nLint
User Guide and Tutorial
Synopsys, Inc.
user.book Page 1 Tuesday, August 27, 2013 4:21 PM
Version
This manual supports nLint 2013.09 and higher versions. You should use the
documentation from the version of the installed software you are currently using.
This manual was printed on August 27, 2013.
Copyright and Proprietary Information Notice
(c) 2013 Synopsys, Inc. All rights reserved. This software and documentation
contain confidential and proprietary information that is the property of Synopsys,
Inc. The software and documentation are furnished under a license agreement
and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license
agreement. No part of the software and documentation may be reproduced,
transmitted, or translated, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
manual, optical, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Synopsys, Inc.,
or as expressly provided by the license agreement.
Third-Party Software Notices
nLint includes or is bundled with software licensed to Synopsys under free or
open-source licenses. For additional information regarding Synopsys’s use of
free and open-source software, refer to the third_party_notices.txt file included
within the <INSTALL_PATH>/doc directory of the installed nLint software.
Destination Control Statement
All technical data contained in this publication is subject to the export control
laws of the United States of America. Disclosure to nationals of other countries
contrary to United States law is prohibited. It is the reader’s responsibility to
determine the applicable regulations and to comply with them.
Disclaimer
SYNOPSYS, INC., AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO WARRANTY OF ANY
KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH REGARD TO THIS MATERIAL,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Trademarks
Synopsys and certain Synopsys product names are trademarks of Synopsys, as
set forth at http://www.synopsys.com/Company/Pages/Trademarks.aspx.
All other product or company names may be trademarks of their respective
owners.
Synopsys, Inc.
700 E. Middlefield Road
Mountain View, CA 94043
www.synopsys.com
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Contents i
Contents
About This Book 1
Overview.............................................................................................................1
Audience.............................................................................................................1
Book Organization..............................................................................................1
Conventions Used in This Book.........................................................................2
Related Publications ...........................................................................................3
Introduction 5
Overview.............................................................................................................5
nLint Command Line Options (Batch Mode).....................................................6
nLint Graphical User Interface (GUI Mode)......................................................6
nLint Rule Groups ..............................................................................................8
nLint Benefits .....................................................................................................9
Quick Start 11
Quick Start: an nLint Tutorial...........................................................................11
Clock Source Tree Extraction Tutorial 25
Overview...........................................................................................................25
User Interface 39
Overview...........................................................................................................39
File Commands.................................................................................................42
Import Design..............................................................................................42
Save File......................................................................................................45
Save As........................................................................................................45
Export Options ............................................................................................46
Restore Session ...........................................................................................46
Save Session................................................................................................46
Load Report DB ..........................................................................................47
Save Report DB...........................................................................................47
Save Report DB as ......................................................................................47
Suppress ......................................................................................................47
File Order ....................................................................................................48
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ii nLint User Guide and Tutorial
Exit ..............................................................................................................48
Edit Commands ................................................................................................49
Undo............................................................................................................49
Redo ............................................................................................................49
Cut...............................................................................................................49
Copy ............................................................................................................49
Paste ............................................................................................................50
Delete ..........................................................................................................50
Select All.....................................................................................................50
Find .............................................................................................................50
Find Next.....................................................................................................52
Replace........................................................................................................52
Advanced.....................................................................................................52
Bookmarks ..................................................................................................53
Run Commands ................................................................................................54
Project Setting .............................................................................................54
Create Domain ............................................................................................73
Compile.......................................................................................................74
Lint ..............................................................................................................74
Local Lint....................................................................................................74
Tools Commands..............................................................................................75
Find Scope...................................................................................................75
Test Regular Expression .............................................................................76
Debussy.......................................................................................................76
Rule Organizer ............................................................................................76
Report Viewer .............................................................................................77
Preferences ..................................................................................................77
Violation Command..........................................................................................92
Next Violation Line.....................................................................................92
Previous Violation Line ..............................................................................92
Next Violation.............................................................................................92
Previous Violation.......................................................................................93
Window Command...........................................................................................94
Output Window...........................................................................................94
Help Commands ...............................................................................................94
Contents.......................................................................................................94
Rules Reference ..........................................................................................94
About...........................................................................................................94
Rule Organizer 95
Overview...........................................................................................................95
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Contents iii
File Commands.................................................................................................97
Open ............................................................................................................97
Save.............................................................................................................99
Save As........................................................................................................99
Export Rules to CSV File............................................................................99
Export Rules................................................................................................99
Properties...................................................................................................101
Recent Files...............................................................................................101
Close..........................................................................................................101
Group Commands...........................................................................................102
Enable........................................................................................................102
Non-configurable ......................................................................................102
Rename......................................................................................................102
New Top Group.........................................................................................102
Set As Active Top Group..........................................................................102
Add Sub Group .........................................................................................103
Copy ..........................................................................................................103
Paste ..........................................................................................................103
Delete ........................................................................................................103
Rules Commands............................................................................................104
Copy ..........................................................................................................104
Paste ..........................................................................................................104
Delete ........................................................................................................104
Properties...................................................................................................104
Map Severity .............................................................................................108
Find Rules .................................................................................................109
Select All...................................................................................................111
Invert Selection .........................................................................................111
Enable/Disable ..........................................................................................111
Translate Off/On .......................................................................................111
Status non-configurable ............................................................................111
Argument non-configurable......................................................................112
View Commands ............................................................................................113
Sort ............................................................................................................113
Ascending..................................................................................................113
Descending................................................................................................113
Language...................................................................................................113
Administration Mode/Lint Mode ..............................................................113
Preferences ................................................................................................114
Window Panel.................................................................................................114
Help Commands .............................................................................................114
Contents.....................................................................................................114
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