Why there are verilog verification files not in the form of module?

Why are there Verilog verification files not in the form of a module? The files I see start with just initial begin, and some file names use the .inc extension.

Solution

It is common to include files of arbitrary content into Verilog modules. This is done using the `include compiler directive, as described in IEEE Std 1800-2012, section "22.4 `include":

The file inclusion (include) compiler directive is used to insert the entire contents of a source file in another file during compilation. The result is as though the contents of the included source file appear in place of the `include compiler directive.

It can be useful for sharing common code between different modules: parameters, define macros, tasks, functions, etc.

In general, the .inc file extension is not special. It may be a convention used by certain simulation tools.

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