Drag & drop to replace

[SteenSchmidt]

Hi,

Currently to replace something (for instance a node on the block diagram) you have to right-click and then select Replace... and then usually a lengthy navigation into the function palette or onto the disk with the OS file explorer.

Most often I already have a LabVIEW-project open, one or more explorer windows (opened at a useful context), and maybe also one or a couple of pinned sub-palettes - but I am not allowed to replace anything from these locations. I suggest that this will actually be allowed; that is: drag something onto the block diagram, and if you're enough on top of another object, then a replace-outline appears for you to drop your new object into. Here's an illustration for replacing something in the block diagram, but the same could apply to the front panel as well:

All the usual stuff should happen when you replace this way, as if you replaced through the context menu. For instance a prompt to save a VI that leaves memory, automatic update of a project's dependencies etc. Many ideas are submitted to this Idea Exchange to enhance the Replace context menu in different ways, but a feature as I'm suggesting here would improve my own workflow the most, simply because I already have much quicker access to my "replacer", through existing explorer windows, than going through the Replace context menu no matter how intelligently it gets populated.

Cheers,

Steen

[drjdpowell]

I have cursed the lack of such a feature many a time.

[JB]

Meanwhile I'm using QD's "Ctrl + P" option.

[Jokelnice]

I also use "Quick Drop", but sometimes it would be more effective do it this way .

[SteenSchmidt]

Quick Drop doesn't let you drop in something from a project nor an open explorer window. It works for palette items if you remember their names.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for even more intelligent population of the Replace context menu, as well as for QD. I just think this feature is so basic that it should be available too.

/Steen

[Darin.K]

> Quick Drop doesn't let you drop in something from a project

To be fair, project items are available in QD, and you can replace with them using the Ctrl-P default shortcut.

[SteenSchmidt]

Sorry, I didn't know that (about QD and project items). /Steen

[fabric]

Suggestion:

What if Quick Drop had the possibility of "click to select", for all of us who can't always remember the names of the things we want to drop?

• Such a feature would allow you to open QD and then click on an item from the project (or any open library), and that item would instantly become the selected QD item.
• Then you could insert, replace, etc... all from the QD interface.

(Should that be a new idea?)

[SteenSchmidt]

@fabric: That should probably be a new idea, as it definetely isn't an alternative for my suggestion here (for me at least).

/Steen

[fabric]

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@SteenSchmidt wrote:

@fabric: That should probably be a new idea, as it definetely isn't an alternative for my suggestion here (for me at least).

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I also think your idea is much better! (Easier and more intuitive...)

That said, Darren is usually pretty agile with QD enhancements, and adding a click-to-select feature would likely be quite realistic to add for the next release. Your idea (- although superior!) would require mods to the IDE, and NI has a lot of inertia there...

Anyway, I'll post it and see! 

[shb]

Similar idea: Copy and Paste Replace