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G Programming Reference Manual

Basic book for understanding LabView programming language

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G Programming Reference Manual

Basic book for understanding LabView programming language

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G Programming

Reference Manual

Part Number 321296A-01

October 1996

Copyright 1992, 1996 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.

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Web Address: http://www.natinst.com
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6504 Bridge Point Parkway Austin, TX 78730-5039 Tel: (512) 794-0100

Important Information
Warranty
The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming
instructions, due to defects in materials and workmanship, for a period of 90 days from date of shipment, as evidenced
by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace software media that do
not execute programming instructions if National Instruments receives notice of such defects during the warranty
period. National Instruments does not warrant that the operation of the software shall be uninterrupted or error free.
A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and clearly marked on the outside
of the package before any equipment will be accepted for warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shipping
costs of returning to the owner parts which are covered by warranty.
National Instruments believes that the information in this manual is accurate. The document has been carefully
reviewed for technical accuracy. In the event that technical or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves
the right to make changes to subsequent editions of this document without prior notice to holders of this edition. The
reader should consult National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National Instruments be liable for
any damages arising out of or related to this document or the information contained in it.
EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN , N ATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED , AND
SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE .
CUSTOMERS RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF NATIONAL
INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER. N ATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA , PROFITS , USE OF PRODUCTS , OR INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES , EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. This limitation of the liability of National
Instruments will apply regardless of the form of action, whether in contract or tort, including negligence. Any action
against National Instruments must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues. National Instruments
shall not be liable for any delay in performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The warranty provided
herein does not cover damages, defects, malfunctions, or service failures caused by owners failure to follow the
National Instruments installation, operation, or maintenance instructions; owners modification of the product;
owners abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power failure or surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of third parties, or
other events outside reasonable control.

Copyright
Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part,
without the prior written consent of National Instruments Corporation.

Trademarks
LabVIEW and BridgeVIEW are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation.
Product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

WARNING REGARDING MEDICAL AND CLINICAL USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS

National Instruments products are not designed with components and testing intended to ensure a level of reliability
suitable for use in treatment and diagnosis of humans. Applications of National Instruments products involving
medical or clinical treatment can create a potential for accidental injury caused by product failure, or by errors on the
part of the user or application designer. Any use or application of National Instruments products for or involving
medical or clinical treatment must be performed by properly trained and qualified medical personnel, and all traditional
medical safeguards, equipment, and procedures that are appropriate in the particular situation to prevent serious injury
or death should always continue to be used when National Instruments products are being used. National Instruments
products are NOT intended to be a substitute for any form of established process, procedure, or equipment used to
monitor or safeguard human health and safety in medical or clinical treatment.

Table of
Contents

About This Manual

Organization of This Manual ...........................................................................................xxi
Basic G Concepts ..............................................................................................xxi
Front Panel Objects ...........................................................................................xxii
Block Diagram Programming............................................................................xxii
Advanced G Topics ...........................................................................................xxiii
Appendices, Glossary, and Index ......................................................................xxiii
Conventions Used in This Manual...................................................................................xxiv
Related Documentation....................................................................................................xxv
Customer Communication ...............................................................................................xxv

Basic G ConceptsChapters 1 through 7

Chapter 1
Introduction to G Programming
What Is G? .......................................................................................................................1-1
Components of a VI .........................................................................................................1-1
Front Panel.........................................................................................................1-3
Block Diagram...................................................................................................1-4
Icon and Connector............................................................................................1-6
Help in G..........................................................................................................................1-7
Front Panel Help................................................................................................1-7
Block Diagram Help..........................................................................................1-7
Attribute Node Help............................................................................1-9
Online Reference ...............................................................................................1-9
Creating Your Own Help Files ........................................................................................1-9

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G Programming Reference Manual

