On a more serious note, the only thing that matters for netlist export is the refdes and footprint attribute. What the symbol looks like should make no difference, even to back annotation, if I am not mistaken. In gEDA gschem, there is resistor-1.sym, resistor-2.sym and so forth, for different styles or sizes of resistor; nothing stops you using multiple resistor symbols in a layout if your particular needs make it necessary.
Well, isn’t this lively.
I think @erichVK5 sums it up best with ¿porque no los dos?
Adding a second resistor symbol to the library seems to be a fine solution that would keep everyone happy.
Using the de-morgan equivalent makes most sense to me, for the following reasons:
a) The symbols are then actually equivalent
b) Next week someone will ask about the potentiometer symbol! Rather than have duplicate symbols for each device, multiple representations of the same symbol seems easier to me.
c) In the fancy new .sweet implementation, perhaps there will be better facility for multiple representations for a single symbol. This is a good stop-gap until that stage.
Please, remember that y’all have the power to make a PR with any proposed changes. If a squiggly resistor is that important, let’s make it happen.
That means: Because not both?
¿ Por qué no los dos? = Why not both?
Well this is what happens when you learn Spanish from memes.
Still the question remains how we manage other symbols with eg. internal drawings then?
If we use the deMorgan-functionality (which is maybe the best way, although it’s meant for something else) we could require standard version is IEC and alternative version is IEEE … but what happens if someone ONLY provides an IEEE-styled symbol? Do we accept it? Do we accept it, if he/she also provides the IEC-version? Do we reject it?
Also: Does this mean we drop support for the deMorgan functionality as it was intended (i.e. for logic)? Otherwise eople using deMorgan-alternative on their schematic would also only get the alternative logic gates …
Best,
JAN
I am very surprised that the discussion of the “stupid resistor” has grown to 60 posts!. The devs and librarians must aware - officially - the current and future users of KiCad that in the case of commercial use they should create their own libraries, meet their standards.
Nothing more, nothing less.
And this is where the complication lies. Perhaps using De Morgan is too much of a hack for this feature.
I don’t support a library-wide duplication of every symbol with a resistor in it. The standard libs are one-size-fits-most and we cannot support every potential variation.
I shall do some digging and see if the upcoming library format supports proper multiple symbol representations. If that is the case, then perhaps this entire argument is moot and should be postponed until this feature is available.
I didn’t mean to set off a firestorm.
Perhaps providing a place to list community contributed libraries would avoid future discussions like this. Certainly it would be more helpful to new users of KiCad.
As for my company’s possible adoption of KiCad, the layout specialists tell me that, whatever is adopted to replace the current EDA app, they will be creating local versions of the supplied libraries and that modifying the “resistor glyphs” won’t be a significant additional burden.
This is the correct approach - the supplied libraries must be adapted by the user to fit their needs, not the other way around
That said, if someone submits a R_US symbol I wouldn’t reject it out of hand.
Maybe name it R_ALT as we also have a series of ALTERNATIVE diodes and caps (or rename those) … just to keep it consistent … Let’s see if someone submits it and discuss it then …
As I said a place to list community contributed libraries would be helpful.
I agree, each user/organization needs to do it’s own, local adaptations, but leveraging the contributions of other users can make that easier,
A start would be if some of you in need of those US symbols would start a github repo and link to it - probably in a new post on this forum.
That repo can always be forked and copied from, as long as it’s not being deleted.
How you then hook this up with the KiCAD people is another matter, but surely can wait.
And this will not work as smooth as you imagine, unless the alternative libraries are done by some common standard and scrutinized upon entry in that lib.
IMHO - it takes me the same time to make my own symbols than to review and check someone else’s work - that’s why I don’t depend on the KiCAD libs at all.
+ that’s why accepting into the official KiCAD libs is very slow at times 
As an old fogey just checking out KiCAD for the first time (and weaned on zig-zag resistors), I am seriously impressed with how civil this discussion is. Despite the potential for resistor symbol wars, this thread has not succumbed to the flaming rants found on some other electronics sites. Good work!
And lets keep it that way 
Creating a new custom “zig-zag” resistor symbol on your preferred Eeschema grid makes a great, but frustrating, user design attempt when done with the current KiCad tools. But, I think worth the effort in the end.
One of the very first things I did when I picked up KiCAD for the first time was to draft a symbol or two. OK, not really complicated symbols, but I had switched between PCB layout programs several times over the years and I learned that “library work” - drafting symbols and footprints - could consume 75% or more of the total effort on even a low- or moderate complexity project. I knew that learning to create symbols and footprints was NOT something I could put off until I had a rainy Friday afternoon without much happening in the Lab! I thought the KiCAD drawing tools were only a little more frustrating than other programs I had switched to. (Getting accustomed to the library procedures, and the libraries’ basic architecture, was another matter!)
As for the zig-zag resistor in particular, we old fogeys are not above grabbing somebody else’s work for our own benefit. Too many times we have re-invented a wheel only to discover that we forgot to round over all of the corners on our wheel. We keep our eyes open for somebody else’s wheel that seems to be rolling along smoothly. Just be sure to carry a tire gauge - no sense in stealing somebody’s wheel if it has a slow leak that could leave you flat. Old age and treachery triumphs over youth and enthusiasm, as they say.
Dale
Yea, I MEANT also being able to re-use them; that whole ball of yarn.
( I now know how to “yell” in bold!!!) … going to be haters everywhere…