Log Message:
update to 20041228.

Release notes for the gEDA/gaf 20041228 snapshot

   Changes
     _________________________________________________________________

   libgeda

     * Shared library version number now at 22.
     * Added  a  new  attribute:  symversion= and associated mechanism to
       libgeda.
          + The symversion= mechanism allows symbols to be versioned with
            a  major  and  minor  number. An example of this attribute is
            symversion=1.0
          + This symversion= attribute is typically found in symbol files
            at  first,  but  it  will be promoted if it is found when the
            symbol is read in from disk.
          + The  symversion=  attribute  is  an  auto-prompted attribute,
            which  if  present in a symbol will always be promoted to the
            schematic.
          + If the major number of the symversion= attributes (the one in
            the symbol and the one in the schematic) does not match, then
            a serious warning message is issued.
          + When  a user changes a symbol file in a major or incompatible
            way   (translation,   addition/removal   of   pins/attributes
            etc...),  the major number of the symversion= attribute value
            should be incremented by one.
          + For minor changes, primarily cosmetic changes, only the minor
            number  of the symversion= attribute value should incremented
            by one.
          + If  the minor number of the symversision= attributes (the one
            in  the  symbol and the one in the schematic) does not match,
            then a minor warning message is issued.
          + The  default value is 0.0 even if no symversion= attribute is
            present.
     * Fixed  the  randomly  colored  midpoint postscript bug reported by
       Gabriel  Paubert.  Also  removed  some  redundant  code related to
       postscript printing.
     * Moved  a whole bunch of rc routines from gschem/gnetlist/gsymcheck
       into libgeda. This makes using the common rc code much easier.
     * Added  the  --with-rcdir  ./configure  flag  to  libgeda. This was
       required   because  of  the  above  rc  code  refactor.  You  must
       ./configure  libgeda  with  this flag if you intend to move the rc
       files  to  a  different directory. Be sure to put this flag on all
       programs (gschem/gnetlist/gsymcheck/gattrib etc...) if you want to
       move the rc files.
     * Part  of  the  above  rc code refactor was to add an additional rc
       file:  gafrc.  The  gafrc  file is read in last after all other rc
       files  are  read in. Only common rc keywords can be put inside the
       gafrc file, including:
          + component-library
          + component-library-search
          + source-library
          + source-library-search
          + world-size
          + reset-component-library
          + reset-source-library
          + default-series-name
          + untitled-name
          + scheme-directory
          + bitmap-directory
          + font-directory
          + bus-ripper-symname
       Now  you  do not have to create a gschemrc, gnetlistrc, gattribrc,
       gschlasrc   etc...   if  you  are  just  adding  custom  component
       libraries.  Just  create a gafrc file and put the library lines in
       there.
     * Added  a  bunch  of  init function to libgeda_init() to make using
       libgeda a little easier.

   gschem

     * Added  a  dialog  box  which pops up when a schematic is loaded up
       which  has  components  which have changed in a major or minor way
       (based  on  the  new symversion= attribute). See above the libgeda
       section for a description of the new symversion= attribute and its
       usage.
     * Hopefully  finally  fixed  the  broken postscript problem when the
       locale uses commas instead of periods. Original fix by Bill Wilson
       and patch by Andreas Fester.
     * Fixed  a  gschem  crash when certain components (depending on what
       was  connected  to  them)  were being updated. I have also started
       working  on  fixing  Edit/Component Update... to be more sane (and
       not  cause  duplicated  attached  attributes).  This  work  is not
       complete,  and  for now, Edit/Component/Update... will still cause
       duplicate attributes.
     * Fixed  some visual garbage/corruption in the preview window in the
       file selection and component place dialog boxes.
     * Added  a new rc keyword "grid-dot-size" which lets you control the
       size of the grid dots. Handy if the dots are too small to see.
     * Applied  the  scroll  wheel  pan patch by Sascha Silbe. The scroll
       wheel pans the display vertically and holding down the control key
       and moving the wheel the will scroll the display horizontally.
     * Added  a  modal  "Are  you  sure?" dialog box to page revert. This
       should  prevent  accidental page reverts (cause work losses). This
       dialog box is only implemented for gtk+ 2.x
     * Added an Italian translation by Petrecca Michele.
     * Added  the  comment  and  symversion  attribute  to  the attribute
       pulldown list in the Add/Attribute dialog box.
     * Updated gschem with the newly refactored rc code.

