Sometimes a "top" level module is purely for integration purposes (e.g. for testbench purposes, or early in development), and so it has no external top-level ports. In this case, there should be a way to add a sub-module explicitly as being within a given module even though it can't be found automatically by tracing signals.
Desired solution
Add a function, maybe like addSubModule. This should not be a general requirement or standard expectation, and only used in specific scenarios.
Other modules connected to these special sub-modules should be considered within the same context of the containing module, so this adds some additional complexity.
Alternatives considered
Just require at least one top-level port to hook up to at least one sub-module (the current workaround).
Motivation
Sometimes a "top" level module is purely for integration purposes (e.g. for testbench purposes, or early in development), and so it has no external top-level ports. In this case, there should be a way to add a sub-module explicitly as being within a given module even though it can't be found automatically by tracing signals.
Desired solution
Add a function, maybe like
addSubModule. This should not be a general requirement or standard expectation, and only used in specific scenarios.Other modules connected to these special sub-modules should be considered within the same context of the containing module, so this adds some additional complexity.
Alternatives considered
Just require at least one top-level port to hook up to at least one sub-module (the current workaround).
Additional details
No response