<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN" "http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Wilbur/HTML32.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Wilbur/HTML32.dtd">
  <head>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8">
    <title>DEF 5.8 C/C++ Programming Interface -- Preface</title>
<META NAME="Approver" CONTENT="Technical Publications">
<META NAME="Author" CONTENT="Technical Publications">
<META NAME="CreateDate" CONTENT="2017-04-18">
<META NAME="CreateTime" CONTENT="1492498754">
<META NAME="DataType" CONTENT="Manuals">
<META NAME="Description" CONTENT="Describes the C/C++ programming interface used to read and write Design Exchange Format (DEF) files.">
<META NAME="DocTitle" CONTENT="DEF 5.8 C/C++ Programming Interface">
<META NAME="DocType" CONTENT="Reference">
<META NAME="EdmsRelease" CONTENT="FM-Wiki-1.0_P005">
<META NAME="FileTitle" CONTENT="Preface">
<META NAME="FileType" CONTENT="Chapter">
<META NAME="Keyword" CONTENT="defapi">
<META NAME="Language" CONTENT="English">
<META NAME="ModifiedDate" CONTENT="2017-04-18">
<META NAME="ModifiedTime" CONTENT="1492498754">
<META NAME="NextFile" CONTENT="ch1Intro.html">
<META NAME="PageCount" CONTENT="2">
<META NAME="Platform" CONTENT="ALL">
<META NAME="PrevFile" CONTENT="defapiTOC.html">
<META NAME="Product" CONTENT="Languages">
<META NAME="ProductFamily" CONTENT="Cadence Shared Tools">
<META NAME="ProductVersion" CONTENT="5.8">
<META NAME="RightsManagement" CONTENT="Copyright 2017 Cadence Design Systems Inc.">
<META NAME="Title" CONTENT="DEF 5.8 C/C++ Programming Interface -- Preface">
<META NAME="TopicTags" CONTENT="FALSE">
<META NAME="Version" CONTENT="5.8">
  </head>
  <body style="margin-left: 5%;">
    <a name="pagetop"></a>
    <a name="firstpage"></a>
    <!-- Begin Buttons -->
    <table width="650" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
      <tr>
        <td height="36" width="650" colspan="10">
          <img src="images/header_doc.gif" width="650" height="34">
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td height="20" width="59">
<a href="javascript:openLibrary()"><img src="../support/nav2_library.gif" border="0" alt="View Library" height="20" width="59"></a>
                </td>
<td height="20" width="73">
<a href="defapiTOC.html"><img src="../support/nav2_toc.gif" alt="Table of Contents" border="0"></a>
</td>

<td height="20" width="46">
<img src="../support/nav2_index_b.gif" border="0">
</td>
        <td>
          <a href="defapiTOC.html"><img src="images/nav2_previous.gif" alt="Previous" border="0"></a>
        </td>
        <td>
          <a href="ch1Intro.html"><img src="images/nav_next.gif" alt="Next" border="0"></a>
        </td>
        <td height="20">
          <a>
<a href="defapi.pdf"><img src="../support/nav2_print.gif" border="0" alt="Open PDF to print book" height="20" width="114"></a>
          </a>
        </td>
        <td height="20" width="61">
<img src="../support/nav2_black.gif" border="0"  height="20" width="76">
        </td>
        <td height="20" width="76">
<a href="/feedback.htm"><img src="../support/nav2_feedback.gif" border="0" alt="Email Comments" height="20" width="76"></a>
        </td>
        <td height="20" width="43">
<a href="../cdsuser/help.html"><img src="../support/nav2_help.gif" border="0" alt="Help Using Documentation" height="20" width="43"></a>
        </td>
        <td height="20" width="37">
<a href="/exitsearch.htm"><img src="../support/nav2_exit.gif" border="0" alt="Shut Down Cadence Documentation Server" height="20" width="37"></a>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    <!-- End Buttons -->
    <p>
    <hr>
    <p>
      <h3>
        <center>
          <font >
            <div>DEF 5.8 C&#47;C++ Programming Interface  (Open Licensing Program)</div>
            <font >
              <div></div>
            </font>
          </font>
        </center>
      </h3>
      <br>
    </p>
    <div>
      <h1><a name="1016178">Preface</a></h1>
      <p><a name="1016179">This manual describes the C and C++ programming interface used to read and write Cadence</a><font color="#000000"><sup>&#174;</sup></font> Design Exchange Format (DEF) files. To use this manual, you should be an experienced C or C++ programmer, and be familiar with DEF file structure. </p>
      <h2><a name="1016761">What's New</a></h2>
      <p><a name="1016762">For information on what is new or changed in the DEF programming interface for version 5.8, see </a><a href="../defapiWN/defapiWNTOC.html" target="external_window"><font color="#0000ff"><u><em>What's New in DEF C&#47;C++ Programming Interface</em></u></font></a>.</p>
      <p><a name="1016764">For information on what is new or changed in the LEF programming interface for version 5.8, see </a><a href="../lefapiWN/lefapiWNTOC.html" target="external_window"><font color="#0000ff"><u><em>What's New in LEF C&#47;C++ Programming Interface</em></u></font></a>.</p>
      <p><a name="1016767">For information on what is new or changed in LEF and DEF for version 5.8, see </a><a href="../lefdefWN/lefdefWNTOC.html" target="external_window"><font color="#0000ff"><u><em>What's New in LEF&#47;DEF</em></u></font></a>.</p>
      <h2><a name="1016736">Related Documents</a></h2>
