The best part about programming in SKILL™ is that you don't have to build everything from scratch. Cadence provides SKILL APIs that let you quickly and easily customize existing CAD applications and develop new ones. Before you adopt any new API, you have to first understand its usage and behavior. At times, you start using an API thinking you know all that you need to know about it, only to get stuck at some point. You may use the help command, but it only provides the API syntax and quick description to get you started. Just when you need the detailed documentation of an API, you don't know where to find it.
Well, did you know that the Cadence SKILL API Finder (Finder) was updated to take the guesswork out of your API search?
With the new and improved Finder, not only can you view the syntax and abstract information of an API, but also view its complete documentation in Cadence Help. Keep reading to see how.
Starting Cadence SKILL API Finder
Did you know that there are multiple ways to start the Finder?
- In the CIW, choose Tools – SKILL API Finder or type startFinder ( ) on the input line
- In SKILL IDE, choose Window – Assistants – Finder
- Type cdsFinder on the UNIX command line
At first, you may not notice any change in the Finder interface. Wait till you perform an API search.
Let us assume you are searching for an API named axlWriteDatasheetForm.
 | 1. So, you type the API name in the Find what field and click Go. 2. The results matching the searched API appear in the Results area. 3. Select an API in the Results area to view its description in the Description area. 4. At this point, you may notice that a new More Info button appears enabled in the Description area. This little button, my fellow SKILL aficionado, is the game changer! |
If the abstract description doesn’t give you the information that you are looking for, select the API name in the Results area and click More Info. Finder will then fetch the complete documentation of the selected API and display it in a new Cadence Help window.
So, with the click of a button, not only can you see the API syntax and description, but also access its detailed documentation with working code samples and related references!
Related Resources
- Cadence SKILL IDE User Guide
- Video
Note: If you don’t have a Cadence Online Support account, you can play the above video (mp4) natively in Cadence Help when you are using Virtuoso IC6.1.7/ ICADV12.3 (ISR10 or later). In the Cadence Help Virtuoso Documentation Library, look for the video title under Video Demos.
For more information on Cadence circuit design products and services, visit www.cadence.com.
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Happy Reading!
Deepti Kamal