Table of Contents

Chapter 2
Building VIs
G Environment ................................................................................................................ 2- 1
Tools Palette...................................................................................................... 2-4
Menus in G........................................................................................................ 2-6
Pop-Up Menus .................................................................................... 2-6
Editing VIs.................................................................................................................... ... 2-7
Selecting Objects............................................................................................... 2-7
Dragging and Dropping VIs, Pictures, and Text in G....................................... 2-8
Positioning Objects ........................................................................................... 2-9
Aligning Objects ............................................................................................... 2-11
Distributing Objects .......................................................................................... 2-12
Duplicating Objects........................................................................................... 2-12
Deleting Objects................................................................................................ 2-13
Labeling Objects ............................................................................................... 2-14
Free Labels ......................................................................................... 2-14
Text Characteristics ............................................................................ 2-16
Resizing Objects ............................................................................................... 2-23
Labels.................................................................................................. 2-23
Front Panel and Block Diagram Work Space..................................... 2-24
Coloring Objects ............................................................................................... 2-24
Creating Object Descriptions ............................................................................ 2-26
Creating VI Descriptions .................................................................................. 2-27
Saving VIs ..................................................................................................................... .. 2-27
Individual VI Files ............................................................................................ 2-28
VI Libraries (.LLBs) ......................................................................................... 2-29
Creating VI Libraries.......................................................................... 2-30
Saving in Existing VI Libraries .......................................................... 2-30
Editing the Contents of Libraries........................................................ 2-30

Chapter 3
Building SubVIs
Hierarchical Design ......................................................................................................... 3-1
Creating SubVIs from VIs............................................................................................... 3-1
Creating the Icon ............................................................................................... 3-2
Defining Connector Terminal Patterns ............................................................. 3-5
Selecting and Modifying Terminal Patterns ..................................................... 3-6
Assigning Terminals to Controls and Indicators............................................... 3-6
Required, Recommended, and Optional Connections for SubVIs.................... 3-8
Deleting Terminal Connections ........................................................................ 3-9
Confirming Terminal Connections ................................................................... 3-10

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Creating SubVIs from VI Selections ...............................................................................3-10

Rules and Recommendations ............................................................................3-11
Number of Connections ......................................................................3-12
Cycles..................................................................................................3-12
Attribute Nodes within Loops ..............................................3-12
Illogical Selections ...............................................................3-13
Locals and Front Panel Terminals within Loops..................3-13
Case Structures Containing Attribute Nodes, Locals,
or Front Panel Terminals ...................................................3-13
Using the Hierarchy Window ..........................................................................................3-15
Opening the Hierarchy Window........................................................................3-15
Hierarchy Window Options...............................................................................3-17
View Menu Options ............................................................................3-18
Hierarchy Toolbar Buttons..................................................................3-19
Hierarchy Node Pop-Up Menu ...........................................................3-20
Hierarchy Node Mouse-Click Sequences ...........................................3-21
Finding Hierarchy Node Mechanism ................................................................3-22
Finding VIs, Objects, and Text ........................................................................................3-23
Find Dialog Box ................................................................................................3-24
Finding VIs and Other Objects ...........................................................3-24
Finding Text........................................................................................3-26
Search String Options ...........................................................3-26
Text Search Options .............................................................3-27
Narrowing the Search Scope...............................................................3-27
Search Results Window ......................................................................3-28
Finding Next and Previous Search Items .............................3-29
Find Pop-Up Menu for Global and Local Variables and Attribute Nodes........3-29

Chapter 4
Executing and Debugging VIs and SubVIs
Executing VIs ..................................................................................................................4-1
Running VIs.......................................................................................................4-1
Stopping VIs......................................................................................................4-4
Running VIs Repeatedly....................................................................................4-5
Data Logging on the Front Panel.......................................................................4-5
Retrieving Data Programmatically ....................................................................4-7
Accessing Databases ...........................................................................4-7
Retrieving Data Using File I/O Functions ..........................................4-9

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Debugging VIs................................................................................................................. 4-9

