Project Editor

June 24, 2026 · View on GitHub

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

MenuShortcut
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

ColumnMeaning
LibraryLogical library name (e.g. ihp_sg13g2) — same for many rows if one library has several cells/views
PathView 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.

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)

ActionShortcutDescription
Add Library...Ctrl+Shift+IInserts a new row below the selection
DeleteCtrl+Shift+DRemoves 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)

ActionShortcutDescription
SaveCtrl+SWrites to the current project file and reloads LibMan
Save As...—Save under a new name, then reload
CloseCtrl+WClose (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.