Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I use HExtract to convert OASIS files into a GDSII file?

A. Yes, Since HExtract can read OASIS and output GDSII this effectively works. If you don't want any "extraction" then use a window that is larger than the extents of your OASIS layout.

Q. What Error Messages does Hextract generate?

A. HExtract can potentially fail because of usage errors, improper execution environment, file data/syntax, system errors or in rare cases internal bugs or un-handled conditions.

All of these errors are grouped into three broad categories depending on the phase during which the error occurs.

HExtract generates an error string (on stderr or log file) for each separate error condition but returns a unique code only for one of the three categories as follows:

error code = 1: Setup error

Likely one of the following:

• License error
• colfill.pat not found in executable directory
• gdsfont.shx not found in executable directory
• Any internal error from the core library

error code = 2: File Open Error.

Any condition under which the opening of the input file can fail. Some of these may result from the program environment, while others from defects in the file data/syntax

error code = 3: Extraction Error.

These errors occur due to rare system failures or programming bugs and/or un-handled conditions.

Log File

If logging is enabled (-log or -log+), HExtract generates an execution log containing useful information about the execution, warnings and errors.

Warning messages start with the string 'WARNING:' on a new line in the log file.

An error message starts with the string 'ERROR:' tag on a new line in the log file.

A client can programmatically extract these messages by searching for the appropriate string in the log file and then reading the message and passing it to the user.