Re: gEDA: One more tester!

[Thomas Heidel <theidel-at-NOSPAMadvis_dot_de>]

Darin,

> I am working on implementing this as you speak. I have
> proposed a component database organization for geda which
> will allow the creation of a database containing the information
> you desire.

Great! I did not expect to be the first one coming up with this idea,
but since I did not see anything about it at the gEDA homepage...
  
> At this point I am putting together a RFC document on this file
> format that will shortly be circulated to the mailing list. I am
> also working on prototype code for a component editing tool,
> and library management tools (very alpha).

I am looking forward to see it...

To get the most out of the database it should be posible for any
end user to submit new components to it. But to keep a high level
of quality of the database, there should be some kind of verification
process of each component. Some things like pin spacing, pad sizes or 
minimal set of attributes could be checked by the editing tool. But
there are other things which should be checked by a human. In general
there is no problem, but since this check can take some days, but the
end user needs his component right now, he almost certenly is going to
use his new, non-verified component in his design. In the case he
did a good job and his component meets all design ruls there is no 
problem. The component will get released and his design is consistend
with the library (a update of his design might be neccesary, to change
the refereces from the local to the global library). BUT, if he did a
poor job or he uses for some reason special design ruls, it will result
in a inconsistensy. While this should be alowed in some special cases
(resulting in the need of a local library!) it should not be alowed in 
general!

Thomas.