First, This discussion should being held on the developers forum not the users forum.
I am cross posting to try to move it there.
I think the file format should be secondary to a discussion on wether or not gaf/pcb should be modified from being tool centric to being data centric.
What would this mean?
Well currently there are about 6 file formats that are used.
From GAF
the resource files the component library files the project file
Then GAF produces a netlist file wich PCB imports
PCB uses the additional file formats
Pcb the pcb resource file newlib new type of landpatterns m4 lib old macro created land patterns the pcb project file
Which of these are shared? None ... not a single one. This makes it difficult for these two important functions to interact with each other.
In a data centric model. There would be one project file. It would include information that only pcb would care about and information that only gaf would care about. But it would also include information that both programs should care about. Among these are pin swapping, gate swapping, which traces should be differential and thus have matching impedences and matching lengths. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Linux as a model has been successful because it strives to be state of the art. If we want gEDA to have a similar acceptance then it too should strive to be state of the art and not just a low end hobbiest knock off.
From what I have seen of the devlopers and users of these tools this is
a realistic goal.
Well, that is how I vote.
Steve Meier
