eeschema edit symbol field: unable to delete footprint field content

[Dino Ghilardi]

Using Tools->Edit symbol fields

When you edit a field and delete all the contents, the change is not saved.

To reproduce the behaviour:
Open a schematic
Select the "footprint" field of a component
Delete its content
Click "Apply, Save Schematic and Continue"
Close the tool (click "OK")
Re-enter the tool. The deleted field is still there at the previous value.

Changing it with another value works correctly, only the "empty" field does not have effect.

Application: kicad
Version: (5.1.2), release build
Libraries:
    wxWidgets 3.0.2
    libcurl/7.52.1 OpenSSL/1.0.2r zlib/1.2.8 libidn2/0.16 libpsl/0.17.0 (+libidn2/0.16) libssh2/1.7.0 nghttp2/1.18.1 librtmp/2.3
Platform: Linux 4.9.0-8-amd64 x86_64, 64 bit, Little endian, wxGTK
Build Info:
    wxWidgets: 3.0.2 (wchar_t,wx containers,compatible with 2.8) GTK+ 2.24
    Boost: 1.69.0
    OpenCASCADE Community Edition: 6.8.0
    Curl: 7.52.1
    Compiler: GCC 6.3.0 with C++ ABI 1010

Build settings:
    USE_WX_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT=OFF
    USE_WX_OVERLAY=OFF
    KICAD_SCRIPTING=ON
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES=ON
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_PYTHON3=OFF
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON=ON
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON_PHOENIX=OFF
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_ACTION_MENU=ON
    BUILD_GITHUB_PLUGIN=ON
    KICAD_USE_OCE=ON
    KICAD_USE_OCC=OFF
    KICAD_SPICE=ON

Also tested on
Application: Eeschema
Version: (5.1.0-965-gc47f97e02), release build
Libraries:
    wxWidgets 3.0.2
    libcurl/7.52.1 OpenSSL/1.0.2r zlib/1.2.8 libidn2/0.16 libpsl/0.17.0 (+libidn2/0.16) libssh2/1.7.0 nghttp2/1.18.1 librtmp/2.3
Platform: Linux 4.9.0-8-amd64 x86_64, 64 bit, Little endian, wxGTK
Build Info:
    wxWidgets: 3.0.2 (wchar_t,wx containers,compatible with 2.8) GTK+ 2.24
    Boost: 1.69.0
    OpenCASCADE Community Edition: 6.8.0
    Curl: 7.52.1
    Compiler: GCC 6.3.0 with C++ ABI 1010

Build settings:
    KICAD_SCRIPTING=ON
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES=ON
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_PYTHON3=OFF
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON=ON
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON_PHOENIX=OFF
    KICAD_SCRIPTING_ACTION_MENU=ON
    BUILD_GITHUB_PLUGIN=ON
    KICAD_USE_OCE=ON
    KICAD_USE_OCC=OFF
    KICAD_SPICE=ON

[Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw)]

I cannot duplicate this with the head of the 5.1.2 branch. I screen recording might be helpful to see what you are doing that I am not.

[Dino Ghilardi (dino-ghilardi)]

Here it is.

[Dino Ghilardi (dino-ghilardi)]

This second video is for revision 8cc1e2b5e736c3f78cf2567b7ed86117345fe98d
Here you cannot reset to empty the footprint field neither in component properties dialog nor in "edit symbol fields" tool..

[Michael Kavanagh (michaelkavanagh)]

Confirmed on 5.1.2 and master.

[KiCad Janitor (kicad-janitor)]

Fixed in revision d74ec1a1b2b498003c27269fddbd0dc0340865ed
https://git.launchpad.net/kicad/patch/?id=d74ec1a1b2b498003c27269fddbd0dc0340865ed

[Dino Ghilardi (dino-ghilardi)]

Too->Edit symbol field now seems ok.

In master branch however the symbol properties dialog still does not allow clearing a footprint field and you get a pop-up error with the message

"" is not a valid library identifier format

(see the end of the second screen recording above,
from second 00:35 of:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1832722/+attachment/5270659/+files/Screencast%202019-06-13%2023%3A30%3A15.mp4

).

Should I file another bug report for this since this is about another dialog?

Cheers,
Dino.

[Wayne Stambaugh (stambaughw)]

@Dino, I've already committed the fix for this so it's not necessary but in the future please file a new bug report since this is a different bug than the symbol field edit dialog bug. It makes life easier for developers to keep track of bugs. Thanks.