Programmatically set a VI's terminals to "required" or "optional"

[bmihura]

I've seen a VI's terminals set to "required" or "optional" programmtically before, but I can't figure out how it was done.

Anybody know how?

[Nickster]

I haven't done this myself, but I believe you can use the "ConPane" VI property.  You have to create "dummy" VIs that have the various connector pane properties that you want your VI to have.  Here's what the help documentation says:

Connector pane of the VI. This property configures the VI referenced by the Property Node with the same connector pane layout as the VI referenced by the input. The two VIs must have the same number of parameters, with identical data types and names. If they do not, the Property Node returns an error. You can use this property to dynamically configure a VI connector pane. For example, you can open a strictly typed reference to another VI that has the connector pane you want. Then, you can open a reference to the VI whose connector pane you want to set, wire that reference to a property node, then wire the strictly typed reference to this property. This sets the connector panes the same.

Nick

[bmihura]

I can't find that ConPane property when I look into a VI's property node.... See attached pic.

Where is it?

[Nickster]

Uh oh...

What version of LV are you running?  I see it in both 7 and 8.0.  If you ARE running one of these versions, maybe it's somehow only available in the full Professional Development distribution?  (But I seriously doubt that...)

Nick

[bmihura]

I have version 8.2, "Full Development System".

It looks like the ConPane property disappeared, grr.

[Nickster]

Dude, that is nuts.  I couldn't find any help for you on the NI site.  I don't know why this problem bugs me so much, but it really irritates me to the core.  Here's one thing we can try... I'm attaching a VI written in 8.0 that includes the Connector Pane property node.  Open it up in 8.2 and just see what LV does with it.  Maybe it will replace it with something more modern, maybe it will dig it up from some hidden library of quasi-deprecated property nodes, or maybe it will barf.  We'll just have to see...

Nick

[bmihura]

Grr, it's deprecated. Plus the cursor is not behaving normally in LabVIEW 8.2.... I can't tab through my tools.

Attached is a pic of what the VI looks like in LV 8.2.

I wonder why LabVIEW is removing this useful feature?

[Nickster]

Dropping the connector pane property may have been an oversight (unlikely but possible).  Or, maybe as of 8.20 you have to configure the connector pane through some totally different technique (also doubtful but possible).  There are a couple ways you could go from here: (1) You could try re-posting this thread so that maybe one of the LV Champions or engineers will pick up on your question.  They may be able to point you in a better direction.  (2) Also, you could make a suggestion in the Product Suggestion Center.  (3) You could try posting in the BreakPoint forum.  They have a thread there for bugs.  I don't know if this classifies as a bug, but I suspect they'll be able to tell you what's up.

Good luck,
Nick

[Ben]

In LV 8.20 all scripting functionality now requires a license to use.

I beleive the connector pane properties fall into this catagory.

Ben

[bmihura]

By "requires a license", do you mean "pay thousands of dollars for basic features which should be built in to the language"?

Or is there some other way to get a "license"?