Automatic VI description

[axon128]

Since I'm involved in some big projects I wonder if there is an option to automatically add some previously set description in a new VI created in LV? Assume I want to avoid adding my signature and other repeatable significant info in each VI added to project. This seems to be an easy feature but I haven't discovered something like that before.

[Sam_Sharp]

You should be able to do this with VI scripting.

It's also something I know you can do with VI Package Manager - it can add text to the bottom of the description of every VI when it builds the package but this isn't useful for you if you're not building packages.

[PhillipBrooks]

You can create a VI template. 

https://www.ni.com/docs/en-US/bundle/labview/page/creating-vis-from-templates-and-sample-projects.ht...

Scripting is not strictly neccesary to update the VI description. You can use basic functions to load a VI into memory, modify the Description by way of a property node, and then save the VI.

https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Programmatically-modifying-a-VI-s-Description/td-p/612300

[thoult]

Thinking off the top of my head:

1) Use a VI template with the description already set.

2) Use VI scripting.

Using VI scripting, the possibilities are boundless. You could make a QuickDrop plugin that updates the VI Description property of any selected VI in the Quick Drop window, or from the block diagram. You could combine VI scripting with a new lv_new_vi.vi in the resource/plugins folder, which is the VI that runs when you press CTRL-N in LV.

3) Generate an array of references of VIs that you would like to change, in whatever way you wish - e.g. Get VI Dependencies invoke method from a top level VI, returning the paths to each VI, use Open VI Reference in an autoindexing for loop. From each VI's reference, there's a property called 'VI Description' - set that to write and you can feed in your description. You'd then need to save each one too using the Save Instrument invoke mode.

Edit - bah, beaten to it whilst off settling the baby down... 🙂