I've read something saying they were putting forward a semi-competing XML extension standard of some kind, but that is the extent of my familiarity with the topic.
I used XML for the first time when I staerted doing serious Linux development a few years ago (from MS and previously VMS). At first, I was against it due to its verbosity and textual-basis. I've come to appreciate it for those various reasons. I'm not wed to the idea or even an evangelical on the topic. I just threw it out there as an idea worthy of discussion. Greg ________________________________ From: KeepIt SimpleStupid <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, September 14, 2009 8:37:54 AM Subject: Re: [kicad-users] Re: Kicad library project Is XML a viable avenue to pursue because of all the trouble Microsoft is getting in for using XML as a basis for Word? Example: http://www.pcworld.com/article/170148/microsoft_word_lawsuit_xml_explained.html Terms: Microsoft, XML, Lawsuit --- On Mon, 9/14/09, Greg Dyess <[email protected]> wrote: >From: Greg Dyess <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [kicad-users] Re: Kicad library project >To: [email protected] >Date: Monday, September 14, 2009, 8:37 AM > > > >There are a number of open-source public-domain XML parsing libraries that are >cross platform. I am most familiar with Xerxes. ACE may even have some XML >capabilities in addition to its wonderful networking, multithreading and job >pooling. Wow, a multithreaded router perhaps? > >Greg > > > > ________________________________ From: Andy Eskelson <andyya...@g0poy. co.uk> >To: kicad-users@ yahoogroups. com >Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 5:01:41 PM >Subject: Re: [kicad-users] Re: Kicad library project > >Do bear in mind that KiCad is a multi platform system, so things should >work on both Linux and Windows. > >Andy > > > > >On Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:45:02 +0100 >Philip Pemberton <ygro...@philpem. me.uk> wrote: > >> waynegramlich wrote: >> > I think your idea is a good one. Not locking it down to a >> > particular electronic CAD package is also a pretty good idea. >> >> It's more a convenience thing of anything, that and other people might >> want to use it with e.g. Altium Designer, Mentor or OrCAD. I'd rather >> like the answer to "Can I use it with <X>?" to be "Yes" for as many >> values of <X> as practically possible. >> >> > Greg's proposal of using XML is pretty good as well. At least >> > with XML, nobody argues about syntax issues anymore. In addition, >> > this means additional information can be added. For example, >> > some parts can be ordered from multiple vendors with different >> > part numbers. With XML, adding a new tag does not break >> > programs that are reading the file. >> >> The only (he says) problem with XML is that as a hierarchical format, >> it's a bit of a pain to parse. That said, parsing is generally handled >> with (say) Libxml or ElementTree/ Etree, and ends up being more or less >> recursive -- if you see a <Component> element, you branch off to >> HandleComponentElem ent() for a bit, which goes looking for the various >> tags it needs to build the component. >> >> It is a LOT more verbose than what I proposed. I'd rather have a >> single-line description to create a component, than 20 or 30 lines of >> text that all has to be parsed. Though all that verbosity would make it >> easier to understand the source script, and I guess you could always >> write a Perl, Bash or Python script to write the component script... :) >> >> > The concept of having a package is good one. Many parts >> > come in a multitude of packages. >> >> Well the concept derives from something along these lines: >> - Microchip, Fairchild, National and TI (for example) all make chips >> in DIL packages. >> - The parameters of a given type of DIL package is standardised among >> these vendors. >> - Why create four footprint libraries, when you can do what you need >> to do with one? >> >> Admittedly some manufacturers do "tweak" footprints a little, but for >> the most part the IC packages are standard. Actually, I seem to recall >> there being an IPC standard for SMD footprints.. . >> >> > It would be nice to >> > specify the part once and select the package separately. >> > Pin bindings sometimes vary between parts. >> >> This is how EAGLE works (more or less) -- you pick a Part in the library >> browser, expand it, and then you can see what footprints are available >> (f.ex. the Microchip PIC18F452 is available in a -I/P (DIL) and a -I/SO >> (SOIC) package). You accept the selection, then it's added to the PCB. >> >> The catch is that the schematic symbols and PCB footprints are part of >> the same library, and you can't link a schematic symbol and pinout set >> to a footprint in another library (or at least you couldn't the last >> time I tried). The Part provides the link between a symbol and >> >> IIRC, In KiCAD "symbols" and "modules" are a separate concept, and there >> is no "linking object" (the pin numbers come from the Symbol). When you >> create, say, a PIC18F452-I/ P symbol, you tell KiCAD that MCLR is on pin >> 1, and so forth. So if you wanted to change the pin numbers to create a >> PIC18F452-I/ SO object, you need to copy the existing symbol. Later on, >> if a change has to be made to the "symbol" as a whole, you have to >> change both of them -- in EAGLE you'd edit the Symbol and both Parts >> auto-update. >> >> I think I've explained that quite confusingly, but it's not an easy >> concept to explain anyway... even with a whiteboard to hand... :) >> >> > More control over drill selection is a good idea. Some vendors >> > use metric, others use imperial. Some have a set of "free" >> > drills and charge extra for other sizes. Just being able to >> > specify the minimum and maximum hole size for for each component >> > lead would be a huge advance. >> >> Well the goal is that if your manufacturer won't take the "standard" >> libraries, you regenerate them to meet your specific needs. >> >> > As an example of something that can be done after the >> > basic infrastructure is in place, I've always wanted to do >> > a screen scraper for part pricing when I'm ordering parts. >> > I typically order from DigiKey, Jameco and Mouser, being >> > able to figure out which vendor has the lowest price, can >> > save some serious money. (Note, this would be a separate >> > program that read the library file formats, fetched the >> > prices from the vendors and squirted current pricing >> > information into the files as addition tags.) >> >> I've been working on a component stock database that would do something >> similar -- it keeps track of what I have in-stock at a given time. The >> plan is that when I want to build something, I could import the >> bill-of-materials from KiCAD, then tell the stock DB: "calculate what I >> need". It would then run off, query pricing information from known >> suppliers, and possibly go as far as working out quantity breaks (i.e. >> "9x of part X are required, but it's cheaper to buy 10, so order 10 >> instead"). >> >> It's a long-term project (like all my projects, or so it seems these >> days)... >> >> Cheers, >> -- >> Phil. >> ygro...@philpem. me.uk >> http://www.philpem. me.uk/ >> >> >> ------------ --------- --------- ------ >> >> Please read the Kicad FAQ in the group files section before posting your >> question. >> Please post your bug reports here. They will be picked up by the creator of >> Kicad. >> Please visit http://www.kicadlib .org for details of how to contribute your >> symbols/modules to the kicad library. >> For building Kicad from source and other development questions visit the >> kicad-devel group at http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/kicad- develYahoo! >> Groups Links >> >> >> > > >------------ --------- --------- ------ > >Please read the Kicad FAQ in the group files section before posting your >question. >Please post your bug reports here. They will be picked up by the creator of >Kicad. >Please visit http://www.kicadlib .org for details of how to contribute your >symbols/modules to the kicad library. >For building Kicad from source and other development questions visit the >kicad-devel group at http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/kicad- develYahoo! Groups >Links > > > > >
