forwarded from personal email by Dick. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [Kicad-developers] BOM support Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:47:25 +0200 From: jean-pierre charras <[email protected]> To: Dick Hollenbeck <[email protected]>
Dick Hollenbeck a écrit : > Jean-Pierre, > > First, I apologize for saying the BOM C++ code is garbage. (I had my > special hat on, :) you know the one that says any code I have not > written is garbage. It's a > silly self-misleading hat, but I sleep in it.) Well, a lot of guys have the same opinion... But I must say: indeed, BOM C++ code is garbage. Some features (like the labels list) are more a debug tool than an useful feature. I fact I use very few the BOM generator. > > > Does the output of netform.cpp's Write_GENERIC_NetList() have what is > needed in it to create a BOM? > > > If so, here is my current thinking, obviously it is evolving as I do the > research, before the development. > > What we need is almost entirely present in the existing *generic netlist > exporter*. (EESCHEMA -> Netlist -> Add Plugin). I am happy you are thinking to use this approach. Write_GENERIC_NetList() could have some minor problems in complex hierarchies (about timestamp/sheet path). (I can fix them, if you want) It should be usable. > > This can export the netlist to a text file and chain load a post > processor to generate a "netlist" of any kind. Is there a reason this > cannot generate a BOM? The only netlist plug-in in existence is in > eeschema/plugin/netlist_form_pads-pcb.cpp, and this represents the only > dependency on the existing non-XML "generic netlist format", which is an > arbitrary format that I would like to change to XML. > > > What about the following plan of action, for which I am volunteering: > > > 1) Change the generic netlist exporter to export to XML, keeping all the > existing content, even pins, and *adding* all custom component > fieldnames/properties. Write_GENERIC_NetList() is mainly intended to create files very easy to read. Therefore files have just the minimal info to create basic netlists. Of course for BOM generation, fieldnames/properties must be added, but some extra info could be useful: Sheet path name. Location in a sheet. Electrical pins type and perhaps pin names (useless for a BOM, but power pins could be more easily located in a board). Pay attention to multi parts per package: these components are always tricky to handle. (For the same component, they can have different values for a given field, and have different location or sheet name) > > 2) Fix netlist_form_pads-pcb.cpp to read the new generic netlist format > XML file, using the xml support within wxWidgets, see wxXmlDocument, and > create the same output it uses now. I'm hoping what was a non-gui > program can still stay that way using this class, don't know yet. netlist_form_pads-pcb.cpp is of course useful for guys who have to create pads-pcb netlists, but can be mainly see as a sample to create custom formats. So fix this file after changes is very interesting. In fact i am thinking others netlist formats (pspice, cadstar) could use this intermediate format, and could be removed from the eeschema code itself. > > 3) Work with Brian to write one or more python scripts, which will > basically fix bug https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/581153 > > 4) Commit the C++ improvements I made yesterday to the existing BOM > generator and keep them until a higher authority deletes them. > > 5) I bail on fixing bug https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/581153 in > C++, which I deem being a lost cause, because I think the BOM generator > C++ is a lost cause. Use any one of the python scripts to overcome it. > > > Dick > -- Jean-Pierre CHARRAS _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