Debugging Broken VIs ..................................................................................... 4-9
Interpreting Error Messages ............................................................... 4-11
Correcting Broken VI Range Errors ................................................................. 4-14
Debugging Executable VIs ............................................................................... 4-15
Recognizing Undefined Data.............................................................. 4-17
Understanding Warnings .................................................................... 4-18
Debugging Features .......................................................................................... 4-18
Single-Stepping through VIs .............................................................. 4-18
An Example of Single-Stepping through a VI ..................... 4-19
Using Step Buttons ............................................................................. 4-20
Reading Call Chains ........................................................................... 4-21
Execution Highlighting....................................................................... 4-21
Using the Probe Tool .......................................................................... 4-23
Creating Probes .................................................................... 4-25
Placing Breakpoint Tools ................................................................... 4-26
Suspending Execution ........................................................................ 4-29
Recognizing Automatic Suspension..................................... 4-29
Using Toolbar Buttons When SubVIs Are Suspended ........ 4-30
Viewing Hierarchy Windows During Suspension ............... 4-30
Disabling Debugging Features ........................................................... 4-31
Commenting out Sections of Diagrams ............................................................ 4-31

Chapter 5
Printing VIs
Printing in G .................................................................................................................... 5-1
Printing Configuration ...................................................................................... 5-1
PostScript Printing .............................................................................. 5-2
Printing the Active Window ............................................................................. 5-2
Selecting Print Options ..................................................................................... 5-3
Setting Printout Formats ..................................................................... 5-3
Choosing Layout Options ................................................................... 5-4
Creating Custom Print Settings .......................................................... 5-4
Printing Section Headers...................................................... 5-6
Programmatic Printing ...................................................................................... 5-7
Controlling When Printouts Occur ..................................................... 5-7
Enhancing Printouts............................................................................ 5-7
Setting Page Layout............................................................................ 5-8
Using Alternative Printing Methods ................................................................. 5-9

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Chapter 6
Setting up VIs and SubVIs
Creating Pop-Up Panels...................................................................................................6-1
VI Setup Options .............................................................................................................6-2
Execution Options .............................................................................................6-2
Documentation Options.....................................................................................6-3
Window Options................................................................................................6-4
SubVI Node Setup Dialog Box........................................................................................6-6

Chapter 7
Customizing Your G Environment
Setting G Preferences.......................................................................................................7-1
Preferences Dialog Box Options .......................................................................7-1
Path Preferences..................................................................................7-2
Library, Temporary, and Default Directories .......................7-3
VI Search Path ......................................................................7-5
Performance and Disk Preferences .....................................................7-6
Front Panel Preferences ......................................................................7-9
Block Diagram Preferences ................................................................7-11
Debugging Preferences .......................................................................7-12
Color Preferences ................................................................................7-13
Font Preferences..................................................................................7-14
Printing Preferences ............................................................................7-16
History Preferences .............................................................................7-17
Time and Date Preferences .................................................................7-21
Miscellaneous Preferences ..................................................................7-22
How Preferences Are Stored .............................................................................7-23
Customizing the Controls and Functions Palettes ...........................................................7-25
Adding VIs and Controls to user.lib and instr.lib..............................................7-25
Installing and Changing Views .........................................................................7-26
Palettes Editor....................................................................................................7-26
Creating Subpalettes ...........................................................................7-27
Moving Subpalettes.............................................................................7-29
How Views Work ..............................................................................................7-29

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G Programming Reference Manual

Table of Contents

Front Panel ObjectsChapters 8 through 15

Chapter 8
Introduction to Front Panel Objects
Building the Front Panel.................................................................................................. 8-1
Front Panel Control and Indicator Options ....................................................... 8-2
Replacing Controls ............................................................................. 8-4
Key Navigation Option for Controls................................................................. 8-5
Panel Order Option ........................................................................................... 8-8
Customizing Dialog Box Controls .................................................................... 8-9
Customizing Controls Using Imported Graphics ............................................................ 8-10

