10-19-2017 01:50 PM
I am studying for the CLAD, and on a practice exam came across this question.
30. You can use all of the following data types as inputs to the case selector terminal except:
A. Doubles
B. Enumerated type values
C. Strings
D. Integers
LabVIEW coerces the double into an integer, so aren't all answers technically correct?
The answer they are looking for is "A", because as I understand it a case structure doesn't actually handle a double since it gets coerced into an integer. Am I correct in this thought process?
10-19-2017 02:23 PM
I agree, the question does not have the best wording. In fact, if a VI had a variant input and someone asked "what data type can you use as an input?" I would say anything, even though it's coercing to a variant.
That said, it's definitely not good practice to use a double, and your cases cannot be defined by doubles (you can't have a case called "1.5" for instance).
10-19-2017 02:40 PM
@adekruif wrote:
I am studying for the CLAD, and on a practice exam came across this question.
30. You can use all of the following data types as inputs to the case selector terminal except:
A. Doubles
B. Enumerated type values
C. Strings
D. Integers
LabVIEW coerces the double into an integer, so aren't all answers technically correct?
The answer they are looking for is "A", because as I understand it a case structure doesn't actually handle a double since it gets coerced into an integer. Am I correct in this thought process?
I think you nailed it.
10-19-2017 04:53 PM
Ok, thank you for confirming my suspicions.
IMO It would definitely be a better written question if it asked which data type gets coerced, rather than which one cannot be used. I feel that shows more LabVIEW knowledge than the original question.
10-19-2017 11:57 PM
@adekruif wrote:
Ok, thank you for confirming my suspicions.
IMO It would definitely be a better written question if it asked which data type gets coerced, rather than which one cannot be used. I feel that shows more LabVIEW knowledge than the original question.
Or maybe something like, "Which one should not be used...?" because we know they all could be used.
10-20-2017 05:02 AM
Well, you can wire it, but it won't be used.
CLAD is very easy if you just done core 1. You know (been told) what they want to here.
CLAD is actually harder to pass with some experience, since you can tell they are wrong, but don't know how to fix it.
Then CLAD gets easier again, since you know how they are wrong, and you know what they expect.
A lot of questions are simply wrong. Often because newer versions have changed implementations. Like "will a property node force keeping the FB in an executable"? It used to, but when they start accepting references, this is not true anymore.
Then there are questions that I don't even know for sure when asked (but I do it right on intuition). What's the row input of an index array and what is the column index? Don't really care. Run the VI and switch when it's wrong.
They are working on it. It's not as easy as it sounds to come up with good questions. I think you can get CLA renewal point by making CLAD questions, so I guess every CLA can make a change...
10-20-2017 08:20 AM
Also know that the practice exams often contain "rejected" questions (wording is weird but cannot come up with something better, too difficult, too many opinions on the matter, etc). I know the CLED practice exam is nothing but rejected questions. I would assume the new CLAD practice will follow suite.
10-20-2017 01:20 PM
wiebe@CARYA wrote:
They are working on it. It's not as easy as it sounds to come up with good questions. I think you can get CLA renewal point by making CLAD questions, so I guess every CLA can make a change...
You can also get points for developing a CLD exam. That is not a trivial task. I wrote the vending machine exam.
10-20-2017 01:35 PM
@Mark_Yedinak wrote:
wiebe@CARYA wrote:
They are working on it. It's not as easy as it sounds to come up with good questions. I think you can get CLA renewal point by making CLAD questions, so I guess every CLA can make a change...
You can also get points for developing a CLD exam. That is not a trivial task. I wrote the vending machine exam.
I know, but seemed OT. It sure would be more fun and rewarding to do. But I'm sure it is a lot of work, as in several days I imagine. There's a lot more to it that you'd think.
Did the cld twice (let my first class expire). Pretty sure one of them was the vending machine. The exams are all ok, but the example solutions are terrible.
One of the things that bothers me is the requirement that you have to use a type def enum based state machine. So I can't use a OO state pattern? Ridiculous!
I might try a cld exam one day, just to make a mark. Don't need the points, got all of them within a 1.5 year (2 NI days presentation, class summit, done). I was kinda surprised you can actually get recertification points for doing an online course. Recertify class by doing cld prep course. Weird.
10-20-2017 03:03 PM
wiebe@CARYA wrote:
....
One of the things that bothers me is the requirement that you have to use a type def enum based state machine. So I can't use a OO state pattern? Ridiculous!
...
The last time I did the CLA I first implemented it using a state machine but hen it hit me that I could use a Factory pattern.
So I wrote it again using a Factory pattern and they passed me.
Ben