LabVIEW Idea Exchange

Is there a compelling reason that enums cannot be a signed integer? 

 This would provide the very handy function of assigning them the I32 "base" datatype, eliminating coercion dots on most LV primitives.

On that note, how about supporting sparse enums (enums with non-consecutive value-string pairs)?

OK, I know rings support both features, but rings have the distinct disadvantage of only showing their numeric value in a case structure.

It would be really cool to have a custom probe that could be placed on any cluster/class wire to view the data in the cluster, but instead of being displayed as a standard view of the cluster, the labels of the items would be listed along with the data type and the current value (works for scalar or small arrays, not so well for large arrays/waveforms). The standard view of a cluster probe is shown below.

I built a custom probe to do this but found that the data type of custom probes is strictly typed and therefore I have to convert my data to variant on the vi block diagram before adding the probe, which isn't great. I've attached the code for my custom probe, and a screenshot of it below.

If variant custom probes could be used on any data type, this would work.

If several cluster elements are hidden and we want to unhide them all, it gets tedious. For each elements, we need to:

1. Right-click the cluster...
2. advanced...
3. show hidden element...
4. select desired element...   (At this time we have moved the mouse about 500 pixels to the right in steps 2-4!)
5. click outside the cluster to deselect everything (because now the cluster AND the element are selected and we cannot immediately start again with step #1).
6. start with step #1 for the next hidden element. Tedious!

I suggest that there should be a top entry <All Elements> (or more correctly <All Hidden Elements>, but that seems unnecessarily bulky and does not really add more clarity), to unhide all hidden elements at once.

Here is how it could look like:

Idea summary: There should be a menu item to show all hidden cluster elements with one simple step (see picture).

Thanks!

Sometimes it is interesting to programmatically operate front panel ctrols/indicators using not only references, but arrays of references to existing panel items.

Suprisingly, statically linked control references can be droped on the diagram and then programmatically combined into an array, BUT such an array can not be manually assembled at coding time.

It should be possible to do it (just like usual constant arrays can be made). It would be easier to code, and take much less room on the diagram.

Also, to make such a constant array easier to read (and gain diagram surface anywhere statically linked control references are used), why not replacing the type indication of the constant with the name ? Type can be checked by pointing at the output wire anyway...

Currently you can only set symbols of a Multicolumn listbox on the first column.  I think it would be pretty handy to put symbols in any cell on the MCLB.

Currently: When you "Find Missing Items" in a project, it thinks a few seconds (on a large project) and pops up a non-resizable window. You can double click on an item in the list, which closes the Missing Items list and it highlights the missing item in the project. You remove that item (or relink it) in the project, and then have to "Find Missing Items" again. Wait a few seconds, rinse, repeat...

Proposed:

1. When you double click on an item in the Missing Items list, do not close the list - leave it open, and gray out items that have been taken care of and are no longer "missing" (like the find dialog, when you delete a found item).

2. Allow the columns to be sorted by clicking on the header Name, Location in Project, or Path (this one holds a dear place in my heart)

3. Finally, allow the window to be resizable (a common request...).

(I have given the example for "Find Missing Items"... you can apply the same concepts to "Find Items with No Callers") 

Sometimes, it would be useful to view string constants as icons to save space on the block diagram.

If You drag a tunnel of a loop, case structure or any other structure along the border over a corner, then

the connected wire becomes hidden behind the frame.

Sometimes, the wire looks alike it is connected to another wire instead - like in the example below.

I fell into that trap, because I've just seen the frame to the right and didn't expect, that the wire was

connected to the tunnel near the bottom.

Wouldn't it be great to break up the wire with a 90° corner and place it in the visible area?

More similar situations like this are posted in this thread:

http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/wire-vanishes-behind-frame-of-case-structure/td-p/3221167