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Trouble Following SKILL Language Tutorial

dandadom

Hello, 

I recently started a project that requires SKILL, but unfortunately I am stuck at a very basic roadblock in the "SKILL Language Programming" course.

At the beginning of Module 3 it says to resize the CIW input and output panes, but I don't think what I have open is the CIW. In the CDS log, I went to Tools->SKILL IDE as written in the tutorial, and it opens the window attached to this post.

 

I cannot find any option to open CIW, or run any commands, or even the output pane at all.

Could someone help explain how to progress from here?

  • Andrew Beckett

    The CIW (Command Interpreter Window) is the main window that appears when you launch Virtuoso - i.e. it is the window where you launched Tools->SKILL IDE. The window you show above is the IDE window, not the CIW.

    Probably something we should make clear, because whilst the CIW has been termed this for the last 35 years and this is pretty common knowledge, the window itself doesn't say "CIW" anywhere but typically shows the tool version and log file path in the banner. So unless you knew this was the CIW, you wouldn't know otherwise...

    However, I just looked at the training material, and it is clearly described in the lecture material for Module 3 - there's a slide on this:

    Actually, I just looked at the lab instructions at the beginning of Module 3 and it also makes it pretty clear that when you launch virtuoso "The CIW opens" and it has a File, Tools, Options menu etc.

    So maybe our instructions are clear enough after all!

    Andrew

  • dandadom
    in reply to Andrew Beckett

    Thank you Andrew, I had to have majorly overlooked that.

    Just for my own sanity, I saw that there are some more advanced tools like code autocompletion somewhere else in the cadence software. I now know where to start, but moving into the future if I want to write and test larger programs, where would I do that?

    Also, I'm sure this is covered in another part of the course, but what about connections to other parts of cadence, specifically virtuoso? Are there a specific list of commands related to specific softwares somewhere as well?

    Thank you again,

    Dominik

  • Andrew Beckett
    in reply to dandadom

    The SKILL Language Programming class covers some of the APIs - particularly the database and "hi" (human interface) functions (obviously not everything, but enough to get you started).

    There are sets of SKILL manuals for various products - you can find these either via the Help menu in Virtuoso, by running "cda" (in IC23.1) or "cdnshelp" (in IC6.1.8/ICADVM20.1) or via the product manuals on http://support.cadence.com (go to Resources→Product Manuals). In addition, you have "cdsFinder" (which can be launched with startFinder() in the CIW, or "cdsFinder" in the terminal window) - also available as an assistant within the SKILL IDE) and that allows you to access quick reference information for all public SKILL functions, with the "More Info" button taking you to the full manual (this is covered in the training too).

    Andrew

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