This paper describes the software tool which has been
developed for the design of the superconducting magnets for the
Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Applied methods include
numerical field calculation with a reduced vector-potential
formulation, the application of vector-optimization methods, and the
use of genetic as well as deterministic minimization algorithms.
Together with the applied concept of features, the software
tool is used as an approach towards integrated design of
superconducting magnets. The main quadrupole magnet for the LHC,
which was designed at CEA Saclay (France) using a different
approach, was chosen as an example for the integrated design
process. The paper focuses on the design issues and is not a project
report on the main quadrupoles under construction.