The-OpenROAD-Project

Fix an OpenROAD bug from a GitHub issue. Analyzes the issue, traces the root cause through the codebase, implements the fix, creates regression tests (registered in both CMake and Bazel), runs clang-format, and prepares a signed-off commit. Use when given a bug report issue number, error code (e.g. GPL-0305, DRT-0001, RSZ-2007), or when asked to fix a bug in any OpenROAD module (ant, cts, dpl, drt, gpl, grt, mpl, odb, pad, pdn, psm, rcx, rsz, sta, stt, tap, upf, utl, etc.). Also triggers on: "fix issue", "debug this error", "resolve crash", "fix segfault", "repair", "patch bug".

Add integration or unit tests to an OpenROAD module. Handles the complete workflow: writing the Tcl/C++ test, generating golden files, and registering the test in BOTH CMake and Bazel build systems (the most common mistake is forgetting Bazel registration). Use when asked to add tests, improve test coverage, create regression tests, or write unit tests for any OpenROAD module (ant, cts, dpl, drt, gpl, grt, mpl, odb, pad, pdn, psm, rcx, rsz, sta, stt, tap, upf, utl, etc.). Also triggers on: "add test", "write test", "test coverage", "missing tests", "create regression test", "add unit test".

Review an OpenROAD pull request following the project's review priority order: correctness > QoR impact > testing > architecture > style > process. Fetches PR diff, analyzes changes, and prints draft review notes for the human reviewer to inspect and post manually. Use when asked to review a PR, check a pull request, look at changes, or provide code review for any OpenROAD module. Also triggers on: "review PR", "check this PR", "look at pull request", "code review", "review changes", "review #NUMBER".

Triage an OpenROAD GitHub issue by reproducing the bug and minimizing the test case with whittle.py. Use when an issue has an attached tarball artifact (.tar.gz) from `make *_issue`.

Iterate on local OpenROAD source changes against a bazel-orfs flow by building the OpenROAD checkout binary and injecting it via OPENROAD_EXE (a bring-your-own / BYO loop), instead of encoding the diff as a base64 patch swapped into the archive_override. Use when developing or debugging an OpenROAD C++/TCL change that you need to exercise through an ORFS stage (cts, place, grt, route), when a long edit-build-run loop is taxing turnaround, or when a change "isn't taking effect" and you suspect a silently-rejected patch.

Pre-flight an hours-long ORFS _deps / make-extract stage run (grt, place, route, SAIF) by dumping the stage's effective variables and mentally dry-running the flow TCL to confirm the code path you are testing will actually execute. Use before committing to any long OpenROAD flow-stage run, especially when a SKIP_* flag, an *_EFFORT setting, or a setup/hold selector could silently route around what you intend to measure.

Investigate OpenROAD global-route repair_timing correctly — the grt "grind"/timeout, hold- and setup-buffer insertion. Covers why a skip-repair (fast) grt measures nothing about repair, why repair_timing must run inside global_route.tcl on the pre-GR ODB, and how to split the grind into setup vs hold before blaming either. Use when a grt stage times out or runs for hours, when a change is meant to affect repair_timing, or when reasoning about hold vs setup buffer insertion at global route.

Prepare a new version release for the openroad-mcp project. Automates version bumping, changelog generation, lockfile updates, and release commit creation. Use this skill whenever the user asks to: - Prepare a release, cut a release, or do a release - Bump the version or update the version - Create a release commit - Ship a new version - Update the changelog for a new release Trigger on phrases like "release", "bump version", "prepare release", "cut v0.x", "ship it", "new release", or any mention of version numbers in the context of publishing. Also trigger when the user references the release process we've done before (e.g., "do the release thing", "same as last time").