Re: gEDA-user: How does Part Annotation work?

[Ales Hvezda <ahvezda@seul.org>]

Hi,

>I don't understand how gschem choices the starting point to annotate parts.
>
>I have 9 diodes, 9 relays, and 9 FETs.
>
>The relays are numbered K1 - K9.
>The transistors are numbered: Q9 - Q16
>The diodes are numbered: D17-D23,D27
>
>It appears there is only a single counter rather than a counter for each 
>part?


	How are you numbering the parts?  There are three distinct mechanisms
within gEDA/gaf for doing auto numbering:

1) The hooks mechanism.  When enabled in the system-gschemrc file, the
   parts are automatically numbered as they are placed or copied.
   This mechanism does not keep track of existing numbers and just
   starts numbering each type (U, R, Q, L, etc...) from 1 everytime
   gschem is started.  It does not handle multi-page schematics and it
   sometimes picks the wrong number to start at (if there are existing
   components).

2) The Attributes/Autonumber Text... mechanism.  This mechanism should have
   a seperate counter for on each type (U, R, Q, L, etc...).  Basically for
   every component which has a U? or R? (question mark after the type), this
   mechanism should figure out which number to start at (though I saw it 
   pick a duplicate a few minutes ago).  When you select Attribute/Autonumber
   Text... a dialog box will pop up asking you to pick which type to 
   autonumber (refdes=U or refdes=R or refdes=L are valid inputs; don't
   include a ? at the end).  This mechanism does not handle multi-page 
   schematics, though by looking at the source, it does handle hierarchical
   schematics.

3) The annotate.sh and unannotate.sh scripts.  As I just discovered these
   scripts are completely broken in version 20021103.  I don't know what
   they would have done (probably nothing) in this broken state, but I
   have fixed them in CVS.  annotate.sh will go through and number all
   U?, R?, L?, etc... components with seperate counters for each type.
   These scripts do not handle multi-page schematics either.

	
>
>Why are they not all numbered 1 -> 9?

	Curious, which of the above mechanisms did you use?, once I know
I will try to reproduce.  


>
>In a multipage schematic how do you set the starting numbers for each page?


	Unfortunately, as mentioned above, multi-page schematics are not
handled when using any of the numbering mechanisms.  Adding multi-page
support to either of the above mechanisms isn't hard, just takes time.



>
>I found a script called unannotate.sh but running it doesn't change any thing,
>it just makes a copy of the file, that is the same as the original.


	Yeah, it was also broken.  If you need the [un]annotate.sh scripts,
then please get the latest version from CVS, either via a standard cvs
checkout or 

1) go visit: http://www.geda.seul.org/cvsweb.html
2) Enter either of the cvs web interfaces
3) Navigate into devel/gnetlist/scripts/ 
4) Pick the 1.2 rev of either file and at the top of the newly opened
   page you will see a download link.

								-Ales