Add/Remove Diagram Space Inside Structures Without Resizing the Structure

[Jim_Kring]

Problem

I find myself wanting to Ctrl+Drag to add/remove diagram space INSIDE of a structure without actually resizing the structure itself AND without modifying any other frames – I just want to clean up the visible diagram that I am working on.

However, this is not how LabVIEW currently works – the structure itself is also resized, and the space within other frames of the structure are resized as well (outward/inward from the same point as the Ctrl+Drag action), which can mess up both the code in other frames as well as the code outside the structure.

Proposed Solutions

Option 1: Lock Structure Size Add the ability to lock the size of structures (or perhaps only lock them from growing during creating/removing space), so that I can use Ctrl+Drag to create/remove space without impacting the structure and the code around it. This would be similar to "Auto Grow" but would perhaps be an "Allow Grow" or "Lock Size" setting.

Option 2: Modifier Key Use the Shift modifier during Ctrl+Drag and Ctrl+Alt+Drag to NOT resize the containing structure. This would maintain backward compatibility while adding the new functionality.

Why This Matters

When working on complex VIs with multiple frames in structures, it's frustrating to have simple diagram space cleanup operations affect the entire structure and surrounding code. This feature would allow developers to better organize/tidy the code within individual frames without the ripple effect of resizing everything (in other frames and outside the structure).

[fefepeto_kb]

I generally agree with the ide, but throw a few fine tunings on it if you agree:

• Option 1 could be called: Exclude from diagram resize
• the option shall have a global default, which, in my humble opinion shall be true, meaning that by default the nested diagrams don't resize everything at once.

[Jim_Kring]

@fefepeto_kb -- Thanks for the great ideas and resonance!

Regarding the naming of the Option 1 setting, a tricky thing with using a setting named "Exclude from diagram resize" is that there are multiple "diagrams" potentially affected, this making the term "diagram" ambiguous as to which it's referring:

• the diagram containing the structure in question
• the diagram (within the structure) that is being edited (i.the target of the add/remove space operation being performed)
• the (possible) other diagrams of said (multiframe) structure which are not currently visible ("behind" the currently visible frame that's currently being edited)

Can you think of other possibilities for naming that would take this into consideration?

[fefepeto_kb]

@Jim_Kring, you bring up good points. I wanted to come up with a name that is specific to what is going to happen, but short enough to look good on a context menu.

A version of wording that would be specific enough could be: Exclude from the diagram resize operation of other diagrams. And, to be honest, I can image a scenario where we have a shorter string on the context menu, and the explanation in the help or the context help. Not ideal, but I'm sure there are other examples as well.

From my perspective if the option is turned on neither the resize of the contained or containing diagrams shall not resize the diagram with this option on. If the auto-grow is enabled, then the diagram would grow as needed for the contained diagrams.

When talking about multi frame structures, I think LabVIEW already handles them together from the size perspective, e.g.: case structures, sequence diagrams. This information could be added to the help, but in my humble opinion this is the intuitive way these structures should be handled, so this information might have little value.

[code-lux]

I would prefer a modifier key OR a toggle switch on the Tools Palette.