Gui Command/pt

The GuiCommand is one of the most important functions of FreeCAD in the main interaction point of the user. Every time the user selects a menu item or presses a toolbar button it activates a GuiCommand. Some of the attributes of a GuiCommand are:
 * Defines a name
 * Contains an icon
 * Defines the scope for an undo/redo
 * Has a help page
 * Opens and controls dialogs
 * Macro recording
 * and others.

Naming
The GuiCommand is named in a standard way: ModuleName_CommandName e.g., "Base_Open" this is the Open Gui Command in the Base system. The GuiCommand in a certain module is named with the module name in front e.g., "Part_Cylinder".

If the documentation is not finished use Template:UnfinishedDocu.

Help page
Every GuiCommand has to have a help page. The help page is hosted on the FreeCAD documentation wiki. The article has the same name as the GuiCommand, e.g. Draft ShapeString.

To create your own help pages you can use the template GuiCommand model

Example:
 * Draft ShapeString
 * Draft Line

Icons


Every GuiCommand has to have an icon. We use the Tango icon set and its guidelines. On the right side you see the tango color palette.

All icons should be created in SVG format with a vector image application, such as Inkscape. This makes it easier to apply changes and derive additional icons in the same application space.

Icons color coding chart


We try as much as possible to respect this chart, so the color of the icons has a direct meaning.

Quality requirements
There are a lot of GuiCommands (tools) in FreeCAD which are experimental or used for a short time to test implementation of new features. These GuiCommands are mostly in the dedicated workbenches like Part, Mesh or Cam. To ensure a good user experience the workbench Complete was created. This workbench incorporates all GuiCommands which meet certain quality requirements which are described here:


 * The command or feature has to be "finished", that is, not be a work in progress.
 * It has to set up a proper icon and menu position.
 * It has to have a help page, like Draft ShapeString.
 * All the fields in Template:GuiCommand have to be filled in
 * It should have a detailed description of the command and all its parameters and settings.
 * It should have a picture of the dialogs that the command will produce.
 * It should have a description of the related Python interfaces and classes with example code.

Hopefully this becomes true for all GuiCommands in the List of Commands.