GUI automatic generating system for inputting data of a manufacturing process

When an LSI manufacturing process is to be input by a simulation system, a format reading and analyzing section selectively reads a format of one stop of the manufacturing process from format data unit, and interprets GUI parts and analyzes a simulator input format. Based on a result of the interpretation and analysis, a GUI automatic layout determines a GUI part to be used from the limited GUI parts, automatically calculates coordinates with a regularity held in the layout and displays an input window of the manufacturing process. In this case, when there has been an input operation of a GUI, a call back function is called, input data of the GUI is read from a window system, and a data interface converts the input data into an input format of simulation data based on the format data and transfers the input format to a simulation system. With this arrangement, when the window layout for inputting the LSI manufacturing process is to be added or changed, it becomes possible to obtain a GUI automatic generating system by changing only the format file, without changing or re-compiling the program for GUI and the call back function.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a GUI (Graphical User Interface) automatic 
generating system for inputting data of a manufacturing process of an LSI 
in an LSI simulation system, by using a GUI, and relates more particularly 
to a GUI automatic generating system for generating a GUI layout of a data 
input window in accordance with format data. 
2. Description of Related Art 
A GUI automatic generating system of this type has so far been structured 
as a system as shown, for example, in the Japanese Patent Application 
Laid-open Publication No. 7-219753. FIG. 1 is a block diagram for showing 
the principle of this prior-art technique. In accordance with an 
instruction from an application program 301, a window system 302 generates 
parts for a GUI based on an assigned resource within a resource file 303. 
The resource file 303 corresponds to each GUI structured by a plurality of 
parts, and has a structure description resource 304 for describing types 
of parts for constituting the GUI and a relationship between the 
respective parts with identifiers attached thereto, and information 
relating to a call back processing to be executed when each part has been 
operated. Upon receiving a request for generating a GUI from the 
application program 301, a data input system refers to a corresponding 
resource within the resource file 303 and makes a decision as to whether 
this resource is the structure description resource 304 or not by a 
judgement unit 305 based on the presence or absence of an identifier. 
In this decision, types of parts for constituting the corresponding GUI and 
the relationship between the parts are analyzed based on a description 
shown by an identifier included in the structure description resource 304 
in accordance with a result of the decision that the referred resource is 
the structure description resource. In accordance with a result of this 
analysis, an analysis processing unit 306 requests the window system 302 
to carry out a processing for generating the respective parts. When a 
decision is that the referred resource is not the structure description 
resource, a repeating unit 307 repeats the request for generating the GUI 
to the window system 302. 
As explained above, according to the prior-art technique, layout 
information of a GUI and call back information are described in the 
resource file 303, and the change of the GUI layout can be done by only 
changing the resource file 303. 
However, according to the above-described prior-art technique, although an 
addition or a change of the GUI layout can be done by changing the 
resource file, there is a problem that in order to change input data to a 
simulator input format, it is necessary to add or change a call back 
function and to re-compile the function so that the software development 
becomes complex. This is because, according to the prior-art technique, 
although the resource file has layout information and call back 
information corresponding to each part of the GUI, the call back function 
does not include a function for changing input data into a simulation 
input format. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a GUI automatic 
generating system for automatically generating a GUI layout from abstract 
format data without changing a program and for automatically converting 
input data into a simulator input format. 
A GUI automatic generating system according to the present invention is 
provided in a simulation system having an input function of an LSI 
manufacturing process structured an a window system such as a work station 
or the like. The GUI automatic generating system includes a format data 
unit for storing a format data for describing GUI layout information of an 
input window corresponding to each step of the LSI manufacturing process 
and input format of a simulator; a format reading and analyzing section 
for selectively reading a format of one of the steps of the LSI 
manufacturing process from the format data unit and analyzing this format; 
a GUI automatic layout section for determining one GUI part to be used 
from a limited group of GUI parts and for automatically calculating layout 
coordinates, a call back function unit for reading data corresponding to 
an input operation of a GUI from the format data; and a data interface 
section for arranging data input on a GUI based on a simulator input 
format in the format data unit. 