Chapter 9
Numeric Controls and Indicators
Digital Controls and Indicators ....................................................................................... 9-2
Digital Numeric Options................................................................................... 9-3
Displaying Integers in Other Radixes................................................. 9-4
Changing the Representation of Numeric Values .............................. 9-4
Range Options of Numeric Controls and Indicators ......................................... 9-6
Numeric Range Checking................................................................... 9-7
Format and Precision of Digital Displays ......................................................... 9-9
Slide Numeric Controls and Indicators ........................................................................... 9-12
Slide Scale......................................................................................................... 9-14
Scale Markers ..................................................................................... 9-15
Changing Scale Limits ......................................................... 9-16
Selecting Non-Uniform Scale Marker Distribution ............. 9-16
Text Scale ........................................................................................... 9-18
Filled and Multivalued Slides ........................................................................... 9-20
Rotary Numeric Controls and Indicators......................................................................... 9-21
Color Box ........................................................................................................................ 9-24
Color Ramp ..................................................................................................................... 9-25
Unit Types ....................................................................................................................... 9-26
Entering Units ................................................................................................... 9-31
Units and Strict Type Checking ........................................................................ 9-33
Polymorphic Units ............................................................................................ 9-35

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Table of Contents

Chapter 10
Boolean Controls and Indicators
Creating and Operating Boolean Controls and Indicators ...............................................10-1
Configuring Boolean Controls and Indicators .................................................................10-3
Changing Boolean Labels..................................................................................10-3
Stopping on a Boolean Value..............................................................10-4
Boolean Data Range Checking ...........................................................10-4
Configuring the Mechanical Action of Boolean Controls ..................10-4
Customizing Booleans with Imported Pictures .................................................10-6

Chapter 11
String Controls and Indicators
Using String Controls and Indicators...............................................................................11-1
String Control and Indicator Options...............................................................................11-2
Scrollbar Option ................................................................................................11-3
Display Types....................................................................................................11-3
Normal Display Option.......................................................................11-3
Backslash (\) Codes Display Option ................................................11-3
Password Display Option....................................................................11-5
Hex Display Option ............................................................................11-5
Limit to Single Line Option ..............................................................................11-6
Tables...............................................................................................................................11-6
Resizing Tables, Rows, and Columns ...............................................................11-6
Entering and Selecting Data Tables ..................................................................11-7

Chapter 12
Path Controls and Indicators and Refnums
Path Controls and Indicators............................................................................................12-1
Refnums ...........................................................................................................................12-2

Chapter 13
List and Ring Controls and Indicators
Listbox Controls ..............................................................................................................13-1
Creating a List of Options .................................................................................13-2
Selecting Listbox Items .....................................................................................13-2
Listbox Data Types............................................................................................13-3

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G Programming Reference Manual

Table of Contents

Listbox Pop-Up Menu Options ......................................................................... 13-3

Show ................................................................................................... 13-4
Selection Mode ................................................................................... 13-4
Keyboard Mode .................................................................................. 13-6
Creating a Grayed-Out Dividing Line .............................................................. 13-6
Ring Controls................................................................................................................... 13-7
Adding Text Items to Rings .............................................................................. 13-8
Adding Picture Items to Rings .......................................................................... 13-9
Changing the Size and Text of Text & Pict Rings............................................ 13-10
Enumerated Type Controls.............................................................................................. 13-10

Chapter 14
Array and Cluster Controls and Indicators
Arrays .............................................................................................................................. 14-1
Creating Array Controls.................................................................................... 14-5
Array Dimensions............................................................................... 14-7
Array Index Display ........................................................................... 14-8
Displaying Arrays in Single-Element or Tabular Form ..................... 14-9
Operating Arrays............................................................................................... 14-11
Default Sizes and Values of Arrays.................................................... 14-11
Array Elements ................................................................................... 14-13
Finding the Size of Arrays.................................................................. 14-13
Moving or Resizing Arrays ................................................................ 14-14
Selecting Array Cells.......................................................................... 14-14
An Example of Selecting Array Cells .................................. 14-14
G Arrays and Arrays in Other Systems............................................................. 14-16
Clusters ............................................................................................................................ 14-19
Creating Clusters............................................................................................... 14-20
Operating and Configuring Cluster Elements ................................................... 14-20
Cluster Elements................................................................................. 14-21
Cluster Default Values........................................................................ 14-21
Cluster Element Order ........................................................................ 14-21
Moving or Resizing Clusters .............................................................. 14-22
Cluster Assembly .............................................................................................. 14-23
Bundle Function ................................................................................. 14-24
Bundle By Name Function ................................................................. 14-24
Array To Cluster Function.................................................................. 14-28
Cluster Disassembly.......................................................................................... 14-29
Unbundle Function ............................................................................. 14-29
Unbundle By Name Function ............................................................. 14-30
Cluster To Array Function.................................................................. 14-32
Replacing Cluster Elements .............................................................................. 14-33

