Developer documentation improvements.

* Convert user interface guidelines to markdown and add to the documentation
  created by Doxygen.

* Remove HOW_TO_CONTRIBUTE.txt.  This information is covered elsewhere.

* Remove wxWidgets_patch_notes.txt.
This commit is contained in:
Wayne Stambaugh 2016-04-19 10:30:32 -04:00
parent fde2cfee27
commit 740f8f55d8
7 changed files with 173 additions and 182 deletions

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Contribute to KiCad (under Linux)
--------------------
1) make sure you have all the dependencies of KiCad and installed a copy
of kicad sources:
see <kicad>/Documentation/development/compiling.md
2) Read coding_style_policy.pdf, in <kicad>/Documentation,
and other docs.
3) Modify/add source code in kicad sources
4) Compile:
see compiling.md
5) Repeat step 3 and 4 until satisfied.
9) Create a patch file:
if you added the file foo.cpp do so:
bzr add foo.cpp
Create the patch
bzr diff > my_changes.patch
9) Send the patch file "my_changes.patch" to the KiCad developers mailing list.
in the subject of the e-mail include the keyword "[PATCH]".
in the body of the e-mail clearly explain what you have done.

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@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ DOXYFILE_ENCODING = UTF-8
# identify the project. Note that if you do not use Doxywizard you need
# to put quotes around the project name if it contains spaces.
PROJECT_NAME = "KiCad Developer's Resource Documentation"
PROJECT_NAME = "KiCad Developer's Resource"
# The PROJECT_NUMBER tag can be used to enter a project or revision number.
# This could be handy for archiving the generated documentation or
@ -650,7 +650,8 @@ INPUT = coding-style-policy.md \
stable-release-policy.md \
road-map-r5.md \
road-map.md \
compiling.md
compiling.md \
ui-policy.md
# This tag can be used to specify the character encoding of the source files
# that doxygen parses. Internally doxygen uses the UTF-8 encoding, which is

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@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ of KiCad which can be found at the [download][] page on the [KiCad website][].
from source is not for the faint of heart and is not recommended unless you have reasonable
software development experience. This document contains the instructions on how to build KiCad
from source on the supported platforms. It is not intended as a guide for installing or building
[library dependencies](#library_dependencies). Please consult you platforms documentation for
[library dependencies](#library_dependencies). Please consult your platforms documentation for
installing packages or the source code when building the library dependencies. Currently the
supported platforms are Windows Versions 7-10, just about any version of Linux, and OSX
10.7-10.10. You may be able to build KiCad on other platforms but it is not supported. On
@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ abstraction library [GAL] and is always required to build KiCad.
## Cairo 2D Graphics Library ## {#cairo}
The [Cairo][] 2D graphics library is used as a fallback rendering canvas when OpenGL is no
The [Cairo][] 2D graphics library is used as a fallback rendering canvas when OpenGL is not
available and is always required to build KiCad.
## Python Programming Language ## {#python}
@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ GitHub using the following command:
Here is a list of source links:
Stable release archive: https://launchpad.net/kicad/4.0/4.0.1/+download/kicad-4.0.1.tar.xz
Stable release archive: https://launchpad.net/kicad/4.0/4.0.2/+download/kicad-4.0.2.tar.xz
Development branch: https://code.launchpad.net/~kicad-product-committers/kicad/product

