About Entity Names (AutoLISP)

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.

Note: You can use the vlax-ename->vla-object function to convert an entity name to a VLA-object when working with ActiveX functions. The vlax-vla-object->ename function converts a VLA-object to an entity name.

The following functions are useful when working with entity names:

• entget - Retrieves an object's (entity's) definition data.
• entlast - Returns the name of the last non-deleted main object (entity) in the drawing.
• ssname - Returns the object (entity) name of the indexed element of a selection set.
• entsel - Prompts the user to select a single object (entity) by specifying a point.
• nentsel - Prompts the user to select an object (entity) by specifying a point, and provides access to the definition data contained within a complex object.
• nentselp - Provides similar functionality to that of the nentsel function without the need for user input.
• handent - Returns an object (entity) name based on its handle.

The following example uses the entlast function to get the name of the last object created in 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.