:experimental:

== Introduction to the KiCad Schematic Editor

=== Description

The KiCad Schematic Editor is a schematic capture software distributed as a
part of KiCad and available under the following operating systems:

* Linux
* Apple macOS
* Windows

Regardless of the OS, all KiCad files are 100% compatible from one OS to
another.

The Schematic Editor is an integrated application where all functions of
drawing, control, layout, library management and access to the PCB design
software are carried out within the editor itself.

The KiCad Schematic Editor is intended to cooperate with the KiCad PCB Editor,
which is KiCad's printed circuit design software. It can also export netlist
files, which lists all the electrical connections, for other packages.

The Schematic Editor includes a symbol library editor, which can create and
edit symbols and manage libraries.
It also integrates the following additional but essential functions needed for
modern schematic capture software:

* Electrical rules check (ERC) for the automatic control of incorrect and missing
  connections
* Export of plot files in many formats (Postscript, PDF, HPGL, and SVG)
* Bill of Materials generation (via Python or XSLT scripts, which allow many flexible formats).

=== Technical overview

The Schematic Editor is limited only by the available memory. There is thus no
real limitation to the number of components, component pins, connections or
sheets.  In the case of multi-sheet schematics, the representation is
hierarchical.

The Schematic Editor can use multi-sheet schematics in a few ways:

* Simple hierarchies (each schematic is used only once).
* Complex hierarchies (some schematics are used more than once with multiple
  instances).
* Flat hierarchies (schematics are not explicitly connected in a master
  diagram).
