Color State Text

[jyang72211]

For example, a case structure with 100 cases.  The cases belong to 5 groups.  When I expand the list of cases, it will be nice if the cases are colored with 3 separate color, signifying different groups.  

At least, LabVIEW should provide use with the option to color the text in the case list of a case structure.  

[elset191]

Similar

[jyang72211]

It is different.  I want coloring of the text list instead.  

[elset191]

Yes, that's why I said similar rather than duplicate.

[jyang72211]

ok.  Thanks for pointing it out.

[jcarmody]

While you're waiting for this to be implemented, you can group your cases with placeholder cases ala the JKI State Machine.  Each group begins with a case named like "---------- group name ------------", and each member of that group is named like "group name: case name".

I wrote a plugin that populates a tree control to facilitate working with many-case Case Structures, here.

[AristosQueue (NI)]

As a member of LV R&D, I see no reason why we couldn't add this feature.

Speaking as a LV user, not as a member of LV R&D, I don't like this idea. My objection to this idea is the same as the objection I have to the "color the cases" similar idea. It's just noise, with no meaning behind the color coding except what's in the developer's head, and just as likely to go stale over time. My opinion is that you should name your states better, grouping them with prefixes if that's necessary. Even better, eliminate the gigantic case structures entirely -- they're a maintenance burden on code and are a single piece of code with way too much responsibility piled onto it.

[jyang72211]

Hi Aristos,

What do you mean by elminating the case structure?  for a state machine, I need it, don't I?

[dthor]

With Classes and OOP you can eliminate a lot of case structures. You still need them for state machines, yes, but if you have that many states, perhaps you should break the groups of states up into subVIs. For example, you could have 15 "Initialize" states. Throw those bad boys into a subVI and place it it one state in your toplevel VI.

I don't currently have access to LV so I can't offer an example, but I've found that it's not that hard to do.

[jyang72211]

I have a lot of states in my state machine, but each state contains a step in my test.  the program is a test sequence, so combining the states will make the test unclear.  

[Darren]

Any idea that has received less than 2 kudos within 2 years after posting will be automatically declined.