GUI discrepancy, Symbol vs footprint editor, edit -> (footprint) properties

[Rene Poeschl]

In the footprint side the footprint properties dialog entry of the edit menu includes the word footprint while the similar dialog for the symbol does not include the word symbol.

Seen in version 5.1.2

[Michael Kavanagh (michaelkavanagh)]

What should it be? I'm leaning towards "Symbol Properties..." and "Footprint Properties...", because you can also have pin properties, pad properties etc.

[Jeff Young (jeyjey)]

We're trying to move to generic commands (a noun + verb pattern, rather than combining the two).

Save for New, Open, Save, Cut, Copy, Paste, etc.

There are some cases where we need to differentiate (such as the library editors needing New Library and New Symbol/Footprint), but otherwise we don't want to.

[Michael Kavanagh (michaelkavanagh)]

Agreed. Also, isn't "Properties..." more at home in the file menu? Especially with the Footprint Editor "every footprint is a file" (and soon to be symbols as well).

[jean-pierre charras (jp-charras)]

@Michael,

Why the edit properties location is better in file menu than in edit menu?
The mere fact "every footprint is a file" is a strange reason for me:
On a computer, most of things are leaving in files...
So any edit function (and any command modifying a file) should live in the file menu?

[Michael Kavanagh (michaelkavanagh)]

@JP,

I am simply following convention with other software (Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Creative suite, Microsoft Office suite and Autodesk Inventor are the ones I checked). They all have a "Properties..." (or similar, eg Document Setup, File Info, iProperties) entry in the File menu.

From the macOS Human Interface Guidelines: "Most commands in the File menu apply to a single file, often an open user-created document.", [1]. I think this is applicable to the footprint (and soon to be symbol) editor, as the symbol/footprint is the file (as opposed to many symbols/footprints in one file).

I don't think it belongs in the Edit menu, "The Edit menu lets people make changes to content in the current document or text area, such as a text field. It also provides commands for interacting with the Clipboard." [1]. So the "Pin Table..." entry in the symbol editor does belong in the edit menu.

Also, Pcbnew follows this convention with "Board Setup..." in the File menu.

I know the Windows UI guidelines say similar things but I cannot find it right now. I agree its not a perfect fit, and we could discuss the for's and against's forever, but I think this is better and at least consistent across KiCad (which was the reason for opening this report).

Cheers,
Michael

[1] https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/macos/menus/menu-bar-menus/

[Michael Kavanagh (michaelkavanagh)]

... (add CATIA to the list of software I checked)

[Nick Østergaard (nickoe)]

But doesn't the properties dialog edit things shown on the canvas?

[Michael Kavanagh (michaelkavanagh)]

True, but the two are linked. Like I said, it’s a compromise. You could also to some extent say the same thing about the Board Setup dialog.

[Jeff Young (jeyjey)]

I think the distinction Nick is hinting at is metadata vs. primary data.

While the Symbol Properties dialog has some metadata in it (datasheet, description, keywords), the vast majority of it is primary data. I therefore think the access to the dialog belongs in the Edit menu.

[Michael Kavanagh (michaelkavanagh)]

Well, fair enough, clearly I’m overruled ;)