kicad-lib-committers team mailing list archive

[Bernd Wiebus <bernd.wiebus@xxxxxx>]

Hello Johannes.

> I hear it is not as extensive as Eagle but definitely on a 
>  good way.

A kicad library system can be smaller than an eagle system, because
kicad uses general symbols, and conects them during the work-flow with
general footprints. You only need special librarys for this sort of
components, wich have no general symbol or general footprint.

> I already pushed a revision to the lib to include the subdirectories 
> in the build process, so that the symbols from dl1eic are accessible 
> in a build without having to download the lib from launchpad.

Thank you! But this librarys are not checked, so perhaps some people
would get angry. Also some people hate long names. ;O)


>  Enough introducing myself, now to my question:
>  What is the reason for the library/symbols subdirectory and the .sym 
>  files therein?

.sym files are just single symbols. It is the same type of file like the
symbol librarys, .lib, but containing only one symbol. Fore some
reasons, there are used to import and export single symbols to the
symbol editor.
But some people build hole librarys with folder full with .sym files.

>  I can find no reference in KiCAD code, config or library files to 
> this data.

Oh, yes, kicad is a work in progress. Perhaps this type of file will
vanish in future, in my BZR3811 version from November 2012 i will not
need this files for in- and export at the symbol editor, but this is a
testing version. I never thought about building librarys full with .sym
files, but some people did. Perhaps they are right, i do not know.

I think, there is a change in the kicad file system going on, because
with old versions of kicad, i cannot open schematic and boards from my
recent kicad version. I got a warning to upgrade every time. Because
lack of time, i did not inspect the files with an editor in deep, but
this would perhaps be useful to recognise the changes..kicad files are
readable as clear text. A short view showed no difference to me.

With best regards: Bernd Wiebus alias dl1eic


Am Samstag, den 09.02.2013, 18:00 +0100 schrieb dilib:
> My name is Johannes Spanier (aka dilib) I am 37, from Germany and I 
>  recently joined the kicad-lib-commiters team.
>  I am pretty new to KiCAD and to EDA at all, but I am an enthusiastic 
>  hobbyist in electronics. KiCAD is the first (!) EDA tool I ever used
> and 
>  so far I am quite pleased.
>  Albeit being new to KiCAD, I already get a feeling that the library
> is 
>  quite good. I hear it is not as extensive as Eagle but definitely on
> a 
>  good way. As advanced hobbyist I have erverything that I need.
>  I already pushed a revision to the lib to include the subdirectories
> in 
>  the build process, so that the symbols from dl1eic are accessible in
> a 
>  build without having to download the lib from launchpad.
> 
>  I noticed there is low activity on this mailinglist, but I still
> want 
>  to put my question here, since it is really only focused on the
> library 
>  and I also want to keep the list alive.
> 
>  Enough introducing myself, now to my question:
>  What is the reason for the library/symbols subdirectory and the .sym 
>  files therein?
>  I can find no reference in KiCAD code, config or library files to
> this 
>  data.
>  If there really should be no reference to this data, I propose to 
>  delete this directory to start cleanup.
> 
>  Regards
>  dilib