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Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2015 15:53:53 -0400
From: Stephen Besch <sbesch AT buffalo DOT edu>
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To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: [geda-user] bug? in Gerber Export in PCB
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Reply-To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com

Well, You just made almost the best suggestion I can think of. 
Especially if "./" in the default refers to the project directory. So, 
the default might  be something like
"< ./><UserFolder><UserPrefix>Layer<Userext>"

Where the parts enclosed in the <> pairs are optional, set to an initial 
default and updated based on the selection of the output naming 
convention chosen. If the optional items were missing, empty or 
defective the obvious alternatives would be used (./ for the base 
folder, blank for UserFolder, Blank for UserPrefix and the usual 
suspects for the extension. Even better would be to update a text line 
in the dialog showing the expanded result as the user types into 
gerberfile. This would be almost self-documenting since feedback for 
faulty entry would be immediate

As is stands now, the output folder must already exist or no output is 
generated. You might also pop up a confirmation for creating the folder 
if it does not exist or at least warn the user that the folder does not 
exist and that no output will be generated.

On 07/27/2015 02:13 PM, DJ Delorie wrote:
>> What is needed is indication
> Suggestions?
>
> I think in the past we've proposed adding "plain text" into the HID
> attribute dialog (which runs the gerber export dialog) so you could
> put informative text in there, but that adds the i18n effort.
>
> Perhaps the default should change from "foo" to "./foo.*" and we strip
> off the .* if the user left it there?  That would at least give a
> better example pattern.
>
>