In the “Interactive Router Settings”, there is a confusing checkbox named “Fix all segments on click”
Unfortunately, the word “fix” is ambiguous.
At first I thought it meant “correct”, “repair”, or “tidy” segments.
After reading the documentation, I found that it is intended to mean: “affix”, “place”, or “apply”.
Perhaps one of these would be more clear?
“Place track on click”
“Place track segments on click”
“Place dragged segments on click”
“Place routed segments on click”
To me, the wording is right.
For example, MS Word offers option to “Fix position on page” which causes the object to be fixed instead of floating.
However, as the option name may be a bit ambiguous, it might be slightly changed. How about “Set all segments on click” ?
That feature (and language) of MS Word is not an analogous pattern for this feature of KiCad. The track is not “fixed”, it is still able to be shoved while routing. This reasoning could also rule-out “affix” as well.
Although “set” is a synonym of “place”, it is used often in software (also “apply”); both of those words are more general and have more denotations than “place”.
Barring other suggestions, I think “place” is the most appropriate verb since it unambiguously means to “to put in a particular location or position”, and does not imply that it is unmovable.
The option actually anchors all floating segments except the last one at current track edit session. The opposite is to leave two last segment floating. It is not “permanent” as it can be changed with each track edit (direct or shove).
The option does not lock anything.
Yes, I understand the function; I was critiquing the semantic ambiguity of the UI language.
This conversation became confused and drifted off-topic due to the discussion of a non-analogous MS Word feature.
I think we’re talking past each-other here, and there’s no engagement from others, so let’s let this one go.
The joys of english where words are spelt and are spoken the same but have different meanings based upon their context
There is an argument for a clear unambiguous ontology and here I would say it is correct since “repair” and “cleanup” is used elsewhere in Kicad to indicate corrective actives
Fasten, fix, attach, affix … all generally mean the same thing with subtle usages but yes fix to imply attachment is not really used as much, but typically is still used in the context of “fix in place”
Your suggestions lean towards using “place” but the trace is already placed so it doesn’t convey the additional behaviour traces will inherit if the option is selected.
Raise an issue on gitlab (or even better a PR and edit the dialog), the worst that can happen is the developers reject it
It is worth making the effort to raise an issue on Gitlab.
Some months ago I raised an issue over three different dialogue boxes, in various parts of Kicad, each using a different terminology to perform the exact same function in one of the editors.
My comments were, not only did this cause confusion in English, but could possibly result in poor translations.
Prompt action was taken so all the boxes used the exact same wording.
As English is not my first language may be I shouldn’t have spoken but for me ‘attach’ (affix) means attach (affix) to something, what we don’t have here. With fasten I feel some force need to be used. But ‘fix’ simply means fix in place.
Because of this for me fix is the best word here.
With a short common word like fix, you can expect that there will be many meanings. This dictionary entry for example gives 7 as a transitive verb, and 3 as an intransitive verb: Fix Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
There’s a joke about fix:
What are you doing this summer?
I’m repairing to go fishing.
Oh, you mean you’re fixing to go fishing.
That’s what I said, I’m repairing to go fishing.
Me, I’m fixing to leave it as fix. 
The right meaning should come from context.
The question to people with English as first language:
In the context of Interactive Router do you understand ‘fix all segments’ as ‘fix them in their current place’ or you can understand it differently?
Context doesn’t always suffice. Humans use heuristics to work out meaning. They think about the likelihood of various interpretations. Which is why you have stories of very small kids getting scared when a parent talks about flying to another city. If KiCad used fix elsewhere to mean repair or correct then one might have reason to think that’s the meaning here too. But AFAIK it doesn’t.
Elsewhere for me creates a different context. I understand Interactive Router as routing manually with some help of software. I can hardly imagine expecting Interactive Router to fix (in sense repair) something during routing even if fix would be used in that sense anywhere else in KiCad. But fix (in sense lock) of what I see at that moment seems for me obvious action needed during routing as it is typical that moving mouse past some point changes current solution that I liked to something new that I don’t like.
I have used KiCad V6 only for a very short period and had no occasion to practically check that flag in action, and I don’t remember such flag in V5. If it is really new in V6 than in my opiniuon it is exactly what I wanted to have.
To fix or not to fix, that is the question…
Meaning of “fix” isn’t fixed. The word is broken and should be fixed.
I suspect that even if you regard this fix as broken, it won’t be fixed 
I respectfully disagree, “fix” is fixed and unless someone provides really convincing arguments how to fix the “fix”, we won’t fix anything
The ‘fix’ is in. Sorry.
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