According to the present invention, when a parameter of a certain step of a 
manufacturing process is to be input, an addition of a new window and a 
change of a layout can be done by only changing the format data, by the 
operation of reading format data of the corresponding step of the 
manufacturing process from the format data unit, displaying a window for 
inputting the parameter of manufacturing conditions, and obtaining 
simulation input data converted into an input format of a simulator after 
a data input operation. With the above-described operation, it is not 
necessary to change or re-compile programs for a GUI, a call back function 
and a data interface, at the time of adding or changing the GUI layout. 
In this case, it is desirable that the GUI automatic layout section of the 
present invention has a display control for calling respective blocks of a 
label display, a text input and a button change-over by deciding a type of 
a GUT part and calculating layout coordinates, generating a GUT layout, 
and sending window display data to the window system. It is also desirable 
that the GUI automatic generating system has an operating system for 
sending input data to the window system when there has been an input 
operation from a keyboard or a mouse and for making a window display of 
the GUI layout in a display unit based on the window display data when the 
GUI layout has been input. Further, it is desirable that the GUI automatic 
generating system has a data editing unit for displaying a GUT by 
automatically deciding format data based on process data from a simulation 
system and for analyzing a simulation input format, extracting data to be 
displayed on the GUI and displaying data in each part of the GUI.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Embodiments of the present invention will be explained below with reference 
to the drawings. The basic principle of the present invention will be 
explained first based on FIG. 2. A GUI automatic generating system 
structured on a window system such as a work station or the like is shown 
in FIG. 2. Referring to this drawing, 101 denotes a window system, and a 
simulation system 102 carries out a physical analysis and an electrical 
analysis within a device, with a manufacturing process of an LSI as an 
input. Format data unit 105 stores a format data which describes layout 
information of an input window corresponding to each step of the 
manufacturing process and an input format of a simulator. A resource file 
unit 108 stores a resource file describes a size and a color of each GUI 
part. When the LSI manufacturing process is to be input by the simulation 
system 102, a format reading and analyzing section 104 selectively reads a 
format of one step of the manufacturing process from the format data unit 
105, and interprets GUI parts and analyzes a simulator input format. Based 
on a result of the interpretation and analysis, a GUI automatic layout 
unit 103 determines a GUI part to be used from the limited GUI parts, 
automatically calculates coordinates with a regularity held in the layout 
and displays an input window of the manufacturing process. In this case, 
when there has been an input operation of a GUI, a call back function unit 
106 is called, input data of the GUI is read from the window system 101, 
and a data interface unit 107 converts the input data into an input format 
of simulation data based on the format data and transfers the input format 
to the simulation system 102. The call back function unit 106 is prepared 
by the number of types of GUI parts in advance, and these functions are 
shared, by assigning an address of a data storage area at the time of 
calling. 
As explained above, according to the present invention, the GUI parts to be 
used are limited, a regularity in held in the layout, and the call back 
functions are shared. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to change 
the GUI layout by changing only the format data. 
The contents of the format data shown in FIG. 3 will be explained below 
with reference to the GUI layout shown in FIG. 4, as an example. In FIG. 
4, the simulation system edits a process flow of an LSI manufacturing 
process with a display, and automatically generates a window by applying 
the present invention to the input of process conditions of deposition A 
first row of the format data in FIG. 3 is an input format of the 
simulator. A second row is for selecting names of substances, and, in this 
case, the second row means that three names of OXID, NITR and POLY are 
displayed as parts by using a push button and the selected names are 
substituted into an input format (mat). A third row is for assigning a 
film thickness, and this row means that a unit [.mu.m] is displayed by 
using a text input part and the input data is substituted into (thic) of 
the input format. A fourth row similarly shows the case of having arranged 
two text parts laterally. 