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Chapter 15
Graph and Chart Controls and Indicators
Creating Waveform and XY Graphs ...............................................................................15-2
Plotting Single-Plot Graphs...............................................................................15-2
Waveform Graph Data Types .............................................................15-2
XY Graph Data Types.........................................................................15-3
Plotting Multiplot Graphs..................................................................................15-5
Waveform Graph Data Types .............................................................15-5
XY Graph Data Types.........................................................................15-9
Setting Custom Options on a Graph..................................................................15-11
Scale Options ......................................................................................15-12
Marker Spacing.....................................................................15-13
Formatting ............................................................................15-15
Autoscale ..............................................................................15-17
Loose Fit ...............................................................................15-17
Panning and Zooming Options ...........................................................15-17
Legend Options ...................................................................................15-19
Waveform Charts .............................................................................................................15-22
Waveform Chart Data Types.............................................................................15-22
Waveform Chart Options ..................................................................................15-25
Chart Update Modes ...........................................................................15-26
Stacked Versus Overlaid Plots............................................................15-28
Intensity Graphs ...............................................................................................................15-29
Intensity Graph Data Type ................................................................................15-29
Intensity Graph Options ....................................................................................15-29
Graph Cursors ..................................................................................................................15-30
Intensity Charts ................................................................................................................15-36
Intensity Chart Options......................................................................................15-38
Color Mapping ....................................................................................15-40

Block Diagram ProgrammingChapters 16 through 21

Chapter 16
Introduction to the Block Diagram
Terminals and Nodes .......................................................................................................16-1
Terminals...........................................................................................................16-1
Control and Indicator Terminals .........................................................16-2
Constants.............................................................................................16-3
User-Defined Constants........................................................16-3
Universal Constants ..............................................................16-7

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Nodes ................................................................................................................ 16-8

Functions ............................................................................................ 16-8
Structures ............................................................................................ 16-11
Replacing and Inserting Block Diagram Objects ............................................................ 16-12
Adding Constants, Controls, and Indicators Automatically............................................ 16-13

Chapter 17
Wiring the Block Diagram
Wiring Techniques .......................................................................................................... 17-1
Wire Stretching ................................................................................................. 17-5
Selecting, Moving, and Deleting Wires ............................................................ 17-6
Wiring Off-Screen............................................................................................. 17-10
Solving Wiring Problems.................................................................................. 17-11
Bad Wires ........................................................................................... 17-11
Wire Type, Dimension, Unit, or Element Conflict .............. 17-12
Multiple Wire Sources ......................................................... 17-13
No Wire Source.................................................................... 17-13
Loose Ends ........................................................................... 17-14
Wire Stubs ............................................................................ 17-14
Wire Cycles .......................................................................... 17-15
Wiring Situations to Avoid ............................................................................... 17-15
Looping Wires .................................................................................... 17-15
Hidden Wire Segments ....................................................................... 17-16
Wiring underneath Objects ................................................................. 17-17

Chapter 18
Structures
For Loop and While Loop Structures.............................................................................. 18-3
For Loop............................................................................................................ 18-3
While Loop ....................................................................................................... 18-4
Placing Objects inside Structures...................................................................... 18-4
Placing and Sizing Structures on the Block Diagram ....................................... 18-5
Placing Terminals inside Loops........................................................................ 18-6
Auto-Indexing ................................................................................................... 18-7
Auto-Indexing for Setting the For Loop Count .................................. 18-8
Auto-Indexing with While Loops....................................................... 18-9
Executing a For Loop Zero Times .................................................................... 18-9
Shift Registers ................................................................................................... 18-10

