Working with the symbol editor, I frequently use existing symbol to modify this for new symbols. Therefore I open existing symbol and use File-SaveCopyAs. Normally this happens inside the same library partition for similar symbols. Apparently, this is not working like other “SaveAs” in text editor or other progamms, as the symbol editor keeps on editing the source symbol.
Changing to the new symbol, we have to close the symbol editor with another save confirmation for the library itself, then re-open the new symbol again. Is there any reason, Kicad not performing this steps automatically? For my opinion, the behaviour like in any other programms would make the symbol editor use more intuitive.
Hmm. It’s true that the old symbol remains selected until you select the new symbol, which is marked with a * indicating unsaved changes. However, I could then edit the new symbol further before saving, I didn’t have to close the editor. You could also Save (Ctrl-S) before further editing, just in case, this gets rid of the unsaved * marker.
It’s debatable whether the workflow should switch to the new symbol. If you are just making one new symbol, it’s only one click to change the selection. If you are making a whole bunch of new symbols, then staying on the old symbol saves switching back and forth.
Notice how they have Save As and Save a Copy (As), two separate functions. “Save As” continues with the newly saved document, “Save a Copy” continues with the old document.
To be honest: I was never aware to the “save copy as” option in other programs. Always used the “save as”. No question, its not a real problem as both possibilities lead to the required result. If nobody asks for or opens an issue on Gitlab, it cannot be improved. In comparison to early versions, there are endless improved details for the user interface what make Kicad much more comfortable and intuitive today.
When I want to edit an existing footprint to make a new one, the menu command says “save as”. I do that, and then any following edits are done on the new footprint. This workflow follows the example of many Windows applications. It feels natural. OK I am biased by habit and experience but this seems intuitive.
But when I want to edit an existing symbol to make a new one, the menu command says “save copy as”. Then when I want to edit the new one, I need to remember to close the existing one and open the new one to edit it. I often forget this step and end up editing the existing symbol. This is not what I wanted. I then need to correct my errors.
I do both of these processes often. Why do we have this difference in workflow? Maybe we could offer both options in both editors?
Thanks I did a quick search for existing threads and and did not find that one for some reason. Maybe I should have searched for something other than potato thermometers.
But…OK…The questions remain:
Why the difference in workflow between the two editors?
Why not offer both options, so as to avoid “pulling the rug out” from under any users who like the “save copy as”?
You can modify the Kicad symbol first then use “Save Copy As” to save in a personal library. I started doing this some time ago because I suffered your problem far too often.
Thank you. Well if you suffered it, and I suffered it, and @janvi suffered it, then we seem to have a queasy…uh…quasi-random selection of users who have suffered this malady.
It has been years since I attempted to raise a bug or feature request on Gitlab (It was probably GitHub) but I will see about doing that.
UPDATE I just attempted to search/create a bug at Gitlab. Gitlab seems like it set up for software coders. Me trying to use it may be like a software coder trying to design a power supply. Much of it seems over my head. Does this qualify as a bug? I feel like it is only a feature request albeit maybe a simple one.
If you click on “Issues” in the LH column, you can see how issues are written.
In the main writing box, your Kicad version is automatically placed.
Everything above the title “Kicad Version”, I delete, then write the problem ( I haven’t experimented to see if the instructions stay or automatically disappear.
Thank you. Well if you suffered it, and I suffered it, and @janvi suffered it, then we seem to have a queasy…uh…quasi-random selection of users who have suffered this malady.
I add myself to this list. That the old symbol is still active after “symbol Save As” has biten me also many times.
My workaround: try to avoid “File–>symbol Save As” and use mostly the copy/paste/duplicate commands from RMB-click context menu. “File–>symbol Save As” is now only used if the symbol goes into a newly created library.
Regarding gitlab: I found no open issue regarding this problem, so feel free to open a issue. Use the kicad buildin comamnd “Help–>Report bug”, it’s the easiest way to get a prefilled form.
This particular inconsistency is because the Symbol Editor saves multiple symbols in one file and the Footprint Editor saves each footprint in its own file.
That means that John Beard wrote some code to fix the issue.
If you click on that ed8b… hash on gitlab it will link you to the actual code change that fixed it.
In this case the change will be in v9 (and the nightlies), but probably not in a future v8 release unless someone decides it’s appropriate to backport it (seems unlikely to me)
