Show wire types by tool tip and open type def by right click on a wire

[Andi_S]

On larger diagrams (e.g. state machines) it's sometimes annoying to search for a special control or constant that defines the data type of the wire (especially if it is hidden or out of the visible FP area) or just to see the exact type of the wire.

To make this easier I have several suggestions:

1) add the data type to visible items: Right-Click to a wire -> visible items -> datatype   (should show either the basic data type like "U32" or the name of the type def control or class.

2) add a tool-tip function to wires. After a few seconds of mouse-on-wire the type / type-def name should appear

(ToolTip.jpg)

3) add an option to open the type def control file by right click to a w

ire (see RightClick.jpg); alternatively to #2 the menu could also show the data type

 

 

[wiebe@CARYA]

FYI, CTRL+h shows the wire type.

[Andi_S]

You're right but in this case I have an additional window on my desktop which I have to look for - this is much more time consuming than getting just the type/name right beside the mouse pointer.

And the more important part of the suggestion: "open the type def control" is not covered by the context help.

[wiebe@CARYA]

>And the more important part of the suggestion: "open the type def control" is not covered by the context help.

I did make a right click plug in for that.

I put it online, but I think somehow an older version got posted, so I won't point to it atm. It wasn't that hard.

Btw. This doesn't mean that NI shouldn't add it, just that you don't have to wait for them...

[Andi_S]

>Btw. This doesn't mean that Ni shouldn't add it, just that you don't have to wait for them...

cool - then you could give the first KUDO 😁

[wiebe@CARYA]

>>Btw. This doesn't mean that Ni shouldn't add it, just that you don't have to wait for them...

>cool - then you could give the first KUDO 

That's the problem with posting 3 ideas in one. I actually have to like them all three.

[AristosQueue (NI)]

Speaking for myself alone, not for LV or NI:

Re 3: Yes. I like this.

Re 2: Context help works well for me for this. I generally loathe tool tips anywhere on my block diagrams (they have a tendency to flicker into being just because I paused my mouse over the code I'm studying), so information that I can get elsewhere I prefer to get elsewhere. That's my a personal preference, not a professional dig against tool tips.

Re 1: I can't see the desire to data type as a permanent comment at all commonly. It's pretty rare for me to not have something that clearly indicates the type be close at hand. If I needed to label the data type, I probably ought to be refactoring the code.

I only like one out of three so no kudos from me.

Speaking for NI: There's nothing technically impossible about any of these nor any obvious usability drawbacks that I see, so we'll let the idea stay open and see how the kudos and conversation develops.

[wiebe@CARYA]

3) has been mentioned before:

"Show Class Library" Shortcut menu on Wires and Connector Panes - NI Community

RC on class (and typedef) wires and terminals (incl. unbundles, bundles), should show a "show in project" option.