DRC unable to be performed via Python scripting API

[mithro]

I posted the following to the KiCad Developer's mailing list and nobody seems to be able to answer the question.

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I'm trying to figure out how to run the DRC in pcbnew from the Python Scripting API. I've managed to get API into an iPython session (https://github.com/mithro/kicad-length-matching-checks/blob/master/ipython.py) to have a poke around but wasn't able to find the right function to call.

It looks like if I can get the DRC to run, there seems to be an API for accessing the marker's it adds to the board which exposes https://github.com/KiCad/kicad-source-mirror/blob/master/pcbnew/class_marker_pcb.h

GetMARKER(self, *args) method of pcbnew.BOARD instance
    GetMARKER(BOARD self, int index) -> MARKER_PCB

GetMARKERCount(self) method of pcbnew.BOARD instance
    GetMARKERCount(BOARD self) -> int

I did find, board.Test_Drc_Areas_Outlines_To_Areas_Outlines - but couldn't figure out how to call it, or if it did what I wanted.

Test_Drc_Areas_Outlines_To_Areas_Outlines(self, *args) method of pcbnew.BOARD instance
    Test_Drc_Areas_Outlines_To_Areas_Outlines(BOARD self, ZONE_CONTAINER aArea_To_Examine, bool aCreate_Markers) -> int

There also seems to be the pcbnew.DRC_VISIBLE constant, but I couldn't find where that might be used.

I had a dig around the KiCad source in the scripting directory, and the other files with DRC in their name but didn't see anything similar mapped into the API (but maybe I'm looking in the wrong area?)

Does anyone know how to cause the DRC to run from the Python scripting API? (Or if it isn't currently exposed, the correct functions to expose via SWIG?)

Thanks for your help!
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After more digging I've come to the conclusion it is currently impossible to cause a DRC to run via the Python API. It would be awesome if this could be added.

[mithro (mithro)]

FYI - As this is a feature I'm really interested in having implemented, I'm willing to offer a bounty of $US150 to the developer who gets this implemented and into an official KiCad repo (or a $US200 donation to CERN if the developer prefers, in this case the donation should also be matched through my employer's matching program too).

[KiCad Janitor (kicad-janitor)]

KiCad bug tracker has moved to Gitlab. This report is now available here: https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/2030