Re: gEDA-user: Parts DB API

[Peter Clifton <pcjc2@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 2007-12-19 at 09:23 -0500, DJ Delorie wrote:

> I suppose we could have a separate attribute verb, that sets an
> invisible attribute without needing to specify a location, size,
> color, etc.

That would be really nice. Peter B and I looked at it this way...

Attribute verb defines the attribute meta-data etc., and it is keyed in
such a way as to be referable (either a unique attribute name, or some
name + sequence number for duplicated attributes).

If you want the attribute displayed on the schematic, a text display
object is placed on the schematic, and that references the attribute
data (which it sees appropriately post-processed by layering any
over-rides on top of the symbol's data).

The UI doesn't necessarily have to change (placing an attribute would
automatically create both the data, and the view).

The file-format wouldn't necessarily have to change to use this
representation internally - it just makes it harder to write out
invisible attributes which the user didn't place, as we have to make up
some location for them.

> This, of course, obsoletes the old way of managing slots.

Yes please..

(Ok, it obsoletes the old _code_ for managing slots). There is no reason
that the slot= attribute can't still be used in conjunction with
slotdef= information in the symbol to drive the module which
back-annotates the correct pin numbers.


-- 
Peter Clifton

Electrical Engineering Division,
Engineering Department,
University of Cambridge,
9, JJ Thomson Avenue,
Cambridge
CB3 0FA

Tel: +44 (0)7729 980173 - (No signal in the lab!)



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