Next, a first mode of implementation of the present invention shown in FIG. 
5 will be explained. Referring to FIG. 5, an X window system 205, a 
simulation system 206, format data unit 213 and a resource file unit 218 
correspond respectively to the window system 101, the simulation system 
102, the format data unit 105 and the resource file unit 108 shown in FIG. 
1. A format reading unit 212 and a simulation input format analysis unit 
214 correspond to the format reading and analyzing section 104 shown in 
FIG. 2. Further, a call back function unit 215 and a data interface unit 
217 correspond to the call back function unit 106 and the data interface 
unit 107 shown in FIG. 2, and a data reading unit 216 is provided between 
the both in this case. Further, a label display unit 207, a text input 
unit 208, a button change-over unit 209, a menu selection unit 210 and a 
display control unit 211 correspond to the GUI automatic layout 103 shown 
in FIG. 2. Then, an operating system 204 is connected to the X window 
system 205, and a keyboard 201, a mouse 202 and a display unit 203 are 
connected to the operating system 204 respectively. 
In the above-described structure, when the simulation system 206 has been 
started and an LSI manufacturing process is to be input, the window shown 
on the left side of FIG. 4 is displayed. In this case, when the process 
conditions of the deposition are to be input, the simulation system 206 
instructs the format reading unit 212 to read the format data of the 
deposition shown in FIG. 3 from the format data unit 213. The display 
control unit 211 decides types of parts, calculates layout coordinates, 
calls blocks of the label display unit 207, the text input unit 208 and 
the button change-over unit 209 respectively, generates a GUI layout and 
transfers the window display data to the operating system 204 through the 
window system 205, and the display unit 203 displays the window shown on 
the right side in FIG. 4. In this case, when there has been an input 
operation by the keyboard 201 or the mouse 202, the input data is sent to 
the X window-system 205 through the operating system 204, and the call 
back function unit 215 is called so that a processing corresponding to the 
respective parts is carried out. After a targeted data has been taken out 
by a data extraction unit 216, this data is converted into an input format 
shown in FIG. 3 by the data interface 217 based on an instruction from the 
simulator input format analysis unit 214, and the input format is then 
transferred to the simulation system 206. In the manner as described 
above, the data set on the automatically prepared window is automatically 
converted into a simulator input format, and is displayed on a process 
flow generation window of the simulation system 206. 
FIG. 6 is a structural diagram of a second node of implementation of the 
present invention. This mode of implementation is the one where a data 
editing function is added to the simulation system of the first mode of 
implementation shown in FIG. 5, and a data display section 219 and a data 
interface unit 220 are added to the structure of the first mode of 
implementation. In this second mode of implementation, when a data editing 
is to be carried out, process data is sent from the simulation system 206 
and the format data is automatically decided so that GUI are displayed in 
a similar manner to that of the first mode of implementation. The 
simulator input format is analyzed in a similar manner, and the data to be 
displayed on each GUI is extracted by the data interface unit 220. Then, 
the data display section 219 displays data to each GUI part. After the 
data editing, the data is processed in a similar manner to that of the 
first mode of implementation, and is then sent to the simulation system 
and displayed. 
As explained above, according to the present invention, in order to prepare 
a window for inputting a manufacturing process of LSI, the format data 
describing the GUI layout information of the input window for each step of 
the manufacturing process and the input format of the simulator is read, 
and the GUI parts to be used are limited, and the GUI layout is 
automatically generated, with a regularity held in the layout, so that the 
GUI layout can be changed by changing only the format data. Further, by 
sharing the call back function and by incorporating in the system the data 
interface for carrying out the data conversion by analyzing the simulator 
format within the format data, it becomes unnecessary to change the call 
back function. When there is a new addition or a change of a step of the 
LST manufacturing process, it has become possible to cope with this 
promptly by changing only the format data, with a reduction in the work 
volume required for this change by one half or more of that required 
according to the prior-art technique.