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@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
# User Interface Guidelines #
This document defines the guidelines for user interface development in
KiCad. Developers are expected to following these guidelines as closely
as possible when contributing user interface code to the KiCad project.
[TOC]
# Text Capitalization # {#capitalization}
For all visible text used within KiCad, follow recommendations in the
capitalization section in the [writing style section of the GNOME User
Interface Guidelines][gnome-ui-style]. This applies to all Menus, Titles,
Labels, Tooltips, Buttons, etc.
The capitalization for the application names is KiCad, Eeschema, CvPcb,
GerbView, and Pcbnew. All strings that have application names that are
visible to the user should be capitalized this way. It's also a good
idea use this capitalization in source code comments as well to prevent
confusion of new contributors.
## Capitalization Styles ## {#cap-styles}
There are two styles of capitalization are used in GNOME user interface
elements: header capitalization and sentence capitalization. This
section defines the capitalization style and when each type of capitalization
should be used.
### Header Capitalization ### {#cap-header}
When using header capitalization all words are capitalized with the following
exceptions:
* Articles: a, an, the.
* Conjunctions: and, but, for, not, so, yet ...
* Prepositions of three or fewer letters: at, for, by, in, to ...
### Sentence Capitalization ### {#cap-sentence}
When capitalizing sentences, capitalize the first letter of the first word,
and any other words normally capitalized in sentences such as proper nouns.
## Capitalization Table ## {#cap-table}
The following table indicates the capitalization style to use for each type
of user interface element.
Element | Style
------- | -------------------------------------------
Check box labels | Sentence
Command button labels | Header
Column heading labels | Header
Desktop background object labels | Header
Dialog messages | Sentence
Drop-down combination box labels | Sentence
Drop-down list box labels | Sentence
Field labels | Sentence
Text on web pages | Sentence
Group box and window frame labels | Header
Items in drop-down and list controls | Sentence
List box labels | Sentence
Menu items | Header
Menu items in applications | Header
Menu titles in applications | Header
Radio button labels | Sentence
Slider labels | Sentence
Spin box labels | Sentence
Tabbed section titles | Header
Text box labels | Sentence
Titlebar labels | Header
Toolbar button labels | Header
Tooltips | Sentence
Webpage titles and navigational elements | Header
# Dialogs # {#dialogs}
This section defines how dialog boxes should be designed. The KiCad project
uses the [GNOME User Interface Guidelines][gnome-ui-guidelines] for laying out
dialogs. KiCad's dialogs must be designed with [wxFormBuilder][wxformbuilder].
Please use the most recent version of wxFormBuilder possible to prevent version
issues with other developers. When designing dialogs, follow the [visual layout
section of the GNOME User Interface Guidelines][gnome-ui-layout].
## Escape Key Termination ## {#dialogs-esc-key}
Please note that the escape key termination only works properly if there is a
dialog button defined with an ID of wxID_CANCEL or setting the escape button
ID using [wxDialog::SetEscapeID( MY_ESCAPE_BUTTON_ID )][wxdialog-setescapeid]
is called during dialog initialization. The former is the preferred method for
handling escape key dialog termination. There is a checkbox in wxFormBuilder
for setting the "default" control, and this is the one fired when the "enter"
key is pressed.
## Dialog Layout with Sizers ## {#dialogs-sizers}
Use wxWidgets "sizers" in all dialogs, no matter how simple they are. Using
absolute sizing in dialogs is forbidden in KiCad. See the [wxWidgets sizer
overview][wxwidgets-sizers] for more information on using sizers. Configure
the sizers so that as the dialog window is expanded, the most sensible use of
