On 10/13/2017 6:19 AM, Kristoffer Ödmark wrote: > Thanks you very much for that clarification, I for one would really > enjoy a clarification of the documentation and Datasheet string. KiCad > has been around for quite a while now, interesting how technology has > changed during that time. > > For another question, would It be okay to redirect the context menu in > eeschema, so that the "Show documentation" context menu would use the > Field "Datasheet"? And use the "documentation" string to fill the > "Datasheet" field when adding the symbol to the schematic?
I'm OK with adding both a "Show Documentation" (should be visible only when the field is not empty) to the symbol context menu and an "Edit Datasheet Field" entry to the "Properties" sub-menu. > > I guess this would be considered a temporary fix if okay? > > On 10/13/2017 08:51 AM, jp charras wrote: > >> FYI, in fact this confusion comes from a bug introduced a long time ago: >> >> Initially, the field name was "Sheet" not "Datasheet". >> It should be "SchematicSheet" >> >> The purpose was to be able to create a component acting as a >> hierarchical sheet: >> The component in a root sheet, and its internal sheet >> ("SchematicSheet") similar to a sub sheet. >> >> But unfortunately, it was never done, and one day the word "Sheet" >> became "Datasheet", thus creating >> a serious confusion. >> >> Perhaps the "DATASHEET" field (attached to the symbol) and the >> "documentation" string (attached to a >> alias) should be clearly redefined for the V5. >> >> By the way, do you know why the .dcm file exists? >> It is similar to the .idx index file of old spice libs. >> >> In the early time of eeschema, Kicad was stored on a server and was >> used in classrooms and on PCs >> connected by a "slow" network link: network cards were ISA cards and >> the link speed was roughly 2400 >> bps. >> >> So loading all needed schematic libraries to choose a symbol was a too >> time costly process, making >> Eeschema barely usable. >> Using small .dcm files to display a list of symbols and some info >> fixed this issue. >> >> Nowadays, link speed, PC speed and memory sizes have 3 order of >> magnitude, and .dcm files (a relic >> of this time) is more an annoying feature. >> > > _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp