LabVIEW
object oriented programming create control file
The control can be one of two things (or some combination of both...)
1. A control with a customized appearance
2. A "Type def." (similar to a C Struct) used to define a cluster that will be used throughout your program
When you create the control from the right-click menu that you mentioned, it should popup the front panel of the new control. The first thing you need to be made aware of is the left-most combobox on the toolbar. By default the combobox should have "Control" selected. Use this setting if you are simply trying to create a control with a different cosmetic appearance from the standard LabVIEW controls. These controls act exactly like any other LabVIEW control, you can place them on your front panel, change the shape appearance, data types, etc. without it modifying your control file. The other two options in that combobox are "Type Def." and "Strict Type Def.". By selecting type def, you are creating a control that when placed, is directly connected to the control file. Any changes made to the data type of the wire must be done through the control file. The only difference (that I'm aware of) between a type def and a strict type def is that a strict type def forces all uses of said type def to be cosmetically identical as well. When you modify a typedef file, all places in code that you have used that type def will be automatically updated with your changes (for better or for worse 😉 ). If you have an active license to LabVIEW, you should check out the free online Core 1 and Core 2 classes. They should cover control files in good detail.