the increased dialog window occurs automatically by the sizers. For example,
in the DRC dialog of Pcbnew, sizers should be used to expand the text control
to use the full available free window area, so that the user's view of the
items in the text control is maximized as he/she expands the dialog window,
making it easier to read more DRC error messages. In other dialogs without
one component more important than the others, the sizers might be configured
to position the controls to sensible positions near the perimeter of the
increasingly larger dialog box, not necessarily leaving them all bundled
tightly together. The dialog box should look nice at any size large enough
to show all the user interface elements.
Avoid defining initial dialog sizes if possible. Let the sizers do their
job. After the dialog is fit to the sizers, set the minimum size to the
current size to prevent the dialog controls from being obscured when
resizing the dialog. If the labels or text of the dialog controls are,
set or changed at run time. Rerun wxWindow::Fit() to allow the dialog to
re-size and adjust for the new control widths. This can all be done after
the dialog is created but before it is shown or use class methods to
re-size the dialog as required. Reset the minimum size to the updated
dialog size.
Dialog windows should not exceed 1024 x 768 when displayed in a 13 point font.
Note that the font used by end users is not something that you control from
within the dialog, but for testing purposes please do not exceed this dialog
size should the user have selected a font size of 13 points. If your dialog
exceeds this limit, please redesign the dialog using tabs or some other
paging method to reduce the size of the dialog.
## Dialog Base Class ## {#dialog-base}
The KiCad project has a base class which most if not all dialogs should be
derived from. When using wxFormBuilder, please add the following settings
to the "Dialog" tab:
* subclass.name <- DIALOG_SHIM
* subclass.header <- dialog_shim.h
This will provide for an override of the Show( bool ) wxWindow() function
and provide retentive size and position for the session. For more information,
see the [DIALOG_SHIM class source code][kicad-src-dialog-shim].
Use tooltips to explain the functionality of each non-obvious control.
This is important because the help files and the wiki often lag behind
the source code.
## Transferring Data To and From Controls ## {#dialogs-xfer}
Dialog data must be transferred to the dialog controls on dialog initialization
and transferred from controls when the dialog is dismissed by the default
affirmative action (typically clicking the wxID_OK button) or the clicking the
wxID_APPLY button. The wxWidgets dialog framework has support for this by
using validators. Please read the [wxValidator Overview][wxwidgets-validator]
in the [wxWidgets documentation][wxwidgets-doc]. In the past, data transfer
was handled in various default button handlers virtually all of which were
broken. Do not implement default button handlers in your dialog code. Use
validators to transfer data to and from controls and allow the default dialog
button handlers work the way they were designed.
# String Quoting # {#quoting}
Often text strings will be quoted for display which use may used in controls
that render HTML. Using angle brackets will cause grief for HTML rendering
controls so text should be quoted with single quotes ''. e.g.:
* 'filename.kicad_pcb'
* 'longpath/subdir'
* 'FOOTPRINTNAME'
* 'anything else'
[gnome-ui-guidelines]:https://developer.gnome.org/hig/stable/
[gnome-ui-layout]:https://developer.gnome.org/hig/stable/visual-layout.html.en
[gnome-ui-style]:https://developer.gnome.org/hig/stable/writing-style.html.en
[wxformbuilder]:https://sourceforge.net/projects/wxformbuilder/
[wxwidgets-doc]:http://docs.wxwidgets.org/3.0/
[wxdialog-setescapeid]:http://docs.wxwidgets.org/3.0/classwx_dialog.html#a585869988e308f549128a6a065f387c6
[wxwidgets-sizers]:http://docs.wxwidgets.org/3.0/overview_sizer.html

