[oharboe]

Before, a flow either paid for a timing update, a power analysis and the text reports at every stage, or lost every report_metrics metric, design area and instance counts included.
Now SKIP_REPORT_METRICS=1 still writes the metrics that cost nothing, and it is bazel-orfs's default; a flow sets "0" for timing and power in its stage .json. No new variable.

• 0157 (upstream candidate): report_design_area_metrics runs before the skip. The calls that cost time even on gcd run under log_cmd, so a slow one names itself in the log (Took N seconds, from 5 s). The four register path searches go through log_cmd eval { ... }, so the log shows the command, not the register list.
• 0158 (bazel-orfs policy): variables.yaml default 0 → 1.
• test/regfile/macro RegFile sets SKIP_REPORT_METRICS=0: floor_cycles_test reads grt's fmax metric.

Side effects on QoR

gcd on asap7, metrics on (DETAILED_METRICS=1, so the mid-stage reports in cts and grt run too) vs off: every stage's .odb and 6_final.v are byte-identical, before and after the patch.

Always written

stage	tools' own counters (never gated)	added by 0157
synth	area, instance and IO counts, warnings	(already there)
floorplan	units, setup-buffer count, PDN violations, warnings	area, instance counts, utilization, rows, sites
place	gpl iterations and area changes, estimated HPWL; dpl/dpo moves, displacement, HPWL change; floating nets	same
cts	buffer counts, dpl moves	same
grt	wirelength, vias, detour, fastroute phase times, antenna, dpl moves	same
route	drt DRC errors and wirelength per iteration, vias, antenna	n/a (no report_metrics)
final	area and count per cell class, IR drop if enabled	same

Skipped by default: cost on gcd (ms, summed per stage)

call	floorplan	place (dp)	cts	grt	final	log_cmd
report_power	49	48	65	203	60	yes
first report_tns (the timing update)	0.1	23	49	95	8	yes
input→register find_timing_paths ×2	–	17	42	143	94	yes (eval)
register→register report_checks ×2	–	14	33	115	67	yes (eval)
report_erc_metrics	–	17	27	62	20	yes
report_check_types	–	5	7	20	6	yes
report_clock_min_period	1.6	1.6	6	18	–	yes
report_clock_skew, report_wns, report_worst_slack, unfiltered report_checks, other *_metric	≤ 4 each					no

Measured once with a timing patch that is not carried. tclint not run; the edit follows its rules (100 columns, spaces in braces).

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