Re: gEDA-user: Light vs heavy gschem symbols?

[Bob Paddock <bob.paddock@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Wednesday 01 June 2005 07:57 am, Stuart Brorson wrote:
> Light vs. heavy is nomenclature which I just made up.  Perhaps there
> are other terms?  If so, I don't know what they are.  Anyway, this is
> what I mean:

> Gschem currently uses "light" symbols.  That is, each symbol in the
> symbol lib has almost no built-in attributes.   It is up to the user
> to place the symbol and then add all the attributes he needs manually,
> either using gschem's attribute pop-up or perhaps using gattrib or an
> equivalent program.
>
> By "heavy" symbol I mean that each symbol in the lib has a bunch of
> attributes already attached to it. 

My argument against "heavy" has to do with documentation. If you have to 
follow ISO9000 guide lines you don't want a down stream change percolating 
backup through your documents.

Say you have a "heavy" part, call it XYZ in your schematic.  Now the 
manufacture of XYZ obsoletes it.  You have a form-fit-function replacement 
called ZYX.  This "heavy" change means that you have to redo your schematic, 
and PCB to keep everything in sync.  Where if the symbol is "light" the only 
change would be on the project Bill-Of-Material.  One document that needs 
changed versions possibly dozens in a large project.