Wondering Why, File Dialog Question

[mcduff]

LabVIEW has a File Dialog subVi that has been deprecated, see below

The Context Help for this subVI states that LabVIEW no longer supports this function on the block diagram. See below

So I tried using the File Dialog Express VI instead. Out of curiouosity, I double-clicked the Express VI to see what was in it. Hint, the File Dialog Express VI contains the same VI as above, the one that LabVIEW no longer supports on the block diagram.

What's going on here?

cheers,

mcduff

[aputman]

Are you saying that it's visible in a palette?  In 2012, that VI doesn't appear in a palette.  And from Quick Drop, only the express VI can be used. 

[aputman]

I just noticed that MGI has a Merge VI.

[Darren · Accepted solution]

The Express VI provides a smoother user experience. Configuring the node via the dialog was determined to be a better experience than the various enum and right-click configurations of the built-in function.

The only reason I've seen for using the function instead of the Express VI is for developers who have an irrational hatred of Express VIs. 😉

[aputman]

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@Darren wrote:

The only reason I've seen for using the function instead of the Express VI is for developers who have an irrational hatred of Express VIs. 😉

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Those irrational developers account for 85% of the Active Participants on the forums.  

[Darren]

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@aputman wrote:

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Those irrational developers account for 85% of the Active Participants on the forums.  

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I stand by my statement. 😉 In fact, "Express VIs are bad!" was a runner-up topic that didn't quite make the cut for my Brainless LabVIEW presentation. Maybe I'll write a "Brainless II: Brain Harder" presentation some day...

Some API functions in LabVIEW just make sense to be Express VIs. File Dialog is a great example...something that has a bunch of configuration options that affect each other, that you usually configure once and then you're done, AND there's limited value to taking up a bunch of diagram space (with wired constants) to display the current configuration of the node. And then there are some of the signal processing Express VIs where it's really nice to see a graph preview with the settings you're applying to see how they'll affect the input signal. Then there are monstrosities like this...

...that would make way more sense to use as an Express VI than as a method with a jillion inputs.

I agree that there are some Express VIs that would be better as regular VIs (like Elapsed Time, which only has two configuration parameters that I'd much rather see as wired inputs). But having a universal "all Express VIs are bad!" reaction is kinda "brainless", if you ask me. 😉

[altenbach]

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@Darren wrote:
But having a universal "all Express VIs are bad!" reaction is kinda "brainless", if you ask me. 😉

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The file dialog is probably the only express VI I use regularly. (I typically show it as icon and the only thing that bothers my eye is the misaligned label if you do so :D)

My aversion is mostly towards dynamic data and thus the express VIs that use them. Way too opaque!

[Darren]

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@altenbach wrote:
 

My aversion is mostly towards dynamic data and thus the express VIs that use them. Way too opaque!

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Yeah, dynamic data type is the worst. No argument here.

[aputman]

The File Dialog is probably the one that least requires an Express VI.  If you open the Selection Mode window of the primitive VI, it looks the same as when you double click the Express VI.  All other parameters are wired as inputs for both methods.  I see no difference between the two.  

[JÞB]

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@aputman wrote:

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@Darren wrote:

The only reason I've seen for using the function instead of the Express VI is for developers who have an irrational hatred of Express VIs. 😉

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Those irrational developers account for 85% of the Active Participants on the forums.  

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Eventually the remaining %15 of the rational Active Participants may become Proven Zealots.  Go ahead and take a poll on these 12 individuals:

(Branch Support does't get an opinion-  it would take a week and 2500 posts to reach a consensus and is still subject to error)