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Message-ID: <500DCA01.2000509@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2012 15:02:41 -0700
From: "Girvin R. Herr" <girvin DOT herr AT sbcglobal DOT net>
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To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: [geda-user] Symbol attributes
References: <50084839 DOT 9080804 AT sbcglobal DOT net> <201207191830 DOT q6JIUH0o028413 AT envy DOT delorie DOT com> <juj1ab$sg2$1 AT dough DOT gmane DOT org> <500DB5AB DOT 4000903 AT sbcglobal DOT net> <201207232039 DOT q6NKdvfj020551 AT envy DOT delorie DOT com>
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Reply-To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com

DJ,
Very interesting!  However, I don't think what I am trying to do quite 
fits.  I will, however, keep this document in mind.
What I am trying to do is to allow changing the symbol's symbolic part 
name at the schematic level.  For example, I believe the 7400 library 
symbol has "7400" entered as text.  This text cannot be changed to, say, 
"74LS00" at the schematic level.  I would have to create a separate 
74ls00-1.sym file, as well as separate files for all the other variants 
(S, ALS, AS, etc.).  What I am doing is deleting the library symbol's 
fixed text symbolic name and replacing it with the "partname=" attribute 
(value only visable), which is editable at the schematic level.  
Therefore, I only need one symbol file, in this example, "74x00-1.sym" 
for all variants.  This method needs a lot less maintenance and 
simplifies the symbol list.  A side affect of using a separate attribute 
for this purely symbolic name, is that it separates this name, which 
could be a generic name or short form of the manufacturer's part number, 
from the other attributes.  Some of the latter can be quite long and 
obtuse, with all sorts of letter-number codes appended.  I would prefer 
something shorter for the schematic symbolic name.  On the other side, 
if the long name is needed, there is nothing preventing "partname=" 
being the same as, say, "manufacturer_part_number=" or even "device=".  
I think it just adds flexibility.  It is this flexibility that I decided 
to keep with "partname=" rather than use "device=".
Now that I think about it, maybe an attribute name such as "symname=", 
for symbolic name, would be a better choice than "partname=".
I hope this clears up my intentions.  Sorry if I am too wordy in this 
message.
Thanks.
Girvin


DJ Delorie wrote:
> We do have some guidelines for storing part numbers in symbols...
>
> http://www.gedasymbols.org/csv.html
>
>