• Simple arrays Bus names can be arrays (for example, "A[0:7]" which defines an 8-wide bus). The indices can ascend or descend.
• Lists Bus names can be lists (for example, "clock,in1,out" which aggregates 3 signals into a 3-wide bus).
• Array index lists and ranges Arrayed bus names can have lists of values (separated by commas) or ranges of values (using the colon). For example, the bus "b[0],c[3,5],d[1:2],e[8:6]" is an 8-wide bus with signals in this order: b[0], c[3], c[5], d[1], d[2], e[8], e[7], e[6].
• Multidimensional array indices Arrays can be multiply indexed (for example "b[1:2][100,102]" defines a bus with 4 entries: b[1][100], b[1][102], b[2][100], and b[2][102]). You can have any number of dimensions in an array.
• Symbolic array indices It is possible to use symbolic indices in bus naming (for example, the bus "r[x,y]" defines a 2-wide bus with the signals r[x] and r[y]).

When a bus is unnamed, the system determines its width from the ports that it connects. Some tools (such as simulation netlisters) need to name everything, and so use automatically-generated names. When this happens, the system must choose whether to number the bus ascending or descending. To resolve this issue, use the Network Preferences (in menu File / Preferences..., "Tools" section, "Network" tab), and choose "Ascending" or "Descending".

Individual wires that connect to a bus must be named with names from that bus. As an aid in obtaining individual signals from a bus, the Rip Bus command (in menu Edit / Arc) will automatically create such wires for the selected bus arc.

Arrayed Nodes

Besides using array names on busses, you can also give array names to schematic nodes. Netlisters will create multiple copies of that node, named with the individual elements of the array.

Parameterized Bus Names

It is possible to have variable-width busses by parameterizing their names. Electric maintains a list of global parameters, and these can be manipulated with the Edit Bus Parameters... command (in menu Edit / Properties). You can create and delete parameters, and can set values for each.

To use these parameters, you must add a template to an arc name or export name.

This figure shows an export called "in", and an arc called "internal". Both the export name and the arc name were selected, and the command Parameterize Bus Name issued (in menu Edit / Properties).

The templates are then shown near the original names.

You may type any text into the template. Wherever they string $(par) appears, it will be replaced with the parameter par. In this example, the parameter x has the value 7. When parameter values change, click the "Update All Templates" button to reevaluate all export and arc names.