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Case and Sequence Structures .........................................................................................18-13

Case Structures ..................................................................................................18-14
Sequence Structures...........................................................................................18-16
Editing Case and Sequence Structures ..............................................................18-18
Moving between Subdiagrams ..........................................................................18-18
Adding Subdiagrams .........................................................................................18-19
Deleting Subdiagrams .......................................................................................18-20
Reordering Subdiagrams ...................................................................................18-21
Structure Wiring Problems ................................................................................18-22
Assigning More Than One Value to a Sequence Local ......................18-22
Failing to Wire a Tunnel in All Cases of a Case Structure .................18-22
Overlapping Tunnels...........................................................................18-23
Wiring from Multiple Frames of a Sequence Structure ......................18-24
Wiring underneath Rather than through a Structure ...........................18-25
Removing Structures without Deleting Items in a Structure ..............18-26

Chapter 19
Formula Nodes
Using Formula Nodes ......................................................................................................19-2
Formula Node Functions and Operators ..........................................................................19-5
Formula Node Syntax ......................................................................................................19-8
Formula Node Errors .......................................................................................................19-9

Chapter 20
Attribute Nodes
Creating Attribute Nodes .................................................................................................20-1
Using Attribute Node Help................................................................................20-6
Base Attributes.................................................................................................................20-7
Visible Attribute..................................................................................20-7
Disabled Attribute ...............................................................................20-7
Key Focus Attribute ............................................................................20-8
Blinking Attribute ...............................................................................20-8
Position Attribute ................................................................................20-9
Bounds Attribute (Read Only) ............................................................20-10
Examples of Attributes Specific to Controls or Indicators................................20-10
Changing Plot Color on a Chart..........................................................20-10
Setting the Strings of a Boolean Attribute ..........................................20-11
Setting the Strings of Ring Controls ...................................................20-12
Using a Double-Clicked Listbox Item ................................................20-13
Selectively Presenting Users with Options .........................................20-14
Reading Graph Cursors Programmatically .........................................20-14

National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 27
Portability Issues
Portable and Nonportable VIs..........................................................................................27-1
Porting between Platforms...............................................................................................27-2
Separator Character Differences........................................................................27-2
Resolution and Font Differences .......................................................................27-2
Overlapping Labels ...........................................................................................27-4
Picture Differences ............................................................................................27-4

Appendix A
Data Storage Formats
Data Formats for Front Panel Controls and Indicators ....................................................A-1
Booleans ............................................................................................................A-1
Numerics............................................................................................................A-1
Extended..............................................................................................A-1
Double.................................................................................................A-2
Single ..................................................................................................A-2
Long Integer........................................................................................A-3
Word Integer .......................................................................................A-3
Byte Integer.........................................................................................A-3
Arrays ................................................................................................................A-3
Strings................................................................................................................A-5
Paths ..................................................................................................................A-5
Clusters ..............................................................................................................A-5
Type Descriptors..............................................................................................................A-7
Data Types.........................................................................................................A-8
Array ...................................................................................................A-11
Cluster .................................................................................................A-11
Flattened Data ..................................................................................................................A-12
Scalars................................................................................................................A-13
Strings, Handles, and Paths ...............................................................................A-13
Arrays ................................................................................................................A-13
Clusters ..............................................................................................................A-14

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Appendix B
Common Questions about G
Charts and Graphs ........................................................................................................... B-1
Error Messages and Crashes............................................................................................ B-4
Platform Issues and Compatibilities................................................................................ B-6
Printing ............................................................................................................................ B-7
Miscellaneous .................................................................................................................. B-9

Appendix C
Customer Communication
Glossary
Index
Tables
Table 4-1.
Table 4-2.

Error Messages ......................................................................................... 4-11

Breakpoint Placement............................................................................... 4-27

Table 9-1.
Table 9-2.
Table 9-3.
Table 9-4.
Table 9-5.
Table 9-6.

