Clean up sorting functions for mixed text and numbers

[Simon Richter]

This is a possible task for beginners.

There are several implementations of sorting functions for mixed text/number strings that split the string and sort number parts numerically, i.e. "A1", "A2", "A10", "B1", ...

It would be nice to unify these into a single utility function. This function should have an option to switch to the ordering for BGA pad numbers, where "AA" sorts behind "B".

Some existing implementations:

eeschema/fields_editor_table_model.cpp
eeschema/pin_number.cpp

I'm sure there are some others.

[Simon Richter (sjr)]

Also, "RefDesStringCompare" in common/strings.cpp

[Jeff Young (jeyjey)]

eeschema/fields_editor_table_model.cpp is now gone.

However, there's a new ValueStringCompare in common/strings.cpp with one unimplemented feature:

it handles numbers with modifiers and/or units, but not numbers with modifiers where the decimal goes (ie: 1K2).

[Simon Richter (sjr)]

You will be delighted to hear that eeschema/pin_number.cpp does that for volts, to support pin names specifying voltages.

This is fairly obscure though, as it is only relevant for negative voltages, where we want "-12V5" to sort before "-12V".

I shall now go and flog myself for actually implementing that.

[Evan Shultz (evan-shultz)]

FYI, you may find http://www.davekoelle.com/alphanum.html useful if it's not known already.

Here is a list which may help, which includes a combination of potential net names and ref des and pin "numbers":
("!NOT" "*UP" "+15V" "+15V_A" "+15V_B" "-15V" "-15V_A" "-15V_B" "0V" "5V" "A1" "A1A" "A2" "A10" "AA2" "AA10" "AW12" "B3" "B20")

[KiCad Janitor (kicad-janitor)]

KiCad bug tracker has moved to Gitlab. This report is now available here: https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/1846