      <p><a name="1013423">The DEF C&#47;C++ programming interface lets you create programs that read and write DEF files. For more information about the Design Exchange Format (DEF) file syntax, see the <br></a><a href="../lefdefref/lefdefrefTOC.html" target="external_window"><font color="#0000ff"><u><em>LEF&#47;DEF Language Reference</em></u></font></a>.</p>
      <h2><a name="conventions"></a><a name="1016486">Typographic and Syntax Conventions</a></h2>
      <p><a name="1016489">This list describes the conventions used in this manual.</a></p>
      <p>
        <strong></strong>
        <strong><a name="1016491"><font size="2" face="'Courier New'" color="#000000">text</font></a></strong>
      </p>
      <blockquote><a name="1016972">Words in </a><font size="2" face="'Courier New'" color="#000000">monospace</font> type indicate keywords that you must enter literally. These keywords represent language tokens.</blockquote>
      <p>
        <strong></strong>
        <strong><a name="1016494"><font size="2" face="'Courier New'" color="#000000"><em>variable</em></font></a>	</strong>
      </p>
      <blockquote><a name="1017021">Words in </a><font size="2" face="'Courier New'" color="#000000"><em>italics</em></font><font color="#000000"><em> </em></font>indicate user&#45;defined information for which you must substitute a name or a value.</blockquote>
      <p>
        <strong></strong>
        <strong><a name="1017022"><font size="2" face="'Courier New'" color="#000000"><em>int</em></font></a></strong>
      </p>
      <blockquote><a name="1017041">Specifies an integer argument</a></blockquote>
      <p>
        <strong></strong>
        <strong><a name="1017050"><font size="2" face="'Courier New'" color="#000000"><em>num</em></font></a></strong>
      </p>
      <blockquote><a name="1017103">Some LEF classes can be defined more than once. A statement that begins with the identifier</a><font color="#000000"><em> num </em></font>represents a specific number of calls to the particular class type.</blockquote>
      <p>
        <strong></strong>
        <strong><a name="1017105"><font size="2" face="'Courier New'" color="#000000">{&nbsp;}</font></a></strong>
      </p>
      <blockquote><a name="1017129">Braces enclose each entire LEF class definition. </a></blockquote>
      <p>
        <strong></strong>
        <strong><a name="1017132"><font size="2" face="'Courier New'" color="#000000">|</font></a></strong>
      </p>
      <blockquote><a name="1017154"><font size="2" face="'Courier New'" color="#000000">	</font></a>Vertical bars separate possible choices for a single argument. They take precedence over any other character. </blockquote>
      <p>
        <strong></strong>
        <strong><a name="1017156"><font size="2" face="'Courier New'" color="#000000">[&nbsp;]</font></a></strong>
      </p>
      <blockquote><a name="1017164"><font size="2" face="'Courier New'" color="#000000">	</font></a>Brackets denote optional arguments. When used with vertical bars, they enclose a list of choices from which you can choose one.</blockquote>
      <p><a name="1016482">4&#47;18&#47;17</a></p>
    </div>
    <br>
    <a href="#pagetop">Return to top of page</a>
    <hr>
    <hr align="left">
    <div style="text-align: left;">
      <!-- Begin Buttons -->
      <table width="650" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
        <tr>
          <td height="20" width="59">
<a href="javascript:openLibrary()"><img src="../support/nav2_library.gif" border="0" alt="View Library" height="20" width="59"></a>
                    </td>
<td height="20" width="73">
<a href="defapiTOC.html"><img src="../support/nav2_toc.gif" alt="Table of Contents" border="0"></a>
</td>

<td height="20" width="46">
<img src="../support/nav2_index_b.gif" border="0">
</td>
          <td>
            <a href="defapiTOC.html"><img src="images/nav2_previous.gif" alt="Previous" border="0"></a>
          </td>
          <td>
            <a href="ch1Intro.html"><img src="images/nav_next.gif" alt="Next" border="0"></a>
          </td>
          <td>
            <a>
<a href="defapi.pdf"><img src="../support/nav2_print.gif" border="0" alt="Open PDF to print book" height="20" width="114"></a>
            </a>
          </td>
          <td height="20" width="61">
<img src="../support/nav2_black.gif" border="0"  height="20" width="76">
          </td>
          <td height="20" width="76">
<a href="/feedback.htm"><img src="../support/nav2_feedback.gif" border="0" alt="Email Comments" height="20" width="76"></a>
          </td>
          <td height="20" width="43">
<a href="../cdsuser/help.html"><img src="../support/nav2_help.gif" border="0" alt="Help Using Documentation" height="20" width="43"></a>
          </td>
          <td height="20" width="37">
<a href="/exitsearch.htm"><img src="../support/nav2_exit.gif" border="0" alt="Shut Down Cadence Documentation Server" height="20" width="37"></a>
          </td>
        </tr>
      </table>
      <!-- End Buttons -->
    </div>
    <br>
    <font size="-1" >
For support, see <a href="http://support.cadence.com" target="_blank">Cadence Online Support</a> service.</font>
    <br>
    <br>
    <font size="-1" >
<font size="-1"><i>Copyright &#169; 2016, <a href ="http://www.cadence.com">Cadence Design Systems, Inc.</a></i></font>
    </font>
    <br>
    <font size="-1" >
All rights reserved.</font>
    <br>
    <br>
  </body>
</html>