Urgent

[DavidLee]

Hello ,

I have an intractable problem with LabVIEW , we are all know that the general programming way is that first configure the front panel , and then program the block diagram , then run it , this is done because the control target is predefined , but if user need to modify the target , e.g., to an electrical power automation system , the different user his requirement is always different , he need to modify the busbar link mode , replace the current power element sign with another element , etc . This needs to create an edit panel , with which user can drag a picture sign and drop it in the panel , define its property , then load and run it .

Is there any way to realize the process with LabVIEW ? or would you please prompt some ideas ? Thanks

David

[dhuff]

I am not sure what you are looking for, if you be more specific you will get more specific answers.
I have a few general ideas you can try.
1.use .INI files for configuration changes. This allows you to make a VI or standalone .exe that does not need changes every time the user modifies something. (there are examples on the NI website, and installed with LabView)
2.Use child windows (like a popup menu) to set conditions. The popups can be done to allow a user to select from different known options, which makes it easier for them to use.
3.If you need to select from pictures, you can put pictures into a picture ring, and click thru the different pictures until you find one you like, or draw pictures on the front panel using picture control VI's.

The downside of
these options is that they require extra work on your part. Remember to put in defaults and sanity checks for your choices, if it is possible to good choose values for execution, it is also possible to choose wrongly.

[Jeremy Braden]

Someone asked a simmilar question yesterday. The answer they were given was to make multiple VIs to account for all the possiblities the end customer may want to do. This was a good answer because what you are asking, in a general sence, is how to write a compiler with LabVIEW. Rather than focusing on all the general things the user might do, you should give the user features that they can do. This approach will lead you to success.

Based on your description, LabVIEW can set controls which will allow for changes the user might want like modifying the busbar link. If the actual VI that modifies the busbar link needs to be different, LabVIEW can accomodate this with the use of VI Server. You will, of course, have to supply the new VI because ,I assume, the
end user will not have a copy of LabVIEW.
You can change the front panel image programatically, so it is possible to replace the current power element sign with a different element. The easiest way to do this is to use a square button that is invisible except for its boolean text which you supply. Setting the boolean true will result in one text. Setting it false will result in the other text. There are more advanced ways to change the front panel image including moving controls around.
You can also use a picture ring consisting of images of plus and minus. The user can then click on the image and select the one that applies. With this solution you can wire the output of the ring to a case structure on the block diagram so that different code can execute depending on the image selected. Upon rereading your posting, I think this solution might be what you are interested in.

The techniques I mentioned are not the standard run of the mill LabVIEW coding. It will be difficu
lt if you are new to the language. You might consider contacting one of NI's alliance members to tap into their experience. Goto www.ni.com/alliance for a listing.