Ideas for Quick Drop Keyboard Shortcuts in 2011

[Darren]

Here are some ideas I have for Quick Drop Keyboard Shortcuts to add in 2011.  Included are reasons why we may or may not want to include them:

• Create Control/Indicator/Constant on Terminal (default key = Q) - I have already posted this shortcut on the NI Community website here.  But there are two main reasons it's not ready for prime time (i.e. shipping with the product).  First, it doesn't work on Mac because it uses the Input VIs to get the mouse position, and these VIs don't work on Mac.  Second, it has trouble figuring out the correct terminal if there are multiple terminals that occupy the same (x,y) position...a good example would be a tunnel, which has a single outer terminal, and potentially multiple input terminals, on the same rect.  I've asked for a new scripting property in 2011 that will return the GObject directly below the mouse cursor, but I don't know if I'll get it or not.  If so, then that solves both problems.
• Smart Create SubVI (default key = S) - There are multiple requests on the Idea Exchange to make Edit > Create SubVI... a better feature.  If we ever get that, then I see no need to add it to Quick Drop.  But if it's still not there in 2011, I'd like to see a QDKS that, when invoked while part of the diagram is selected, will (1) create a subVI out of the selection, (2) give the new VI a 4-2-2-4 conpane, (3) wire error in/out in the lower corners if they're present, (4) wrap the contents of the subVI in an error case, (5) clean up the front panel, and (6) clean up the block diagram.  This is complicated by the fact that we would probably want it to be located properly in the LV Project, if there is one open.
• Decent New VI (default key = N) - Along the same lines as Smart Create SubVI, I'd like a QDKS that will create a new VI, add it to the active LV Project in the same relative location as the active VI, give it error clusters and an error case, a 4-2-2-4 conpane with the error clusters wired, and an icon that matches the icon template (.lvclass or .lvlib, e.g.) of its owner in the project.
• Switch to Case Name (default key = W) - If one or more case structures is selected, then switch to the case that matches whatever name was typed in Quick Drop when the QDKS was invoked.
• Bulk Create (default key = A) - Based on what the user typed when he invoked this QDKS, create control references, locals, etc. of whatever diagram object was selected.  Basically a keyboard shortcut to replicate all the Create > ... right-click menu options on diagram and panel objects.  I have already posted this shortcut on the NI Community website here, but I don't seem to use it very often, which is why I hesitate to include it in the product.
• Explore (default key = E) - When invoked from a VI, launch Windows Explorer (or its equivalent on Mac/Linux) open to the folder that contains the VI (or its owning LLB).  I investigated adding this in 2010, but ran into some snags figuring out how to launch the file explorer on Linux.  If users think this would be a beneficial enough shortcut, I can continue that investigation for 2011.
• Empty (default key = M) - Performs an "empty" operation on whatever front panel/block diagram objects were selected.  For example, if you have a listbox selected, then press Ctrl-Space-Ctrl-M, all its rows would be removed.  Other panel items that I think would benefit from being emptyable are tree, table, string, path, array.  For the block diagram, I'm thinking string constant, path constant, and array constant.

Please let me know what you think about these ideas, along with any others you'd like to see me add to LabVIEW in 2011.

-D

P.S. - I've tried to keep X, C, and V off-limits for shortcuts, as those are the operations used for cut/copy/paste in text fields.

[tst]

I use QDKS relatively rarely (I don't like having to remember all the shortcuts), but I can comment on at least one:

Darren wrote:

• Explore (default key = E) - When invoked from a VI, launch Windows Explorer (or its equivalent on Mac/Linux) open to the folder that contains the VI (or its owning LLB).  I investigated adding this in 2010, but ran into some snags figuring out how to launch the file explorer on Linux.  If users think this would be a beneficial enough shortcut, I can continue that investigation for 2011.

You can accomplish this today by clicking Ctrl+Shift+E (which brings the focus to the current VI in the project, and which you may wish to use as a nugget) and then right click and select Explore. I don't think anyone would use this operation often enough to require anything shorter.

[LabBEAN]

In an effort to combine Darren's and Darin's QD shortcuts, I've renamed them and written a document describing their functions.  Like Yair, I had a hard time remembering the shortcuts.  Ctrl-v will not work properly (e.g. for VI Server Rename) as Darren pointed out, but I haven't had trouble with Ctrl-c (e.g. Create).  In addtion to the items Darren listed, from Darin.K, Array to Scalar / Scalar to Array and Remove Broken Wires are particularly handy.  If you were going to write an Explore option for QDKS, consider hilighting the VI in the Explorer window the way the JKI-RCF implementation does.

QD shortcuts can be found here:

C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 2009\resource\dialog\QuickDrop\plugins

[tst]

I just remembered another reason I don't use the shortcuts. While on occasion I do want to use one, I have my own version of QD, which I find better, but which lacks the QDKS feature. Unfortunately, I can't publish this version because it includes code which is not my own. The main difference between the two is that mine doesn't do auto-complete, but instead always shows the results in a listbox, thus allowing easier searching.

[jcarmody]

I'd like to see Quick Drop insert the selected node into whatever wire was selected when QD was triggered. If I selected a wire before I hit Ctrl-Space then insert the node along the wire, othersiwe let me drop the selection with the mouse as it currently does.

[Darren]

jcarmody wrote:

I'd like to see Quick Drop insert the selected node into whatever wire was selected when QD was triggered. If I selected a wire before I hit Ctrl-Space then insert the node along the wire, othersiwe let me drop the selection with the mouse as it currently does.

Have you tried the LabVIEW 2010 beta yet? 

-D

[jcarmody]

Nope, but now I'm looking forward to the LabVIEW 2010 release.  Thanks, this tool is super.

[Darren]

I just added the "Empty" shortcut idea.

-D

[jcarmody]

Darren wrote:

jcarmody wrote:

I'd like to see Quick Drop insert the selected node into whatever wire was selected when QD was triggered. If I selected a wire before I hit Ctrl-Space then insert the node along the wire, othersiwe let me drop the selection with the mouse as it currently does.

Have you tried the LabVIEW 2010 beta yet? 

-D

Am I missing something?  QD doesn't insert the node I'm dropping into the wire I selected before invoking QD.

[Darren]

You need to invoke the Ctrl-Shift-I keyboard shortcut from within Quick Drop to perform the multi-wire insert.  See here for more details.

-D