Range Options of Floating-Point Numbers .............................................. 9-6

Base Units................................................................................................. 9-28
Derived Units with Special Names .......................................................... 9-28
Additional Units in Use with SI Units...................................................... 9-29
CGS Units................................................................................................. 9-30
Other Units ............................................................................................... 9-30

Table 11-1.

G \ Codes .............................................................................................. 11-4

Table 16-1.

G Control and Indicator Terminal Symbols ............................................. 16-2

Table 19-1.
Table 19-2.

Formula Node Functions .......................................................................... 19-5

Formula Node Errors................................................................................ 19-9

Table A-1.
Table A-2.

Scalar Numeric Data Types...................................................................... A-8

Non-Numeric Data Types ........................................................................ A-10

G Programming Reference Manual

National Instruments Corporation

About
This
Manual

The G Programming Reference Manual discusses how to create, edit,

and execute virtual instruments (VIs) using the G programming
language. This manual explains the front panel and block diagram;
numeric, Boolean, string, array and cluster controls and indicators;
graphs and charts; and wiring the block diagram.

Organization of This Manual

This manual covers four subject areas. Chapters 1 through 7 introduce
basic G concepts. Chapters 8 through 15 explain how to use front panel
objects. Chapters 16 through 21 explain block diagram programming
objects and techniques, and Chapters 22 through 27 cover advanced G
topics.

Basic G Concepts

Chapter 1, Introduction to G Programming, discusses the unique G

approach to programming. It also explains how to start using G to
develop programs.

Chapter 2, Building VIs, discusses basic features you need to be

familiar with so you can build or use VIs, including information
about palettes and menus. It also discusses basic tasks you need to
learn, such as how to create objects, change tools, and how to open,
run, and save VIs.

Chapter 3, Building SubVIs, discusses the concept of hierarchical

design in your G applications and explains two methods of creating
subVIs. The chapter also describes two utilitiesthe Hierarchy
window, which displays the hierarchy of your VIs, and the Find
utility, which finds occurrences of subVIs, as well as other objects
or strings of text that you indicate.

Chapter 4, Executing and Debugging VIs and SubVIs, discusses

how to operate and debug VIs, and explains how to set up VIs and
subVIs for special execution modes.

Chapter 5, Printing VIs, discusses printing issues in G.

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Chapter 6, Setting up VIs and SubVIs, discusses how you can use the
VI Setup and SubVI Node Setup dialog boxes to customize the
behavior of a subVI. You can use these dialog boxes to create
subVIs that show their panels when they are called and to enable
and disable features of a panel, such as the scrollbars, the toolbar,
and the window resizing capability.

Chapter 7, Customizing Your G Environment, discusses how to

customize your G environment by setting preferences, and by
changing the contents of the Controls and Functions palettes.

Front Panel Objects

Chapter 8, Introduction to Front Panel Objects, introduces the front

panel and its two componentscontrols and indicators. It also
explains how to import graphics from other programs to use in your
controls.

Chapter 9, Numeric Controls and Indicators, explains how to create,

operate, and configure the various styles of numeric controls and
indicators.

Chapter 10, Boolean Controls and Indicators, discusses how to

create, operate, and configure Boolean controls and indicators.

Chapter 11, String Controls and Indicators, discusses how to use

string controls and indicators, and the table.

Chapter 12, Path Controls and Indicators and Refnums, describes

how to use file path controls and refnums, which are available from
the ControlsPath & Refnum palette.

Chapter 13, List and Ring Controls and Indicators, describes the
listbox and ring controls and indicators, which are available from
the ControlsList & Ring palette.

Chapter 14, Array and Cluster Controls and Indicators, describes

how to use arrays and clusters in the ControlsArray & Cluster
pallette.

Chapter 15, Graph and Chart Controls and Indicators, describes how
to create and use the graph and chart indicators in the
ControlsGraph palette.

Block Diagram Programming

G Programming Reference Manual

Chapter 16, Introduction to the Block Diagram, describes terminals

and nodestwo of the three elements you use to build a block
diagram (the third consists of wires).

