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Project Editor

LibMan stores design libraries in a project file (.projects or .lib). Each line is a define(library, path) entry that maps a logical library name to a view file (GDS, OAS, LStream, or CORE).

The Project Editor is a Cadence Library Path Editor–style table for editing those entries without hand-editing the file.

Open the editor

Menu Shortcut
File → Edit Project... Ctrl+E

The window title shows the current project path, for example:

Project Editor: C:/.../sg13g2.projects

An asterisk (*) means there are unsaved changes.

Table columns

Column Meaning
Library Logical library name (e.g. ihp_sg13g2) — same for many rows if one library has several cells/views
Path View file path. Shown as an absolute path in the editor; written as project-relative on Save

Each row corresponds to one define("library", "path"); in the project file.

Wildcard defines (primitive libraries)

For tech/primitive libraries you can register many CORE symbol files with one line:

define("analogLib", "analogLib/*");
define("analogLib", "analogLib/MyDev/*");
define("analogLib", "analogLib/R/R.symbol.core");
Pattern Meaning
analogLib/* All *.core files under analogLib/ (recursive)
analogLib/MyDev/* All *.core views in cell folder analogLib/MyDev/
analogLib/R/R.symbol.core Single view file (classic form)

On Save, wildcard lines are preserved; individually registered files covered by a wildcard are not duplicated in the project file.

Example project file

define("ihp_sg13g2", "sg13g2_stdcell/sg13g2_stdcell/sg13g2_stdcell.gds");
define("ihp_sg13g2", "sg13g2_stdcell/sg13g2_stdcell/sg13g2_stdcell.layout.core");
define("ihp_sg13g2", "sg13g2_stdcell/sg13g2_stdcell/sg13g2_stdcell.schematic.core");

Editing

  • Type directly in Library and Path cells.
  • An empty row at the bottom is always available for new entries.
  • Return moves to the next field as usual in a table.

Context menu (right-click)

Action Shortcut Description
Add Library... Ctrl+Shift+I Inserts a new row below the selection
Delete Ctrl+Shift+D Removes selected row(s)
Browse path... — File picker for the view file

Double-click the Path column to open the file browser as well.

Browse path behaviour

  • Inserts the full absolute path (e.g. C:\Users\...\file.gds) so paths are unambiguous in the table.
  • If Library is empty, copies the library name from the row above (typical when adding another view to the same library).
  • On Save, paths are stored relative to the .projects file directory when possible (portable projects).
  • Both absolute and relative paths in the file are resolved correctly when LibMan loads the project.

File menu (inside Project Editor)

Action Shortcut Description
Save Ctrl+S Writes to the current project file and reloads LibMan
Save As... — Save under a new name, then reload
Close Ctrl+W Close (prompts if modified)

Saving from the main window (File → Save, Ctrl+S) still works and writes the same define(...) list from the in-memory library registry.

What happens on Save

  1. Rows with both Library and Path filled are written to the project file.
  2. Rows with a missing library name or path are skipped.
  3. LibMan reloads the project:
    • Removed define entries disappear from the View tree (old LIBRARY_* keys are cleared first).
    • The previously selected Project and Cell are restored when possible.
    • Documentation and categories for the selected library are reloaded (PDF list is not left empty after save).

Documentation panel

PDF files are not listed in the Project Editor. They are discovered automatically when a library is active:

  • doc/*.pdf under the library root (derived from view paths), and
  • *.pdf files anywhere under the project file directory (recursive).

After Project Editor Save, select the library in the main window if needed — documentation should repopulate automatically when the same library stays selected.

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