Version control

"David Ingebretsen" wrote

............... I find I need to establish some kind of

revision control. I'm struggling trying to find the best way in Eagle to

keep track of notes, changes, etc.

>

1. I'd like to have a way to automatically/easily bump the revision of a

schematic/PCB. Something like version control in software design.

>

2. I'd like a straightforward way to track the changes and keep notes and

comments. It's a pain to add text one line at a time on the schematic

itself and I find the supplied "frames" to be a bit cumbersome to

use...........

David

I feel a ULP could be built that locates the REV: box on the schematic,

presents the current content and  a box to enter the new text. On exit from

the ULP, the Schematic is updated.

The same is true for a 'Document Number" box. But this entales the same

number of actions to achieve as manually making the changes. There would

also need to be consistancy with the frames used.

Notes on the schematic could also be done via a ULP if you used a dedicated

notes area like the frame documentation area. The ULP could find this area,

present the current info and then you could type into a dialog  the new

record. At least you could type it all in one go rather than line by line.

All the above is  recorded on the schematic.

The ULP could be extended to save the current schematic with a new version

name so you save a file of each version. Then I guess you could connect the

History text to yet another text file, One for each project that is a

collection of all the Version notes that have been added to each of the

schematics in this project. History text per board rather than one per

project could be achieved as well. You would need to dig them out of the

project folder to review when required.

Maybe someone has done something similar already

Warren

warrenbrayshaw wrote on Mon, 28 June 2010 21:32

"David Ingebretsen" wrote

................ I find I need to establish some kind of

revision control. I'm struggling trying to find the best way in

Eagle to

keep track of notes, changes, etc.

>

1. I'd like to have a way to automatically/easily bump the revision

of a

schematic/PCB. Something like version control in software design.

>

2. I'd like a straightforward way to track the changes and keep

notes and

comments. It's a pain to add text one line at a time on the

schematic

itself and I find the supplied "frames" to be a bit cumbersome to

use...........

 

David

 

 

I feel a ULP could be built that locates the REV: box on the

schematic,

presents the current content and  a box to enter the new text. On exit

from

the ULP, the Schematic is updated.

The same is true for a 'Document Number" box. But this entales the

same

number of actions to achieve as manually making the changes. There

would

also need to be consistancy with the frames used.

 

Notes on the schematic could also be done via a ULP if you used a

dedicated

notes area like the frame documentation area. The ULP could find this

area,

present the current info and then you could type into a dialog  the

new

record. At least you could type it all in one go rather than line by

line.

All the above is  recorded on the schematic.

 

The ULP could be extended to save the current schematic with a new

version

name so you save a file of each version. Then I guess you could connect

the

History text to yet another text file, One for each project that is a

collection of all the Version notes that have been added to each of

the

schematics in this project. History text per board rather than one per

project could be achieved as well. You would need to dig them out of

the

project folder to review when required.

 

Maybe someone has done something similar already

 

Warren

Thanks Warren. I take it then there is no preferred or recommended way to

control revisions and notes with Eagle. I'll have to give this more thought

before I proceed with the project. I just don't want a bunch of

schematic/PCB files and all the automatic backup files Eagle makes with no

idea which is which and what ones I want to keep and which can be deleted.

I appreciate the thoughts, thanks again.

David

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

On 6/28/2010 8:17 PM, David Ingebretsen wrote:

I am a one man shop, nonetheless, I find I need to establish some kind of

revision control. I'm struggling trying to find the best way in Eagle to

keep track of notes, changes, etc.

1. I'd like to have a way to automatically/easily bump the revision of a

schematic/PCB. Something like version control in software design.

2. I'd like a straightforward way to track the changes and keep notes and

comments. It's a pain to add text one line at a time on the schematic

itself and I find the supplied "frames" to be a bit cumbersome to use.

>

I've struck out trying to find anything in the user manual or in the list.

>

>

I've looked through the download section for ULPs, but didn't find

anything.

>

I find I'm already getting lost in revisions.

>

Thanks for any advice.

Hi David,

Why not simply use a version control program. I've communicated with

several engineers and most of them recommend Subversion. It's open

source (Free) and does a good job. If you like to use a GUI interface

then Tortoise SVN or Rabbit SVN might be a good choice.

Hth,

Jorge Garcia

Jorge Garcia wrote on Tue, 29 June 2010 11:41

On 6/28/2010 8:17 PM, David Ingebretsen wrote:

I am a one man shop, nonetheless, I find I need to establish some

kind of

revision control. I'm struggling trying to find the best way in

Eagle to

keep track of notes, changes, etc.

1. I'd like to have a way to automatically/easily bump the revision

of a

schematic/PCB. Something like version control in software design.

2. I'd like a straightforward way to track the changes and keep

notes and

comments. It's a pain to add text one line at a time on the

schematic

itself and I find the supplied "frames" to be a bit cumbersome to

use.

>

I've struck out trying to find anything in the user manual or in

the list.

>

>

I've looked through the download section for ULPs, but didn't find

anything.

>

I find I'm already getting lost in revisions.

>

Thanks for any advice.

 

Hi David,

 

Why not simply use a version control program. I've communicated with

several engineers and most of them recommend Subversion. It's open

source (Free) and does a good job. If you like to use a GUI interface

then Tortoise SVN or Rabbit SVN might be a good choice.

