Attributes. was: Re: gEDA-user: Spice simulation library for ASIC design / life and death

[sdb@cloud9.net (Stuart Brorson)]

Hi Ales --

> [snip]
> >Ales:
> >May be we can put those symbols to the gEDA library page as well.
> 
> 	I will put them into the next release.	I might have to rename
> them though (put a -1 or -2 at the end of them symbol).  Thank you for
> the symbols.

Just out of curiosity:  We discussed allowing "source" attributes
built into symbols to be promoted (i.e. displayed) in gschem.  (They
are currently discarded.)  Have you had any further thoughts about
this for the next release?  

The advantage to this is that specialized SPICE symbols for chip
design (like those above) can be hardcoded to point to subcircuits.
This will facilitate construction of hierarchical schematics.  Right
now you if you have a SPICE symbol which you want point to a
subcircuit, and you want to instantiate it many times, you have to
laboriously attach the attribute to each symbol in gschem.  It would
be better if it came with the attribute already attached, and allowed
you to edit it in gschem if desired.

Actually, allowing attachment of certain attributes like "model-name"
and "file" at the symbol level would be a good thing for SPICE since
you could  build pointers to the SPICE model files into each symbol.
Does gEDA support this?  I think it does, but I don't accurately 
remember. . . .

Of course, if "gattrib" ever gets done, then you can use it to attach
arbitrary attributes across many symbols (almost) simultaneously.  But
please don't wait for me to finish gattrib.  I am not a master C
hacker like other people on this list.   :-(  

Stuart