Entity Names

AutoCAD AutoLISP & Visual LISP

 
Entity Names
 
 
 

An entity name is a numeric label assigned to objects in a drawing. It is actually a pointer into a file maintained by AutoCAD, and can be used to find the object's database record and its vectors (if they are displayed). This label can be referenced by AutoLISP functions to allow selection of objects for processing in various ways. Internally, AutoCAD refers to objects as entities.

The following example uses the entlast function to get the name of the last object entered into the drawing.

_$ (entlast)
<Entity name: 27f0540> 

Entity names assigned to objects in a drawing are only in effect during the current editing session. The next time you open the drawing, AutoCAD assigns new entity names to the objects. You can use an object's handle to refer to it from one editing session to another; see Entity Handles and Their Uses for information on using handles.