gaf/pcb fundimentals which was Re: gEDA-user: PCB suggestion

[Stephen Meier <smeier@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

First, This discussion should being held on the developers forum not the users forum.

I am cross posting to try to move it there.

I think the file format should be secondary to a discussion on wether or 
not gaf/pcb should be modified from being tool centric to being data 
centric.

What would this mean?

Well currently there are about 6 file formats that are used.

From GAF

the resource files
the component library files
the project file

Then GAF produces a netlist file wich PCB imports

PCB uses the additional file formats

Pcb the pcb resource file
newlib  new type of landpatterns
m4 lib old macro created land patterns
the pcb project file

Which of these are shared? None ... not a single one. This makes it 
difficult for these two important functions to interact with each other.


In a data centric model. There would be one project file. It would 
include information that only pcb would care about and information that 
only gaf would care about. But it would also include information that 
both programs should care about. Among these are pin swapping, gate 
swapping, which traces should be differential and thus have matching 
impedences and matching lengths. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Linux as a model has been successful because it strives to be state of 
the art. If we want gEDA to have a similar acceptance then it too should 
strive to be state of the art and not just a low end hobbiest knock off. 
From what I have seen of the devlopers and users of these tools this is 
a realistic goal.

Well, that is how I vote.

Steve Meier