I notice that placing a wire in EESchema auto-repeats. But dragging does not. I think it would be convenient if dragging in EESchema auto-repeated (let’s say by clicking or hitting the enter key.)
I could insert a .gif but I don’t think it will help much. It would not show the ineffective key stroke or mouse click.
Should I report this as a bug?
By way of (knowing for future reports) I wonder now if perhaps I should not report on nightlies unless I have the absolute latest one?
My version information:
Application: Eeschema
Version: (5.99.0-657-g792e841ec), release build
Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.0.4
libcurl/7.66.0 OpenSSL/1.1.1d (Schannel) zlib/1.2.11 brotli/1.0.7 libidn2/2.2.0 libpsl/0.21.0 (+libidn2/2.1.1) nghttp2/1.39.2
Platform: Windows 8 (build 9200), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW
Build Info:
Build date: Jan 7 2020 22:27:11
wxWidgets: 3.0.4 (wchar_t,wx containers,compatible with 2.8)
Boost: 1.71.0
OpenCASCADE Community Edition: 6.9.1
Curl: 7.66.0
Compiler: GCC 9.2.0 with C++ ABI 1013
Before you report it as a bug, replicate your sequence of events twice. DO NOT save the Kicad file.
First time through, list every step you took in the exact order in a text file.
Second time through, check every step and add to your list the ones you forgot to write down the first time. Again, DO NOT save your changes to the file.
This will hopefully help avoid the situation where the troubleshooter cannot replicate the behavior you reported. This will also confirm that the same sequence of steps resulted in the same misbehavior three times.
I get your remark as a method, and that is OK. But I want to ask whether my observation may already be known by the developers, or perhaps there is other reason why I should not report it as a bug? Also; in my view It is a “room for improvement” and not much of a problem.
BTW I just reproduced it using a different schematic file.
I think Russ’s comment was more about making clear instructions to reproduce the unexpected behavior you are encountering.
I’ve read first sentences of your post 5 times and I can’t make sense of what you mean by auto-repeat.
For example. you place a symbol. Done. Click the mouse again and the software wants to place another symbol. That is what I mean by autorepeat. Repeat the previous action.
If I complete a drag, then click again, the software does not do anything. No Auto repeat. I need to go to menu again or use keystroke command (but I don’t know that keystroke command.) So if I want to do 5 drags, I need to tell it each time.
I see what you mean now.
The distinction is that placing a wire or a component is a tool while drag is an operation.
Tools are enabled and “stick” until you switch to another tool. Operations are single-shot.
Use the software for a bit and you will remember the shortcuts for common operations in no time.
Edit: to add about why the distinction is made. You can have only one tool active at a time. You can use any operation while having the tool still remain active. So you can drag while placing parts and not have to re-enable part placing tool every time.
OK…This is why I asked about creating a bug. I did not want to create a spurious bug
So I accept that you have your hands on a reason but…
I have now tried to drag while keeping the “add wire” tool or “place symbol” tool open and could not do it. Possible that it is a result of the particular build that I am using, or possible that I am just missing it somehow. Usually I drag by left clicking on a part (I use a trackball and have right and left click reversed) and then using the context menu.
I think I have already used the software for several bits! Things like keystroke commands are great to learn the first or second time around such as when I used Wordstar maybe 35 years ago. Then Microsoft Works taught me different keystroke commands, and in the last 10-15 years those commands don’t work any more in Word. (Try ALT-E(dit)-S) (paste special. No longer works in Word!). Similar for using a bunch of different schematic editors over the years. Over years and cycles of learn-unlearn it gets more difficult to unlearn one and learn another. My best analogy would be if you needed to drive a car with the position of the pedals mixed up. I bet many of us would crash.
Anyway I think I should hold off on creating a bug at least pending my further understanding of the software intent.
Interesting. No…as I indicated I am sort of weak on the keyboard shortcuts (but have been using Shift-W for example). But now, if I place a symbol, and then try to drag (with G shortcut) I can only drag that placed symbol. If I want to drag a different symbol I need to escape out of the place symbol command. So this is all a bit perplexing. And I still wonder whether the behavior may vary with exactly which nightly build I am using…and I don’t want to get stuck too much on a behavior which may change in next week’s build anyway! I can see where having feedback from software dummies such as me can be useful for the developers (??) but I don’t want to get caught up too much on what might be a temporary detail.
I think the way how users interact with eeschema is actively worked on (The goal is to get the workflow similar to pcbnew). This can result in strange and changing behaviour for some time. It is one of the dangers of using nightly builds.
Yes I understand that. When I am using a nightly, my goal is to check out what is new and maybe provide some useful comments but I don’t want to produce too much noise. Particularly noise in the form of bug reports that are too quick. I don’t want to make the developers say “Yes, I know, I am working on that.”
There’s nothing wrong thinking it that way, but I don’t think it’s a problem for the developers. Rather, it may be even easier for them to focus their efforts if they know someone needs what they are doing, and in any case it’s good to document things in the bug database. Sometimes even the developers themselves create bug reports just to show what’s happening or to keep things organized.
Much more important for the developers and other issue database users is that the issues are clearly written and easy to read, understand and follow. Therefore you should describe things exactly and unambiguously step by step and possibly attach screenshots, screencasts and/or example project.
There’s also nothing wrong filing a wish or even an opinion as long as you accept that others may disagree. However, it’s true that
And yet - because the eeshcema workflow is new, it’s possible that even the developers aren’t sure how it should behave in each detail and need some feedback. But to some extent it’s true that the user must accept some basic concepts of the software and be familiar with them.
I have made symbols and footprints that I have used to make schematics and pcb files to gerber files. I think I am reasonably familiar with the way KiCad works although I will never be an expert with it. Software is not my thing, but I wanted a word processor in 1975 long before I could access that on a PC or dedicated machine, and almost any EDA schematic pcb program beats the heck out of designing pcbs with black tape on mylar.