Saving Space when Using Free Labels for BD Comments

[Manzolli]

The problem: Free Labels may take too much space on BD to hold all information.

Idea 1: Allow Label to have help. With this simple change, the programmer puts the essential information in the label and the details in the help.

Idea 2: Create an option to current Free Labels or create a new kind of Free Label, that has a behavior which a hidden part of the information is shown, in a drop-down "flap", when the user hover over the Free Label. The label could have two fields, one for the permanent information always shown (current bahaviour), the other for the additional information that will be shown when the user hover over the Free Label.

[JackDunaway]

Very similar ideas "pop up comment on Block Digram" and "Description and Tip-like Help Hint Comments for Block Diagram". While I'm hyperlinking, here's a plug for the related and popular "Hyperlink in Floating Comments".

[Manzolli]

They have the same source of problem but different approaches to solve it. The first two ideas ("pop up comment on Block Digram" and "Description and Tip-like Help Hint Comments for Block Diagram") have some in common, agree. The hyperlink has a different behavior, opening a document outside LabVIEW. The hyperlink can be placed in the Context Help.

The idea here is simplify as much as possible. Hovering over a Free Label the user will be able to see additional information, not needing even a click.

I think that the 1st idea of applying Context Help to Free Labels it's better because is very simple and will minimal change to the current behavior.

[JackDunaway]

Two thoughts: 

There would have to be a visual indication on the free label that it had bonus information if you hover over. Else, you'd be on an Easter egg hunt hovering over every free label on a BD, some having bonus info, some not.

Generally speaking, I would rather click on something to generate an action rather than needing to hover and wait for something to happen. UI's with hover functionality typically get on my nerves. The one exception is XKCD... wait for it, wait for it... ahh, there's the funny comment.

[Manzolli]

Hi JackDunaway,

I like this kind of comments because we can see some weakness of the idea and everybody can contribute to make it more feasible or show some real serious problem that the idea guy didn't saw. Here some ideas to address your thoughts:

1) A small indicator can be added to sign that some extra information is hidden, like these two suggestions:

2) The curtain behavior shout be configurable:

    - Behavior: hover or click

    - For Hover mode: How long over it to drop-down the extra information?

    - For Click mode: click again to fold it up or do it automatically after a configurable time after the user left the label?

Thanks man!

[JackDunaway]

You've convinced me. Kudos. Although I still prefer the proposals in the comments sections of the first two links, the need is clear: many people have asked for a way to collapse a long comment into a shortened version. Regardless of the implementation, I have Kudoed all ideas because they're all relevant for producing better-documented, cleaner code.