HELP -> ABOUT -> Dialog box

[Robinson, Joe]

I am currently using LV5.1f1 FDS & APP builder on a PC/win95, and I have
a question that I have not been able to find the answer to.....

In some of my earlier applications using LV3.1, 5.0, 5.01f1, I was able
to create a custom About.vi that would be displayed when the user
selected HELP > ABOUT from the menu.

In LV5.1f1, the previous method does not bring up the custom About.vi.

Does anyone know if this feature was removed or changed? Or is this a
bug?

Joe Robinson
GARMIN International
joe.robinson@garmin.com

[Johnner]

Joe,

I don't think there's any problem with 5.1f1 along these lines; I just
tested this functionality in my copy of LabVIEW 5.1f1 (Windows 95) and was
successful.

There is a difference in the way that you build the "About.vi" into your
application with the 5.1 Application Builder: you need to add it to the
project using the "Add Dynamic VI..." button under the "Source Files" tab in
the App Builder dialog. With earlier versions of the App Builder, you
probably just included the About.vi in the VI library that you were using to
build your executable.

There's an entry in NI's online KnowledgeBase that covers this question:

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/websearch/7c9bff96872861a98625670d005e1044

Best Regards,
John Lum
National Instruments

"Robinson, Joe" wrote:

> I
am currently using LV5.1f1 FDS & APP builder on a PC/win95, and I have
> a question that I have not been able to find the answer to.....
>
> In some of my earlier applications using LV3.1, 5.0, 5.01f1, I was able
> to create a custom About.vi that would be displayed when the user
> selected HELP > ABOUT from the menu.
>
> In LV5.1f1, the previous method does not bring up the custom About.vi.
>
> Does anyone know if this feature was removed or changed? Or is this a
> bug?
>
> Joe Robinson
> GARMIN International
> joe.robinson@garmin.com

[Little_Helper]

Hi

It has been a couple of years since this was posted. Has it changed in how to make this about menu? Is there an "easier" way to accomplish this now, like some kind of integrated function to make the about menu?

I would also like to make a help menu, a bit like the context help function perhaps, is this possible to accomplish? How can you use the menu item Help > Help for This VI?

Best regards

Simon Bøgh

Message Edited by SCMAJA on 04-18-2008 01:02 PM

[GerdW]

Hi Simon,

since several versions you can create your own runtime menu for each vi. And you can control such a menu using an event structure and some menu functions...

So it's very easy now to make your "About" window!

Wow, such an old thread... The forum already existed at that time...


Message Edited by GerdW on 04-18-2008 01:11 PM

[Dennis_Knutson]

Open the LabVIEW help and search for the 'stand-alone applications' topic. Under there is 'creating an About dialog box'. Follow those instructions.

[Little_Helper]

Thank you Gerd and Dennis, it works perfectly.

Yeah he he funny how there are still that old posts in here

Best regards

Simon Bøgh

[earlevel]

The thread that will not die...

I'm using LabVIEW 8.2.1 on OS X (8.5 is on its way, and I'll give that try). To start, I had to write and external to replace the "About LabVIEW..." item in the application menu to "About myApp", due to an apparent LV bug (discussed in another thread) for my standalone.

I made the About dialog (About.vi) so that it opens centered, transparency 100%, modal, and is not set to show on open or load. The vi sets a display string with the application name and current version, then opens itself (FP.Open = true), shows itself (FP.Transparency = 0), then sits in a while loop till clicked, at which time it sets transparency back to 100 and closes itself.

The problem I'm having is that when the "About..." item is chosen, there is a brief flicker of the window in the "original" position (that is, not centered, but where the vi window was when saved), then it appears where it should (centered) and works correctly. It appears that LabVIEW opens the window, _then_ enforces the 100% transparency (as specified in the vi parameters, not due to program execution).

I've tried running this window from another vi (not via the About menu), and it works perfectly. So, I tried to make an About.vi that would not open at all, but would call my About dialog vi, but this didn't work either--LabVIEW seems to always open the About.vi window, no matter what I try.

This sure appears to be a bug. Any way to fix this?

[Jim_M]

Hi Earlevel,

         Perhaps the best way to help you at this point would be for you to post your code.  Once we have this, we can test it in 8.5 and see if we can replicate your issue.  Have a great day.

[earlevel]

---

@Jim_M wrote:

         Perhaps the best way to help you at this point would be for you to post your code.  Once we have this, we can test it in 8.5 and see if we can replicate your issue.  Have a great day.

---

Thanks Jim--8.5 should show up here today or tomorrow, so I'll save you some effort and try it there before pursuing it further.

Regards,

Nigel

[Cory_K]

It should be on labVIEW 5, I just checked on my older computer.