Re: gEDA-user: General Layers questions

[Stephan Boettcher <boettcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

DJ Delorie <dj@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

>> We are talking about different thinks, I guess.
>
> Probably.
>
>> The tool shall be very focussed on traces, elements, vias.
>
> To be this kind of focused, it needs to have some understanding of
> what a via is.  You wouldn't want to invoke the via editor on a trace,
> but you wouldn't want the "move" option on a trace to not be able to
> move either the endpoints or the whole trace.  Regardless of how the
> underlying data is stored, the tools need to organize the data in a
> way that helps them serve the user, and be aware of various levels of
> semantics that need to be applied to what would otherwise be
> meaningless groups of composites.
>
> For example:
>
> User level - a via is a connection between layers that I can add,
> remove, edit, and move around.
>
> Tool level - a via is an anonymous (i.e. not part of an element) hole
> between layers electrically connecting copper pads on each layer.
>
> Data layer - a via is a collection of N shapes on M conducting layers,
> with a collection of one or more shapes penetrating the insulators
> between those layers.

Except, I see no need to specify any insulating layers here.  The data
does not care.  It's the exporter that may care.  If, for some
technology, the data does care, there will be a very special layer of
type "other" to make it care.

> I feel that the data layer is easiest to implement, but it seems to be
> what we're arguing about the most.  

Yes.  because ...

> I say we should ignore that problem for now, until we have a better
> understanding of what we want at the other two layers.  The tool layer
> is going to be the hardest to design, 

... I think the tool we have is pretty good already. Very good.  Thanks!

> because that's where we blend flexibility with ease of use.  Picking
> the right tool-level design will give us both flexibility and ease of
> use ("use" includes both the user and the plugin writer).

Please do not expect that users write plugins.  The tool is already too
good as it is to make is worth the effort to learn how to do that.

It's good to know that is is possible when a real need arises, but that
will not be often the case.

-- 
Stephan


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