Showing help text of controls when mouse over connector

[Peeker]

I'm working with a system where we have decided to use input clusters for all data to all vi:s. These clusters are saved as strict type defs.

Our idea for documentation so far has been to write a description of what the vi does in the vi description, and describing the indata by documenting each element in the input clusters type defs.

This works very well for documentation printing purposes. However, we cannot see the descriptions of the indata in the help pop-up when mouse-over the vi.

Does anyone know a way of getting the documentation of the wired inputs to a vi when mouse-over the vi?

Regards

//Martin

[Al_S]

Do you want to (1) see the help info (description and tip) for the cluster when you're on the front panel of the VI that uses it, or (2) do you want to see the help info when you're on a diagram of a calling VI using the VI with the cluster as a sub-VI?
1. In LabView 6.1 or 7.0, you will see the help info for a strict type-def control on the front panel of a VI that uses it. I saved a cluster as a strict type-def. I added description and tip for the cluster itself and for individual elements within the cluster. Then I added the cluster to the front panel of a VI.
In either version 6.1 or 7, I can see the help info:
I can see the description of the cluster or the individual element (depending on where the mouse is pointing) whenever I have context help open (Ctrl-H
to toggle). I can see the tip for the cluster or individual element if the operate tool is selected.
After I added the strict type-def control to a VI, I went back to the control editor and modified the description and tip, then updated the control on the VI and saw the new info.
2. When you're on the diagram of a calling VI using the VI with the cluster as a sub-VI, the only help info (description and tip) available is what you entered for the sub-VI. You can't see the help for the individual controls on the sub-VI unless you open the sub-VI. On the VI with the cluster, you can cut and paste help info from the cluster to the VI. On the diagram of the calling VI, with the wiring tool selected, you can see the name of the sub-VI terminal, but not the help info for that terminal.
Seeing the help for the individual control of a sub-VI when you're wiring it sounds like a good idea to me. Maybe in LabView 8?

[Peeker]

Thanks, it was case 2 I was interested in. Unfortunately it looks like we have to live with this.

Further question: Is there a way of making LV accept *.doc files as help files? (I have a Design Specification i this format that i would like to link to, but I don't want to make *.htm copies since this will be forgotten when updating the spec.)

[Al_S]

I looks to me like LabView only accepts HTML or HLP files as VI help files. It seems strange that .DOC files don't work since LabView uses Internet Explorer to display the help and IE has a plug-in for reading .DOC files.
You could create a custom run-time menu for the top-level VI and launch Word to view the help file in the .DOC format.
You might get a better response if you post this as separate question.