On 6/24/2010 6:53 PM, Brian Sidebotham wrote: > On 24 June 2010 21:36, Wayne Stambaugh <[email protected]> wrote: >> On 6/24/2010 3:44 PM, Dick Hollenbeck wrote: >>> On 06/24/2010 02:19 PM, Wayne Stambaugh wrote: >>>> In preparation for the forth coming changes to the component library >>>> file format, I would like to make some changes in the design of the >>>> component library object format and the component library editor behavior. >>>> >>>> The current component library design creates aliases as a stand alone >>>> objects that reference the actual component object. The component >>>> object also keeps a copy of the alias information (strings) in a >>>> wxStringArray. >>> >>> >>>> It seems to me that an alias has no meaning without the >>>> associated component and keeping a copy of the alias data in the >>>> component object is redundant. I propose that the component object >>>> maintain the list of it's alias objects and only components are added to >>>> the library object. >>> >>> The above 2 sentences seem to contradict each other. Can we assume that >>> last one is what you intended? >> >> Oops! You are correct it is the last one. > > If I understand correctly, what you want to do is move all aliases of > a component into the component object? I think this would make a good > improvement for some future uses of aliases. > > At the moment, aliases are not very powerful because of some limitations. > > I don't know whether you caught any of the heavy symbol library > discussion a few weeks ago, but a heavy symbol library can be > implemented much easier is aliases are made a bit more powerful. > > At the moment for example, I could create an alias which has a > different footprint, but not an alias that has a different value. It > would be another step towards good support for a heavy symbol library > to be able to change the value of aliases. As well as this, aliases > really need to support the template field names. At the moment you > cannot have these fields in an alias. This would allow aliases to be > used as a heavy symbol library, where only one graphic would need to > be created. > > Further on from that, aliases would be easily selectable via a pop-up > list box or similar. One of the biggest time wasting parts of a heavy > symbol library (if taken to it's extreme) is that simply changing a > value of a passive component has to be done by replacing the > component. If a hotkey can be used on a component when editing a > schematic in eeschema to bring up a listbox of all of the aliases of > the component, one can quickly be selected to change the value of the > part. > > This sort of thing works well when you need to change things like SMT > electrolytics, as you would simply select by voltage and capacitance > and the correct case size footprint would come from the alias. There's > no risk of forgetting to change the footprint because you've altered > the value. > > I just wanted to give a possible good future use for aliases in case > any of this is useful whilst you are working in this area.
Brian, This is all really good information. Hang on to it until I submit the blueprint for the proposal for the new library file format. The new file format proposal I'm working on already covers a lot of what you have listed above. I want to try keep all the discussion about the new file format in one place for my own sanity and to make sure nothing gets lost. Wayne > > Best Regards, > > Brian. > _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
