Abstract: A method of pruning nets in a circuit design includes, in part, receiving data representative of net layers associated with the circuit design, and accessing a connect database associated with the circuit design. The connect database includes data representative of electrical connections associated with the circuit design. The method further includes, in part, determining whether a marker layer exists in the net layers, and pruning nets that are not connected to the marker layer if the marker layer is determined to exist. The marker layer, which is not stored in the connect database, designates a connection between at least a pair of nets in the circuit design.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying net text in a net list at each hierarchical level of the net list is disclosed. The identified net text is then associated with the hierarchical level in which the net text was found. Each cell in the net list can then be optimized by exploding the net list of at least one cell. Once exploded, the identified net text together with the associated hierarchical level of each progeny cell of each exploded cell is associated with the net list of the exploded cell.

Abstract: A method of pruning nets in a circuit design includes, in part, receiving data representative of net layers associated with the circuit design, and accessing a connect database associated with the circuit design. The connect database includes data representative of electrical connections associated with the circuit design. The method further includes, in part, determining whether a marker layer exists in the net layers, and pruning nets that are not connected to the marker layer if the marker layer is determined to exist. The marker layer, which is not stored in the connect database, designates a connection between at least a pair of nets in the circuit design.