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Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2019 14:12:13 +0200 (CEST)
From: Roland Lutz <rlutz AT hedmen DOT org>
To: "Majenko Technologies (matt AT majenko DOT co DOT uk) [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com]" <geda-user AT delorie DOT com>
Subject: Re: [geda-user] gschem interaction from external processes
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Hi Matt,

On Mon, 2 Sep 2019, Majenko Technologies (matt AT majenko DOT co DOT uk) [via 
geda-user AT delorie DOT com] wrote:
> I am attempting to build an integrated project management system based 
> around gschem and PCB and associated tools. Something which integrates 
> the tools together into a single workflow.
> 
> As part of this is an automated (by automated I mean you click one 
> button in the interface) "Save open schematics and PCBs, Run gsch2pcb, 
> Reload open schematics and PCBs from disk, Load new netlist and layout 
> to buffer" operation.

I have already implemented the gschem side of things for Igor2's 
"genxproj" tool as part of the file operation cleanup I'm currently 
working on.

> I have modified the code so that it responds to two signals, USR1 (save all
> pages) and USR2 (close and re-open all pages), and it (kind of) works

I think file-descriptor communication would be more desireable.

> (at the moment it's dumping random "untitled_1.sch" files around the 
> place, but I can fix that...)

Yes, that's one of the (many) non-trivial issues with that. :/

> What would be ideal would be a "--listen" system like PCB has that would 
> allow you to send SCM scripts directly to the running process.

That won't help, either, because the SCM actions internally have the same 
issues.

What's missing is a proper abstraction of file operations in gschem which 
gives you functions like "save all pages" or "revert page" to call when 
signalled to.  That's exactly what I have been working on for the past 
month; I'll try to complete this as soon as possible.

Roland