why does t an enumerated go down numerically with the up arrow and up numerically with the down arrow and how do I fix it

[tbob]

If you click inside the enum box, you will see a list of the item names.  As you can see, the first element (numeric 0) is at the top.  As you click on the down arrow, the selection goes down the list (items 1 through N).  As you click the up arrow, the selection goes up the list.  I know it is backward from the numerical order.  You would think that the up arrow should increase the numeric, but it is just the opposite.  Try thinking in terms of the list of item names and not the numeric associated with the item name.  Then it makes sense to go up the list with the up arrow and down the list with the down arrow.  That is the way the control works and you can't change it.

[Ben]

I am in 100% agreement right up till you wrote "...and you can't change it. "

Here is an example of an enum (LV 7.1) I started to customize by swapping the up/down button positiions and swapping their images.

Ben

[tbob]

Well, technically you did change it.  Or you could say you just created a new control.  What I meant was that there was no parameter to set to make it behave differently.  I like the way the original works because with enums I tend to think of the list of item names instead of the numerical order.

[terry_bell]

The edit list is the only context in which the standard operation makes sense and if digital display is
on, it will NEVER make sense to the user.

Thank you Ben.
😆
tb

[jpeters]

The edit list is the only context in which the standard operation makes sense and if digital display is
on, it will NEVER make sense to the user.

I agree that when you show the digital display the numeric value changing is a little weird...

Incidentally, this was reported to R&D (#3Y1EJE00) for further investigation.

I think I acutally made this change back in 7.0 in response to customer feedback basically stating that the arrows don't follow the list.  I don't know if we will do anything to correct this issue or not, but it seems like some like it one way some the other way.

I made this "fix" because I thought that the numerical values of the control were secondary to the list of items in the ring.

We are reconsidering this issue for a future release, any feedback is appreciated.

Jeff Peters

LabVIEW R & D

[tbob]

I vote for leaving it like it is.  Enums are for expressing a list of things, like colors for instance.  I don't care what the digital value is and I never show it.  Don't have to.  If I wanted to use digital values I would use a numeric control.  That's what they are for.  If I want to use a list of colors, I want to move up and down the list.  It should not matter that red=0 and blue=1 and such.  If you wire an enum to a case structure, you don't see 1 and 2, you see "red" and "blue".  So for those that want to have the arrows follow the numerical order, I say use a numeric control and forget about the enum.  Leave it the way it is.

[smercurio_fc]

Here, here. I agree to leave it like it is. On a GUI I would use a menu control rather than an enum to prevent confusion with the end-user. Enums are not really suited for GUIs for end-users.

There was a similar discussion a while ago. I know since I had posted an answer to it, but I can't find it right now.