User guide

9-13
Using the Old Command Line Interface (CLI)
Key Files
When you enter CLI commands (or commands in the DVE Interactive
window), VCS by default records these commands in the vcs.key file
that it writes in the current directory.
The purpose of this file is to enable you to quickly enter all of the
interactive commands from another simulation of your design by
including the -i runtime option with this file as its argument.
You can use the -k runtime option to specify a different name or
location for the vcs.key file. You can also use this option to tell VCS
not to write this file. For details on using the -i and -k runtime options,
see Appendix C, "Simulation Options".
Debugging a Testbench Using the CLI
The interactive non-graphical debugging command line interface
(CLI) capability in VCS also covers testbench files. It is similar in
concept to UNIX debuggers such as dbx and gdb. You can enter the
CLI at runtime for debugging a testbench, provided you have enabled
the CLI at compile time. The command language not only allows you
to set breakpoints, examine the values of registers and wires, and
change register values, but also enables you to examine testbench
objects and data types. Since the CLI covers both the design and the
testbench, you can cross over from the design into the testbench or
vice-versa during the debug process.