Schematic driven layout is the concept in IC Layout

Integrated circuit layout

Integrated circuit layout, also known IC layout, IC mask layout, or mask design, is the representation of an integrated circuit in terms of planar geometric shapes which correspond to the patterns of metal, oxide, or semiconductor layers that make up the components of the integrated circuit.When...

 or PCB

Printed circuit board

A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...

 layout where the EDA software

Electronic design automation

Electronic design automation is a category of software tools for designing electronic systems such as printed circuit boards and integrated circuits...

links the schematic and layout databases. It was one of the first big steps forward in layout software from the days when editing tools were simply handling drawn polygons.

Features

Schematic driven layout allows for several features that make the layout designer's job easier and faster. One of the most important is that changes to the circuit schematic are easily translated to the layout. Another is that the connections between components in the schematic are graphically displayed in the layout ensuring work is correct by construction.