gEDA-dev: gnetlist as one way path?

[Steve Meier <smeier-at-NOSPAMalchemyresearch_dot_com>]

To answer the following critique:

> "gnetlist" provides a one way mechanism from gschem out, 
> essentially based on something like a plug-in for the output 
> format.  

I have a modified version of gnetlist that I have been calling backnet.

backnet uses a front end scheme file to construct the libgeda data
structures from something. Currently I have a script for importing pads
netlists.

backnet also can run an intermediate scheme script to then manipulates
the libgeda data structures. Again the script that I have imports an eco
file from pads. 

Finally, backnet can run a more or less standard gnetlist script or at
least a script based upon a gnetlist script. For my latest project i
have been using a pads netlist output script. Sorry DJ I really wanted
to use PCB but time preasure prevented me from doing so.

A completely offtrack comment here about pads in comparison to pcb.

Strength of pads is certianly in its ability to draw and join complex
polygons. Also the ability to do back annotation.

Weakness of pads is that if you do something like deleate a couple of
parts and rename some of the net names then pads get horribly confused.
This lead to a paniced call from my layoutperson who remembered that one
way of fixing this would be to rename all of the nets by for example
putting "N_" in front of each net name. She said she could do it
manually in a couple of hours. I scratched my head for about two
minuets, used 30 seconds to modify the gnet-pads.scm script. Ran it
against backnet and had her the netlist with renamed nets in under 5
minuets.

Is gnetlist one way sure but it can easily be a two direction program.
In reality from my persepctive gnetlist is just an interface that lacks
graphics into libgeda.

Peter Clifton,

You asked about by my netlist and modified libgeda. Yep both my version
of the netlister and backnet link against the modified libgeda. This is
one reason I want to open the discussion about methods. I would like to
make my work track yours in the hope of eventually reconnecting with
main stream geda.

Thanks,

Steve M.





_______________________________________________
geda-dev mailing list
geda-dev@moria.seul.org
http://www.seul.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/geda-dev