Who uses the VI Analyzer?

[Khalid]

Hi Ben,

You wrote:

---

I have used it on and off as a way to improve my own code. It can (under the right conditions) spot issues with my favorite bug (i.e. bundle by name).

What exactly is the bundle-by-name bug you're referring here?  Just curious..

Thank you,

-Khalid

PS:  Sorry Darren for the digression.

[Jim_Kring]

Ben will give you more info (I am sure) but here is a link to the thread.

[Xu]

Hi Darren,

Used the VI Analyzer sometimes informally, I think the VI Analyzer helps to follow the strict coding discipline. But the analyzer often (if not always) gives messages that are not consistent with the default coding "stuffs". For example, see the attatched simple vi. The error in/out cluster controls on the frontpanel were just generated by right clicking on the "in" and "out" ternimals of the "Merge Errors" vi, then select "creat". Everything should be OK by default. But the VI Analyzer outputs lots of warning messages, for example:

1.
The front panel indicator labeled "code" overlaps another front panel control or indicator.  You should consider moving this control, since overlapping controls cause redrawing issues and can affect performance. 

2.
The front panel control labeled "code" overlaps another front panel control or indicator.  You should consider moving this control, since overlapping controls cause redrawing issues and can affect performance.

3.
The control labeled "source" is not a dialog-style control.  Because of this, its appearance will not be platform-specific.

......

I do not know why? I am using LabVIEW v7.1.

Thanks,

Xu

[Darren]

Hi Xu,

Some VI Analyzer tests are not meant to be run on every kind of VI.  For instance, the Dialog Controls test should only be run on user interface VIs that must have a dialog appearance.  As for the Overlapping Controls test, it does not fail with your VI on my computer.  However, my computer has the default font settings for Windows XP English...I'm guessing that perhaps you have different font settings on your computer, either by setting them yourself, or perhaps because you're using a non-English version of Windows or LabVIEW.

You are correct that the VI Analyzer provides for the analysis of very strict coding style rules...however, if you or your organization do not place as high an emphasis on these rules, we have provided a simple "filtering" mechamism in the test rankings of the VI Analyzer tests.  If there are tests that you wish to run on your VIs, but the results of those tests are not high-priority, you can rank those tests "Low" in the VI Analyzer user interface...if there are tests that give results that you always want to investigate, you can rank those tests "High".

Thanks for your feedback...please let me know if you have any additional questions.

-D

[K C]

Hi Darren,

Most of the VI’s I make are not used by some else. For the application I make I use the VI analyzer to control my work. I know myself and in this way, I will be forced to work by certain rules. I think this will make my work more readable in the future for me and maybe for others.

Beside that, the analyzer can always find little mistakes that can cost you a lot of time later on.

After I installed LV8 the analyzer disappeared from the LV7.1 menu.    Understandable but it is not a nice solution.

[Darren]

Hi K.C.,

I'm glad you're finding the VI Analyzer to be a useful utility, both for debugging and stylistic purposes.  As for your installation issues, if you install LabVIEW 8.0, it should not affect your VI Analyzer 1.0 installation with LabVIEW 7.1.  If, however, you do install the VI Analyzer 1.1, it will install to your LabVIEW 8.0 directory, and it will uninstall VI Analyzer 1.0.  Although not ideal, this behavior is consistent across all our toolkit installers, and we are working on addressing this issue in future toolkit releases.

Please post any additional questions or comments you have regarding the VI Analyzer.

Sincerely,

Darren N.

LabVIEW R&D

[Ray.R]

Darren,

I have used the analyzer a couple of times in the past.  Works well. 

I do not use it as often as I should...  Mostly because I tend to forget that it is there..

JLV

[Xu]

Hi Darren,

Thanks for your reply. I am using English version of LabVIEW and all font settings are default, but the screen resolution setting is 1600 by 1200.

Thanks,

Xu

[Xu]

Hi Darren,

Forgot to mention that Windows XP on my computer is English version, but the display DPI setting is 120dpi, that is not the default. So the Windows font setting has to be the default for the default error cluser control to pass the test, right?

Thanks,

Xu

[Darren]

Hi Xu,

Yes, a DPI setting of 120 will definitely cause the text in an error cluster to overlap...we try to leave extra space in our LabVIEW UI elements for text to expand for different font or language settings, but there are definitely some items (like the error cluster) whose appearance is less than ideal with larger fonts.

-D