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

[John Griessen <john_g@cibolo.com>]

HI,

Why not the agnostic take:   allow that there could easily be two levels of users like in 
some mature FOSS projects --  user-developers, and users.  Yeah, they sound userous,
but they only get to reap what they sow.   It evens out.   So, we could still have some M4,
and iff, (if and only if), we have a wide open file format for exactly specifying the footprints that is 
either "used directly by"  pcb or translated painlessly into and out of pcb, then we could 
have user contribs of footprints generated by python scripts, bash scripts calling m4, and 
text editing in emacs, and handmade footprint layouts with mouse resolution off-grid shapes 
appearing occasionally and they could all co-exist.    I think the important thing is not how a footprint
gets made, but how it is documented, "used directly by pcb" and how it is backed up by a BLOG about 
results gotten while using it for real board production.   The Gencam or IPC board guidelines are only
heuristic cookbook formulas  -- they're not "golden".  To be a reasonable risk is all pcb footprints need to be,
not golden.  They don't ned to be generated by anyone in particular -- IPC, etc.  just vouched for by one reliable or several
reliable board making users of them.    who will set up a web site for creating such a database wiki style with 
full automation of stats on successful boards made by which fabber, under what conditions with
no censorship?   Kinda like the ratings of buyers and sellers of each other on ebay...  by the sheer numbers.

JG

 Stuart Brorson wrote > 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. 
======
   If I have to install the bloated pig that is Perl in order to use 
PCB, I will find another layout package.

   Existing, perfectly functional, fast, builds-and-runs-on-EVERYTHING 
tools are not an appropriate battleground for the PerlTribesmen to try 
to infect.

           -Dave