Re: gEDA-user: New user question

[sdb@xxxxxxxxxx (Stuart Brorson)]

This is an interesting point, and is related to the whole issue of
user-friendliness which was discussed on geda-dev last week.

A gschem symbols usually carries a "device" attribute which tells you
what the part is generally.  That is, for resistors, the
device=resistor, for caps, device=capacitor, for an IC, device=AD8047,
say.  Unfortunately, the device attribute is not promoted, meaning
that it doesn't become an editable attribute in gschem.

Therefore, it is up to the user to set the value attribute to whatever
the part is.  That is, I will put value=LT2053, for an LT2053,
value=MAX232 for a Maxim MAX232, etc.  HOwever, since the value
attribute is not mandatory for many purposes, -- particularly for ICs
-- most folks leave it out.

Perhaps teh best thing to do is display the device attribute in the
title bar to the attribute editor pop-up.  This is a change which
might be made over the course of time.  I can add it to my ToDo list
if others like doing it that way.

Stuart



> 
> 
> I am experimenting with gschem trying to learn how to use it.  The one
> thing that surprises me while browsing schematics other people have
> done is that by double clicking on a part, I don't have any clue what
> the part is.  Other schematic entry programs I have used would show
> the part name somewhere but I don't see it displayed.  Am I missing
> something to find out at least what filename the symbol points to
> without looking at the ascii schematic file.
> 
> Oren
>