Replace by index channels with by name in pre-existing report

[TheWyrd]

We have a large report what we would like to change from the [Group Index] Structure to the [Group Name] Structure so we can add and delete channel and find them by name rather than index. 

I expected that changing the syntax dropdown from:

[Group index]/Channel name

to 

Variable: ExtendChnName

Group name/Channel name

Would allow me to automatically find the new groups after I change the order of Channel groups on a pre-generated report. However, thus far I have been unable to get the report to update. 

The settings are explained here: http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/370858M-01/varoff/extendchnname/

I changed the setting from the general settings page: http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/370859J-01/dlgshell/dlgshell/dlgconfshell_dialog/

If Brad or another guru doesn't know this off the top of their head I can provide an example project. 

Thanks for the help guys. 

[Walter_Rick · Accepted solution]

Hi TheWyrd,

The setting of ExtendChnName is only used for interactive behavior, for example drag & drop. It depends on the type of problem which setting is the best. If once a layout is created the channel reference is fix and there is no build-in function to change this.

So, if you will change the current setting in the layout, you must do this with a script. For this you load the layout and a corresponding dataset. Then read the current channel reference for X and Y channel, find these channels in the Dataportal and write back the new reference.Here is an example for the loaded dataset and layout. To finalize it you must add a loop over all REPORT sheets and objects.

Dim o2DCurves, oShapeType, iLoop

Set o2DCurves = Report.ActiveSheet.Objects.Item("2D-Axis1").Curves2D

for iLoop = 1 to o2DCurves.Count
  select case o2DCurves(iLoop).ShapeType
    case e2DShapeLine
      call ChangeReference(o2DCurves(iLoop))
    case e2DShapeLineAndPoints 
      call ChangeReference(o2DCurves(iLoop))
    ' case ....
  end select
next

'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sub ChangeReference(o2DCurves)
  dim oChnList
  ' in case of waveform channel -> no entry
  if o2DCurves.Shape.XChannel.Reference <> "" then
    set oChnList = data.GetChannels(o2DCurves.Shape.XChannel.Reference)
    if oChnList.Count > 0 then
      o2DCurves.Shape.XChannel.Reference = oChnList.Item(1).GetReference(eRefTypeNameName)
    end if
  end if
  if o2DCurves.Shape.YChannel.Reference <> "" then
    set oChnList = data.GetChannels(o2DCurves.Shape.YChannel.Reference)
    if oChnList.Count > 0 then
      o2DCurves.Shape.YChannel.Reference = oChnList.Item(1).GetReference(eRefTypeNameName)
    end if
  end if
end sub

Greetings

Walter

[TheWyrd]

Hi Walter, 

Thanks for the reply, I appear to have posted the same question twice somehow. Brad also had some input here: 

https://forums.ni.com/t5/DIAdem/Replace-by-index-channels-with-by-name-in-pre-existing-report/m-p/37...

Your explanation makes sense and extends on what he explained.