Deprecate the Sequence Structure once and for all

[RTSLVU]

I find it rather depressing how so many of the new user questions contain code that is just a big Stacked or Flat Sequence structure.

I understand that we need to leave the Sequence Structure there for compatibility with old (poorly written) programs and the very few places we still have to use it...

But it's beyond time to deprecate it.

Warn users with a pop-up or the big red X like the old "Write To Spreadsheet vi" or something that this is an old outdated programming structure that should not be used in new programs!

[Intaris]

Nope.

I know what I'm doing, and some code needs it.

Yes it's a corner case. Yes it's abused.

But don't take away valid language constructs for the sake of "cleanliness".

[fabric]

I'm with Intaris. Sometimes it is useful.

That said, in most cases all I really want is this: https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/The-quot-Zero-Frame-Flat-Sequence-quot-aka-quot-Synch...

Declined unfortunately, as it would have been a very elegant and space efficient way to enforce synchronisation when required.

[RTSLVU]

I know what I'm doing, and some code needs it.

Yes it's a corner case. Yes it's abused.

But don't take away valid language constructs for the sake of "cleanliness"."

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It's not about "cleanliness", it's about using proper programing architectures.  

Which it why the idea is to Deprecate it not remove it all together.

NI should bury it, and stop teaching it in the beginner LabVIEW courses.

Teach the few places where you pretty much have to use it in the advanced courses and add a note to the Help section that except for a few rare cases this structure should not be used in new program development.

[RTSLVU]

I know what I'm doing, and some code needs it.

Yes it's a corner case. Yes it's abused.

But don't take away valid language constructs for the sake of "cleanliness"."

----------

It's not about "cleanliness", it's about using proper programing architectures.  

Which it why the idea is to Deprecate it not remove it all together.

NI should bury it, and stop teaching it in the beginner LabVIEW courses.

Teach the few places where you pretty much have to use it in the advanced courses and add a note to the Help section that except for a few rare cases this structure should not be used in new program development.

[Intaris]

The claim of "something that this is an old outdated programming structure that should not be used in new programs" made in the OP is something I simply do not agree with.

It can lead to improper code sure, but there ARE situations where it's the logical choice. It's not outdated, it's neccessary. Yes, when possible, it's better to structure your code and VIs in such a way that it's not needed, but that still doesn't do away with the few corner cases where it is actually perfectly valid. If you want to remove things which have validity (no matter how small) because they're abused, where do we stop. What about locals, globals or dynamic datatypes.

Hide it, sure. Drop it from the menus, sure. Drop it from training, hmm, maybe only teach it at "advanced" level, why not. I don't care, I've never taken a course. But a big red "X" to highlight it being deprecated, nope. I don't want to have to explain to anyone why I'm using a "deprecated" node or structure in my code.

If you think removing it is going to improve beginners code, I think you underestimate the inventiveness of beginners in LabVIEW. They will find new weird and wonderful ways to abuse the tools given to them. Beginners are going to make all kinds of mistakes.

[Yamaeda]

@rtslvu it is kind of buried. Under Structures there's only the Flat sequence, the Stacked is hidden. In an education i guess you need to present it as an option, but focus should be on how to avoid it.

[AristosQueue (NI)]

I seriously doubt that R&D will take further steps to hide the Stacked Sequence structure beyond what has already been done. No one is going to rewrite all the still-working code of history in order to further hide it. And the Flat Sequence structure has value, somewhat commonly.

[donkdonk]

Nothing wrong with flat sequence IMHO.

As others already mentioned: the stacked sequence is hidden.

So no kudo's.