Comment 4 for bug 1745627

I read the report thread linked to above. It seems "locking" isn't an easy word. To clarify a bit, there are at least three things which can be considered here:

- Prevent moving via dragging with mouse or keyboard arrows,
  or possible other WYSIWYG editing with mouse which can happen
  easily by accident
- Prevent changing properties
- Prevent individual selection (logically includes the two above)

Then there are different properties which people may want to be locked or not:
- Location: important to be able to lock
- Internal geometry (size, shape etc.)
- Zone connection of a pad: important to be able to changed
- Net of a pad, can't be even changed in the fp editor
- etc.

The "most versatile option" in the previous comment would need pcb/fp file format change. I think it would be possible to implement project settings which would be a good compromise:

- Prevent selecting individual pads (select the fp instead)
    * this would be effective globally unconditionally, or
      unless the individual footprint locking is "free"
    * this would logically prevent all property changes
    * currently locking a fp does this although they are
      conceptually different things
- Prevent selecting text items of footprints (select the fp instead)
    * currently there's no way to do that, even locked footprints
      let you select and move texts (which is often annoying)

These would be not selected by default, so there would be no change for the old users. Interpretation of the "Lock fp" option could be kept as it is or changed to "prevent moving the fp but allow selecting pads" (and renamed to "Lock fp position"?).

Preventing selection would make working with the board easier because it's more common that you want to select and move a footprint than to change or move a pad or text. The non-selectable items wouldn't be in the selection clarification menu. It would be relatively easy to change these options on/off when needed. Preventing selection would protect from all accidental or unwanted changes. Those who are nervous about fp changes can keep the option on and those who feel it would hinder them could keep it off. I would probably keep it mostly on and turn it off when I need to change something.