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The !lal Command: Manipulate Layer Alias Table

Syntax: !lal keyword [arguments]
This command allows manipulation of the layer alias table. The keyword and arguments are:

read filename
The filename is a path to a file containing layer alias definitions. Each line of the file contains a single definition, in the form
name=newname
where both name and newname are four-character CIF-type layer names, and there is one definition per line. Lines with a syntax error or bad layer name are silently ignored. When the layer alias table is active, layers read from an input file will be substituted, i.e., if a layer named name is read, it will be replaced with newname. For data formats that use layer number and datatype numbers, such as GDSII, the layer names should be in the form of a four-byte hex number, using upper case, where the left two bytes represent the hex value of the layer number, zero padded, and the right two bytes represent the zero padded datatype number.

dump filename
This will print the contents of the layer alias table to the file whose path is given as an argument. The format is as described above. The filename can be ``stdout'' or ``stderr'', in which case output will go to one of these channels, rather than to a file.

clear
The layer alias table will be cleared.

add name newname
This will add newname as an alias for name to the layer alias table. If name is already aliased, it will not be updated, and a warning will appear (remove it first to change the alias).

remove name ...
Any alias definition for name will be removed from the layer alias table. Additional names can appear, and they will be removed as well.

print name ...
This will print on the prompt line the aliases associated with each name given.

Layer aliasing is made active by setting the UseLayerAlias variable. Similar manipulations are available from script functions.


next up previous contents index
Next: The !ltsort Command: Alphanumerically Up: Layers Previous: The !ltab Command: Modify   Contents   Index
Stephen R. Whiteley 2006-10-23