Re: gEDA-user: weird names in PCB part library

[sdb@cloud9.net (Stuart Brorson)]

> 
> Not at all. I don't really care how they are created as long as they are 
> correct and consistent. Consistent is why I like the new format. So 
> using a macro language to generate a file of the new format would be 
> rather invissible to the pattern's end user.

My $0.02:  Steve is right -- the user shouldn't ever be exposed to M4.  

My druthers:  Only one footprint library, based upon ASCII text
footprint files.   This supports everybody:
-- Users who want to draw the footprints by hand can
   do so using PCB & then save out the results to a file.  
-- Users who want to generate footprints parametrically can do so
   using Perl, Python, etc. using stand-alone utilities.  
-- Users who love to live in emacs can  type in the symbols by hand. 

My main point is that making M4 an intrinsic, exposed part of PCB is a
turn-off to gEDA's target audience: board designers.  They shouldn't
be expected to know that there is an M4 based footprint lib as
well as a normal, file-based lib.  They shouldn't even have to ever
see M4.

Stuart