Patent ID: 7444347

Claim:
A method of storage management of hierarchical identifiers in simulation models and netlists using a general purpose computer processor executing computer executable program code that causes the general purpose computer processor to reduce storage requirements, the method comprising: compressing names by using an algorithm of a plurality of algorithms stored in an algorithm unit of the general purpose computer processor that when executed causes the general purpose computer processor to perform sub operations of: sorting names in lexical order; splitting full names into a hierarchy list and a remainder list, wherein the hierarchy list is stored in a hierarchical list repository entry location and the remainder list is stored in a remainder list repository entry location included in a memory of the general purpose computer processor, wherein duplicate entries are not emitted to the hierarchy list, wherein a flag is emitted to a name list indicating that a next element in the hierarchy list is used, when a full name's hierarchy changes from a preceding name, wherein the name list is stored in a name list repository entry location, also included in the memory and wherein the name list repository entry location is one of a plurality of name list repository entry locations included in the memory; compressing prefixes of names in the hierarchy list, wherein compressing prefixes is performed by comparing a previous entry to a current entry, wherein a value is emitted indicating the number of equal bytes (k) at the beginning of the string and emitting the remaining string starting at a string beginning +k bytes; compressing prefixes of names in the name list; running an output of compressing prefixes of names in the hierarchy list and running an output of compressing prefixes of names in the name list through a compressor software application package, which produces a compressed hierarchy list in conjunction with compressing prefixes of names in the name list; and decompressing names by performing sub operations of: running the compressed hierarchy list and the name list through a decompressor software application package; reading a value at a start of an entry; copying a quantity of bytes from a preceding entry; and appending a string that follows; setting a pointer at a beginning of the prefix list and setting a pointer at a beginning of the name list; stepping through the name entries one by one until no names exist, wherein when the flag emitted for the full name's hierarchy changes from the preceding name of the name list is encountered, then the next element in the hierarchy list is used and the prefix pointer is moved forward by one entry; and creating a string pointed to by the prefix pointer and concatenated on to the string pointed to by the name pointer, and creating the full name.