( ESNUG 308 Item 1 ) ---------------------------------------------- [1/20/99]
Subject: ( ESNUG 304 #10 ) New Synopsys Tcl Is Wrapped Around Old Dc_shell!
> Dc_shell does suck and designers have complained about it for years (it
> always feels good to know that you're not the only one suffering).
> DC_shell was a hack that got the job done, and you have to give Synopsys
> credit for that (it got you 80% there very quickly). Dc_shell is only
> part of the problem - inconsistent command structure and arguments are
> another (forcing designers to play adventure).
>
> Next year Synopsys will incorporate Tcl/Tk into their tools (Synopsys
> was one of the investors in Professor Ousterhout's company that will
> take Tcl/Tk to the next level). Definitely Anonymous.
>
> - [ Tickle Me Elmo ]
From: Larrie Carr <Larrie_Carr@pmc-sierra.com>
John,
I just saw this new tcl/tk environment (my Synopsys Salesdroid punching bag
brought it in when he was demoing something else). These are my opinions
of the new Synopsys tcl/tk only after an hour's play...
If you think that this environment is going to bring some of the cool
features of PrimeTime, you will be disappointed. In reality, it is
just a Tcl/Tk shell wrapped around dc_shell so the features and limitations
of dc_shell are still there.
For instance, report_attribute in PrimeTime has a -app option which will
allow you to see all attributes on an object. The new Tcl/Tk dc_shell
contains the same dc_shell report_attribute which is not as user friendly.
For now, we have been writing PrimeTime scripts which spit out a dc_shell
script (create_cell, connect_net, etc) when something simple has to be fixed
(like a hold time violation). For some of my designs which are very
asynchronous in nature, the set_case_analysis is great for analysis. But
trying to get the dc tool to work is a pain without set_case_analysis so
Tcl/Tk to the rescue.
I'm not saying Synopsys is going the wrong direction. It is that they are
trying to save some of the dc_shell scripts for now by not *integrating*
Tcl/Tk, just wrapping Tcl/Tk around dc_shell.
- Larrie Carr
PMC-Sierra, Inc. Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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