System and method for text based placement engine for custom circuit design

A computer implemented method comprising:

• reading, from a text file, a plurality of hardware component identifiers;
• assigning a plurality of component instances to a data structure, wherein the component instances correspond to hardware component identifiers and wherein component instances in the data structure include a column identifier and a row identifier;
• retrieving widths and heights corresponding to the hardware component identifiers;
• and
• organizing hardware components included in the data structure in a hardware graphics layout based upon the column and row identifier of the components and based upon the width and height of the components, wherein the hardware graphics layout is adapted to be read by a visual hardware circuit design tool positioning a first plurality of components in a first row, wherein each of the first plurality of components is placed horizontally adjacent to one another;
• and
• positioning a second plurality of components in a second row, wherein the second row is oriented horizontally above the first row at a position greater than the component in the first plurality of components with the greatest height, where each of the second plurality is also placed horizontally adjacent to one another,
• reading an initialize command from the text file and a large component to be placed after the initialize command is processed;
• and
• in response to the initialize command:
• placing the large component at a position where the bottom edge of the large component is the same as the bottom edge of the first row of components, the left edge of the large component is to the right of the last components in the first and second rows, and the height of the large component is greater than all of the first plurality of components.