The arcs in a circuit are much more than simple connecting wires. They can take many different forms according to the needs of the design environment. In schematics, arcs can be negated, directional, zigzag, and more. In layout, they can be directional and extended by half of their width. |

The most important property of an arc is its ability to remain connected when physical changes are made to the circuit. Constraining properties provide for intelligent circuit layout.

Electric allows you to control how layout changes when the circuit is modified. This is done by placing constraints on the arcs that react to node changes. Electric has a set of four constraints that, although not complete, have been found to be useful in circuit design.