e.g., give you feedback on missing functionality/hard to use 
parts before it gets freeze (basically my concerns from [2])
- is there any work-in-progress we can test? If not, is there a known 
time estimate when KiCAD can reach first testable version of the Python API?
- I know that maintaining large open-source project is hard and time 
consuming, so I would like to ask if there is anything I could do to 
help your regarding the API? I have already contributed to KiCAD and I 
think am a skillful C++ programmer, so if there are some isolated tasks 
that you can delegate, I am willing to contribute!

PS: As I am not a native speaker, so I am not sure if I set the tone of 
the e-mail right. To clarify; I am writing in a curious and caring 
matter. I do not blame you guys for not having the API yet. I value your 
work and appreciate it a lot!

Jan

[1] https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/6885
[2] https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/7134