 

Hth,

 

Jorge Garcia

Hi Jorge,

To answer your question, because I hadn't even thought about a version

control wrapper around my Eagle projects. Thanks for the idea. I took a

look at Subversion. It would certainly track the file versions, etc. but it

still doesn't do what I was wanting. I was really hoping Eagle had built

into it a way to track revisions and notes as part of the schematic/PCB

file itself. It looks like Subversion is just a wrapper on the outside.

I wanted the ability to mimic a paper system. Where a schematic is copied,

changes are made to the copy, the version is bumped, and notes/dates are

added to the drawing to indicate what was done and why.

Like, Eagle lets you add a description to a project directory, but not to

the files within a project.

Thanks again.

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

Eagle lets you add a description to a project directory, but not to

the files within a project.

Um, there are "layers"!  I've been adding an "Edit history" layer to

boards (also applicable to schematics), and keeping it updated manually.

  It requires some discipline (but does does any version control

mechanism), but it's pretty useful.  Naturally, you have the automatic

backups that EAGLE makes to save yourself from errors, and can

periodically rename to new version numbers or use conventional version

control tools to preserve old or intermediate versions.

SVN seems awfully complex for a one-man shop; I've been experimenting

with RCS (a sort of grand-daddy of version control tools.)  It should be

possible to stick some ULPs and more automatic tools around the tool,

the layer, and perhaps some "components" that store version information,

but I haven't gotten very far...

http://picasaweb.google.com/westfw/ArduinoStuff#5488437935770995842

On Tue, 29 Jun 2010, Bill Westfield wrote to us saying :

>SVN seems awfully complex for a one-man shop;

Nonsense! SVN is really easy once set up, and even the server admin

isn't hard. I use it for all my stuff, and I'm a "one man shop". It's

easier than RCS.

I haven't checked, but I suspect the fixed length keyword mechanism

would work in Eagle files (it does in MS Office, where normal keywords

kill files big time). That would allow the latest version to be

automatically included in your schematic etc.

--

Rob Pearce                       http://www.bdt-home.demon.co.uk

The contents of this | Windows NT crashed.

message are purely   | I am the Blue Screen of Death.

my opinion. Don't    | No one hears your screams.

believe a word.      |

Robert Pearce wrote:

>Bill Westfield wrote :

>>SVN seems awfully complex for a one-man shop;

>

>Nonsense! SVN is really easy once set up, and even the server admin

>isn't hard. I use it for all my stuff, and I'm a "one man shop". It's

>easier than RCS.

>

>I haven't checked, but I suspect the fixed length keyword mechanism

>would work in Eagle files (it does in MS Office, where normal keywords

>kill files big time). That would allow the latest version to be

>automatically included in your schematic etc.

sadly keyword expansion doesn't work. It messes with eagles licence

mechanism.

And I'm still looking for a usable diffing tool for eagle schematic

and board files 8-)

--

Lorenz

On Thu, 1 Jul 2010, Lorenz wrote to us saying :

>

>sadly keyword expansion doesn't work. It messes with eagles licence

>mechanism.

>

Oh, that's a pity. Is that a hang-over from the file-corrupting evil

licence scheme of pre-V4 Eagle?

>And I'm still looking for a usable diffing tool for eagle schematic

>and board files 8-)

Now that would be nice! But it's on my wish-list for every graphical

tool I've ever used.

--

Rob Pearce                       http://www.bdt-home.demon.co.uk

The contents of this | Windows NT crashed.

message are purely   | I am the Blue Screen of Death.

my opinion. Don't    | No one hears your screams.

believe a word.      |

Robert Pearce wrote:

Lorenz wrote:

>>sadly keyword expansion doesn't work. It messes with eagles licence

>>mechanism.

>>

>Oh, that's a pity. Is that a hang-over from the file-corrupting evil

>licence scheme of pre-V4 Eagle?

yes 8-(

>>And I'm still looking for a usable diffing tool for eagle schematic

>>and board files 8-)

>

>Now that would be nice! But it's on my wish-list for every graphical

>tool I've ever used.

I have a very clumsy workaround though:

export all schematic pages / board layers as bitmaps and compare the

versions with a grafical diff tools like TortoiseIDiff (borrowed from

TortoiseSVN).

--

Lorenz

Lorenz wrote:

Robert Pearce wrote:

>> Lorenz wrote:

>>> sadly keyword expansion doesn't work. It messes with eagles licence

>>> mechanism.

>>>

>> Oh, that's a pity. Is that a hang-over from the file-corrupting evil

>> licence scheme of pre-V4 Eagle?

 

yes 8-(

 

 

>>> And I'm still looking for a usable diffing tool for eagle schematic

>>> and board files 8-)

>> Now that would be nice! But it's on my wish-list for every graphical

>> tool I've ever used.

 

I have a very clumsy workaround though:

 

export all schematic pages / board layers as bitmaps and compare the

versions with a grafical diff tools like TortoiseIDiff (borrowed from

TortoiseSVN).

You can also generate gerbers for each verstion,  read both into a gerb

viewer,  turn off all but two layers (corresponding layers in the two

version),  and then see the changes.   Since most viewers will xor the

colors of the two layers you will see changes in pretty high contrast.

  I don't know if a similar method for schematics however.

Jim