Mixed Data Type Table Control for Data Entry

[Doctor John]

Hi Guys --

I'm attempting to do error-checked data entry,

My data is mixed: path, boolean, and numeric.  The natural organization is an array of clusters.  For instance, the cluster element would look like "path, boolean, numeric, numeric"  and I would have many rows of this data cluster.  To further complicate things I have to dynamically define the number of numeric elements in the cluster (tricky already) and also dynamically define the length of the array.

I find the table control to be ideal to handle the dynamic nature of the data for editing.  I can easily use scroll bars to navigate to the appropriate part of the data.  I can delete rows and columns etc.

On the other hand, the table can only handle string data.  I find that doing data checking and type conversion on the table elements to be extremely cumbersome. 

I think what I'm looking for is a Table Control with ability to handle controls as elements.  From what I've read in this list and personally experienced, that functionality doesn't exist.

Does LV have in-built functionality that I'm overlooking to resolve this problem?  Is there a third-party library that would do the job?

Thanks,

John

[Ben]

You are looking for an array of clusters.

Ben

[Doctor John]

Hi Ben --

I think perhaps that I wasn't clear in my description. 

As I pointed out, my data is organized naturally as an Array of Clusters.  More descriptively, my data looks like spreadsheet data; some text, some numbers.  I need to add rows and columns dynamically.  I need to be able to resize column widths dynamically... and while the program is executing.

The Table Control does all of this.  The intuitive way that the Table Control permits a user to enter data is also good for my user.  The Array of Cluster data looks like spreadsheet data and a Table looks close enough to a spreadsheet.  A Table permits one to insert and delete rows, resize columns widths, and scroll around.

I don't see that I get these features with an Array of Clusters Control.

The issue with the Table Control is the lack of in-built data types, so I spend an inordinate amount of time doing type-conversion and range-checking. 

At this point I'm pretty much convinced that LV doesn't have the in-built capability that I'm looking for. 

I am curious if there are any LV libraries or Active-X controls somewhere that would implement the functionality that I require?

[Ben]

HI John,

This CAN be done in LV but you probably do not want to.

The Picture control will let you assemble any type of GUI presentation you want. Developing all of the code to implement this is daunting but do-able.

The really challenging part invloves the nature of the wires associated with this GUI object. LV want to know the data type. This means you will have to go with strings or variants.

If you HAVE to go this route then check out the examples linked in this thread.

http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=BreakPoint&message.id=14&jump=true

AND if you are succesful, please share back how you solved this challenge.

Trying to help,

Ben

[euTeam]

I have the same question, but I don't understand this solution (is the link old?).

In my code I used multicolumn list box for database data entry : is heavy convert from cluster array to string matrix (to fill list box) and vice versa and this conversion is also specific for each table not general!

Labview version 2010

Thanks all,

regards

[Kyle_M]

euTeam,

Im a bit confused with what youre trying to do. The original user is trying to achieve multi-column list box style functionality with dynamic controls from an array of clusters, which would be a very complex task. The options available are either using a multicolumn list box and figuring out how to convert data to the appropriate data type (a big task), or creating a picture box based custom tool, which would also be a very large endeavor.

What exactly are you trying to accomplish with this? What data are you trying to input to a database? 

Regards,

Kyle Mozdzyn

Applications Engineering

National Instruments

[euTeam]

I implemented a form to insert/update data in database with mclistbox (see picture)

Regards

[Sarah_Y]

euTeam,

Are you trying to perform the conversion of the custer data so that you can enter it into a mclistbox or are you trying to dynamically control the properties of the table?