Allow access to default value on control properties dialog

[altenbach]

The title says it all: The property dialog of controls should allow inspecting and changing the default value.

Here's how it could look like.

Sometimes I wand to re-define a default value without actually changing the current value.

current steps

• copy the current value elsewhere
• enter the desired default value
• right-click...data operations...make current value default
• restore the original value (could lose data in case of DBL!)

After implementing the idea

• right-click...properties...enter default value...OK.

[altenbach]

A more universal idea has been posted here.

[zou]

I would choose Data Type Tab, since > 50% code and the control is already there.

I changed the VI for that tab:

C:\Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\LabVIEW 2013\resource\PropertyPages\Pages\PropPage_DataType.vi

And now it looks like this:

[RavensFan]

It's pretty cool that you've been able to get into the pages themselves and modify them.  It would be nice if the ideas get incorporated into the standard installation of LabVIEW.

One question.  Why is there an array index control next to your Default Value box?

[zou]

> One question.  Why is there an array index control next to your Default Value box?

In LabVIEW 2013, you can select a few objects, and pop up the properties dialog box, to view / set common properties.

[Darin.K]

I am sure this is proof-of-principle, but how in the world do you know which control is being given which default value?  I'd be more inclined to add a checkbox 'change all defaults' which when chosen activates a single control which gives them all the same value.  The beauty is if I wanted to I guess I could.  Try-before-you-buy

[zou]

Good point.  Add an array of object label next to the default values is simple.

I wish NI could give all these features when we buy next time.

[RavensFan]

You don't want an array for that where each item as its own value.  Normal behavior when you have multiple objects selected is that all the properties that currently have common values, that property is populated.  If they don't share a value, then the entry box is not populated.  When you put a value into an entry box, that value will then apply to ALL of the controls when you click OK.  As you said, "view/set common properties", which also means "view/set common values for those properties".

It should be Default Value (like in Altenbach's image), and that becomes the default value for all that you have selected.  You do not want a user to be able to individually set values for different controls in the same dialog box.  That goes against the common usage pattern for all property dialog boxes I have ever seen.

[altenbach]

Just another use case: This VI  (posted here) has the input array containing lots of default data, but the element default is 10 (look at the greyed elements), which annoys me immensely. I challenge anyone to change the default data of the array elements to zero without changing the current default data of the array, and without jumping through flaming hoops.

[zou]

Actually, the VI has code to identify which default value will be changed.

The most use case, for me, is different controls have different default values.

[RavensFan]

In which case you open up the property dialog for each one and change the default value setting.

In your property page, if you want to make each control the same value, you are stuck setting an array full of values to the same value.

Not standard behavior for property dialogs.