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** General UI Guidelines for KiCad Development
Capitalization:
For any visible text used within KiCad, follow recommendations here:
http://developer.gnome.org/hig-book/stable/design-text-labels.html.en
in the "Capitalization" section. This applies to all Menus, Titles,
Labels, Tooltips, Buttons, etc.
The capitalization for the application names is KiCad, Eeschema, CvPcb,
GerbView, and Pcbnew. All strings that have application names that are
visible to the user should be capitalized this way. It's also a good
idea use this capitalization in source code comments as well to prevent
confusion of new contributors.
Two styles of capitalization are used in GNOME user interface elements:
Header capitalization
Capitalize all words in the element, with the following exceptions:
Articles: a, an, the.
Conjunctions: and, but, for, not, so, yet ...
Prepositions of three or fewer letters: at, for, by, in, to ...
Sentence capitalization
Capitalize the first letter of the first word, and any other words
normally capitalized in sentences,such as application names.
The following table indicates the capitalization style to use for each
type of user interface element.
Table 8-3 Capitalization Style Guidelines for User Interface Elements
Element Style
Check box labels Sentence
Command button labels Header
Column heading labels Header
Desktop background object labels Header
Dialog messages Sentence
Drop-down combination box labels Sentence
Drop-down list box labels Sentence
Field labels Sentence
Filenames Sentence
Graphic equivalent text:
for example, Alt text on web pages Sentence
Group box or frame labels Header
Items in drop-down combination boxes,
drop-down list boxes, and list boxes Sentence
List box labels Sentence
Menu items Header
Menu items in applications Header
Menu titles in applications Header
Radio button labels Sentence
Slider labels Sentence
Spin box labels Sentence
Tabbed section titles Header
Text box labels Sentence
Titlebar labels Header
Toolbar button labels Header
Tooltips Sentence
Webpage titles and navigational elements Header
Dialogs:
Follow the recommendations here:
http://developer.gnome.org/hig-book/stable/design-window.html.en
paying particular attention to "initial focus", "sensible default values",
"default buttons", ESC key termination. Please note that the escape key
termination only works properly if there is a dialog button defined with
an ID of wxID_CANCEL or SetEscapeID( MY_ESCAPE_BUTTON_ID ) is called during
dialog initialization. The former is the preferred method for handling
escape key dialog termination. There is a checkbox in wxformbuilder for
the "default" control, and this is the one fired when the "enter" key
is pressed.
Use wxWidgets "sizers" in all dialogs, no matter how simple they are:
http://zetcode.com/tutorials/wxwidgetstutorial/layoutmanagement
and keep dialogs resizeable.
Configure the sizers so that as the dialog window is expanded, the most
sensible use of the increased dialog window occurs automatically by the
sizers. For example, in the DRC dialog of Pcbnew, sizers should be used to
expand the text control to use the full available free window area, so that
the user's view of the items in the text control is maximized as he/she
expands the dialog window, making it easier to read more DRC error messages.
In other dialogs without one component more important than the others, the
sizers might be configured to position the controls to sensible positions
near the perimeter of the increasingly larger dialog box, not necessarily
leaving them all bundled tightly together. The dialog box should look
nice at any size large enough to show all the components.
When using wxFormBuilder, please add the following settings to the
"Dialog" node:
subclass.name <- DIALOG_SHIM
subclass.header <- dialog_shim.h
This will provide for an override of the Show( bool ) wxWindow() function
and provide retentitive size and position for the session.
Use tooltips to explain the functionality of each non-obvious control.
This is important because the help files and the wiki often lag behind
the source code.
Avoid defining initial dialog sizes if possible. Let the sizers do their
job. After the dialog is fit to the sizers, set the minimum size to the
current size to prevent the dialog controls from being obscured when
resizing the dialog. If the labels or text of the dialog controls are,
set or changed at run time. Rerun wxWindow::Fit() to allow the dialog to
re-size and adjust for the new control widths. This can all be done after
the dialog is created but before it is shown or use class methods to
re-size the dialog as required. Reset the minimum size to the updated
dialog size.
Dialog windows shall not exceed 1024 x 768 when displayed in a 13 point font.
Note that the font used by end users is not something that you control from
within the dialog, but for testing purposes please do not exceed this dialog
size should the user have selected a font size of 13 points.
Quoting:
Filenames, paths or other text should be with single quotes ''. e.g.:
'filename.kicad_pcb'
'longpath/subdir'
'FOOTPRINTNAME'
'anything else'
Often text strings like this end up in panels which use HTML rendering, and this
can happen in the future. Previously used angle brackets only cause grief there.

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--== notes about wxWidgets problems ==--
Last Revised: 28-dec-2015
Kicad needs wxWidgets, the multi platform G.U.I toolkit.
use *only* wxWidgets >= 3.0.2
Known bug on Windows:
Postscript printers print tracks like thin line.
It happens only for PS drivers, and PDF printer.
Other drivers (PCL for instance) work fine,
so it is unlikely a bug inside Kicad/wxWidgets
Window version :
The mirror mode gives a blank sheet.
This is a bug in wxWidgets 3.0.2
wxWidgets 3.0.2 must be patched (see patches/wxWidgets-3.0.2-msw-dc-orientation-fix.patch) and rebuilt.

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@ -650,6 +650,7 @@ INPUT = Documentation/development/coding-style-policy.md \
Documentation/development/road-map-r5.md \
Documentation/development/road-map.md \
Documentation/development/compiling.md \
Documentation/development/ui-policy.md \
kicad \
pcbnew \
cvpcb \