Error Ring - Refresh from File

[LeifS]

Since the Error Ring constant is read from  *--errors.txt files at LV startup and then ignored it is cubersome to add new error codes "while coding", you have to restart LV to get a refresh.

Please give us an option to re-read the contents of the errors.txt files from within LV, maybe from within the Error Ring popup dialog.

/LeifS

[PaulG.]

Take it one step further. A function key, shortcut or easily found menu selection should send us to an error API or similar workspace. We should be able to manage custom errors seamlessly.

[garrettmarsh]

Paul's idea sounds similar to the "Edit Shortcut" screen for Quick Drop Shortcuts, which read/writes the Labview.ini file on the fly. I like it.

[Kenny_K]

I am experiencing (requesting) the same issue.  Bummer that this has not been implemented yet.

[AristosQueue (NI)]

The problem with implementing this is thread safety. It's easy to load new error code text files into the system without halting all running VIs -- the files can be loaded and parsed and then merged seamlessly with the existing database. But to take things out, I have to make sure no one is using any strings in the existing database at that exact moment. When I first build the error system (15+ years ago), I avoided adding the locks that would enable this because I thought it would have an impact on performance, but in retrospect, that was probably a stupid premature optimization that is getting in the way of useful functionality. Looking up error strings is rare enough that a mutex lock isn't going to be under contention commonly. I was a much poorer architect back then.

Unfortunately, that long-ago decision does mean that it is a larger project than just adding a button to the dialog to tell LV to re-parse the error code text files. But at some point, it's probably worth re-evaluating.