Accessing resources in a microprocessor having resources of varying scope

A system comprising:

• a plurality of representations of machine resources in a microprocessor design, the plurality of machine resource representations having a plurality of scopes;
• first scope-identifying means for identifying a scope specified by a machine resource reference;
• second scope-identifying means for identifying a scope of one of the plurality of machine resource representations;
• means for determining whether the scope specified by the machine resource reference is the same as the scope of the identified machine resource representation;
• and
• means for assigning to the identified machine resource representation a value specified by the machine resource reference if the scope specified by the machine resource reference is determined to be the same as the scope of the identified machine resource representation.

In a system including a plurality of representations of machine resources in a microprocessor design, the plurality of machine resource representations having a plurality of scopes, a method comprising steps of:

• (A) identifying a machine resource reference comprising a first parameter value, wherein the first parameter value comprises a value of a first parameter having a first set of valid values;
• (B) determining whether the first parameter value is a member of the first set of valid values;
• (C) identifying the scope specified by the machine resource reference as a first scope if the first parameter value is determined to be a member of the first set of valid values;
• and
• (D) identifying the scope specified by the machine resource reference as a second scope if the first parameter value is determined not to be a member of the first set of valid values, wherein the second scope is broader than the first scope.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of representations of machine resources in a microprocessor design, the plurality of machine resource representations having a plurality of scopes;
• means for identifying a machine resource reference comprising a first parameter value, wherein the first parameter value comprises a value of a first parameter having a first set of valid values;
• means for determining whether the first parameter value is a member of the first set of valid values;
• means for identifying the scope specified by the machine resource reference as a first scope if the first parameter value is determined to be a member of the first set of valid values;
• and
• means for identifying the scope specified by the machine resource reference as a second scope if the first parameter value is determined not to be a member of the first set of valid values, wherein the second scope is broader than the first scope.