   gnetlist

     * Stuart  implemented  a whole slew of improvements to the spice-sdb
       backend.
     * Stuart  added  several  functions  to  passing the command line to
       scheme backends.
     * Removed  gschem2pcb  as  an  installed  program.  gsch2pcb  is the
       preferred tool for going from schematic to PCB.
     * Applied a bugfix patch to the cascade backend by Dan McMahill.
     * Integrated  the  initial  version  of  a  SystemC backend by Jaume
       Masip.
     * Integrated  a  new  scheme  backend for Eagle PCB. The backend was
       written by Braddock Gaskill.
     * Updated gnetlist with the newly refactored rc code.

   gattrib

     * Integrated   Stuart   Brorson's  attribute  editor:  gattrib  into
       gEDA/gaf.  This  is  the  first  gEDA/gaf  release  that  includes
       gattrib.
     * Here's a description of gattrib:
        Gattrib is gEDA's attribute editor. It reads a set of gschem .sch
            files  (schematic  files),  and creates a spreadsheet showing
            all   components  in  rows,  with  the  associated  component
            attributes  listed in the columns. It allows the user to add,
            modify, or delete component attributes outside of gschem, and
            then  save  the .sch files back out. When it is completed, it
            will   allow   the   user  to  edit  attributes  attached  to
            components,   nets,  and  pins.  (Currently,  only  component
            attribute   editing   is   implemented;  pin  attributes  are
            displayed only, and net attributes are TBD.)

   gsymcheck

     * Integrated  a  patch  by Jim Duchek which adds several more useful
       tests to gsymcheck.
     * Updated gsymcheck with the newly refactored rc code.

   symbols

     * Redrew  the following symbols and set the symversion= attribute to
       1.0:
        4000/4002-1.sym  4000/40107-1.sym 4000/4011-1.sym 4000/4012-1.sym
            4000/4023-1.sym        4000/4025-1.sym        4000/4030-1.sym
            4000/4068-1.sym        4000/4070-1.sym        4000/4072-1.sym
            4000/4073-1.sym        4000/4075-1.sym        4000/4078-1.sym
            4000/4081-1.sym 4000/4082-1.sym 4000/4085-1.sym:
       If  you  have any of these symbols in any existing schematics, you
       should get a warning that major changes have occurred when you run
       gschem or gnetlist.
     * Added  over ~100 user contributed symbols to the various component
       libraries. Created 5 new component libraries: minicircuits st apex
       allegro irf
     * Moved  the  local component library to the beginning of the search
       order.
     * Updated Peter Kaiser's asic library with the latest set of symbol.
       Added  Peter's  asic  pad  symbols  into the new asicpads library.
       Commented  in  the  asic  library  now  that  the symbol names are
       unique.
     * Werner Hoch has fixed a whole slew of symbols in various component
       libraries (74, 4000, and memory). Thanks Werner!

   geda (gManager)

     * Piotr Miarecki added graphman, a new tool for managing graphs.
     * Piotr update gManager to build with gtk+ 2.2.x
     * Integrated  a  French  and  Italian  translation.  Not sure if the
       translations are work yet.

   utils

     * Added symbol cleanup (gsymfix.pl) script by Mike Skerritt.
     * Updated gschlas with the newly refactored rc code.

   docs

     * attributes and symbols documents: Added information and details on
       the symversion= attribute
     * toplevel  doc  page:  Added  links  to  SystemC  and Eagle backend
       READMEs.