SKILL Survey

We use the skill surveyor all the time here in Yorktown Heights.
It's fantastic!

I inherited a boatload of skill source files from a predecessor.
I pointed the cadence skill surveyor to my skill directory.
In a minute or two, a complete list of every skill function I
called and defined resulted. It even told me that I defined a
function and never called it and vice versa.

In another minute or two, I had in my email a complete web page,
containing links to every functions I called and defined with
the complete argument list provided to me for every single one.
(I wish the doc would also be given ... that would really be
perfect!).

This web page did *not* require the Internet. Just mail. It
was slick. As I clicked around, I could see I spelled the name
of a few functions wrong (which the survey had no problem catching).

The survey also told me two of my functions I used were
were changed in the latest version of IC50 (but cadence supplied
a perfect replacement for each of them, which was backward
compatible).

One of the functions I used was private, but it didn't look private
to me. No matter. This same web page suggested a replacement which
worked on the spot. The good news is the replacement is public,
documented, and supported. So I'm better off than before.

I'm a believer in this skill survey!
Cadence should have done it sooner!
And, I think everyone should have it, not just those who pay for
the skill development environment product.

Simon

From: Andrew Beckett ()
Newsgroups: comp.cad.cadence
Date: 2004-05-06 12:47:35 PST

In the CIW, there is Tools->Skill Development Toolbox, at the bottom
of which is the SKILL Surveyor. You need a license for product 900 to
be able to use this though. That's what John was talking about.

Andrew.

 

In addition, the SKILL Survey will tell you if you've
accidentally named a function the same as a Cadence function.

This is useful because you can't possibly know all fifty-thousand
Cadence SKILL functions (e.g., did you know there is a Cadence
SKILL function named "i()").

Contact Customer Support for more information about how
you can run a SKILL Survey today; this will best protect
your investment in your SKILL code!

Most folks run a periodic SKILL Survey once or twice a
year as part of their normal SKILL hygiene process (not
just when they are migrating). The time to identify & fix
SKILL problems is NOW (not only when you plan on migrating).