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Chapter 17, Wiring the Block Diagram, explains how to connect

terminals on the block diagram by wiring them together.

Chapter 18, Structures, describes how to use the For Loop, While
Loop, Case Structure, and Sequence Structure. These structures are
in the FunctionsStructures palette.

Chapter 19, Formula Nodes, describes how to use the Formula Node
to execute mathematical formulas on the block diagram. The
Formula Node is available from FunctionsStructures.

Chapter 20, Attribute Nodes, describes how to use Attribute Nodes

to set and read attributes of front panel controls programmatically.
Some useful attributes include display colors, control visibility,
menu strings for a ring control, graph or chart plot colors, and graph
cursors.

Chapter 21, Global and Local Variables, describes how to define and
use global and local variables. You can use global variables to
access a particular set of values easily. Local variables serve a
similar purpose within a single VI.

Chapter 22, Custom Controls and Type Definitions, introduces

custom controls and type definitions.

Chapter 23, Calling Code from Other Languages, explains various

methods of calling code written in other languages.

Chapter 24, Understanding the G Execution System, explains VI

multitasking and execution.

Chapter 25, Managing Your Applications, contains information

about managing your files in G.

Chapter 26, Performance Issues, is divided into three sections. The

first section discusses the Performance Profiler, a feature that
shows you data about execution time of your VIs. The second
section discusses factors that affect run-time speed. The third
section discusses factors that affect memory usage.

Chapter 27, Portability Issues, discusses issues related to

transporting VIs between platforms.

Advanced G Topics

Appendices, Glossary, and Index

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Appendix A, Data Storage Formats, discusses the formats in which

you can save data.

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Appendix B, Common Questions about G, answers some of the

questions commonly asked by G users.

Appendix C, Customer Communication, contains forms to help you

gather the information necessary to help National Instruments solve
your technical problems and a form you can use to comment on the
product documentation.

The Glossary contains an alphabetical list and description of terms

used in this manual.

The Index contains an alphabetical list of key terms and topics in

this manual, including the page where you can find each one.

Conventions Used in This Manual

The following conventions are used in this manual:
bold

Bold text denotes menus, palettes, menu items, or dialog box buttons or
options. In addition, bold text denotes VI input and output parameters.

italic

Italic text denotes emphasis, a cross reference, or an introduction to a

key concept.

bold italic

Bold italic text denotes a note, caution, or warning.

monospace

Monospace font denotes text or characters that you enter using the
keyboard. Sections of code, programming examples, syntax examples,
key names, and messages and responses that the computer
automatically prints to the screen also appear in this font.

italic
monospace

Italic text in this font denotes that you must supply the appropriate
words or values in the place of these items.

Angle brackets enclose the name of a key on the keyboardfor

example, <Shift>.

A hyphen between two or more key names enclosed in angle brackets

denotes that you should simultaneously press the named keysfor
example, <Shift-Delete>.

The symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box
options to a final action. The sequence
FilePage SetupOptionsSubstitute Fonts
directs you to pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item,
select Options, and finally select the Substitute Fonts option from the
last dialog box.

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paths

Paths in this manual are denoted using backslashes (\) to separate drive
names, directories, and files, as in drivename\dir1name\
dir2name\myfile.

Warning: This icon to the left of bold italicized text denotes a warning, which alerts
you to the possibility of damage to you or your equipment.
Caution:

This icon to the left of bold italicized text denotes a caution, which alerts
you to the possibility of data loss or a system crash.

Note:

This icon to the left of bold italicized text denotes a note, which alerts you
to important information.
Abbreviations, acronyms, metric prefixes, mnemonics, symbols, and
terms are listed in the Glossary.

Related Documentation
The following documents contain information that you might find
helpful as you read this manual:

BridgeVIEW User Manual

Online Reference, available through the Help menu in LabVIEW

or BridgeVIEW

LabVIEW Tutorial Manual

LabVIEW Instrument I/O VI Reference Manual

LabVIEW Code Interface Reference Manual

LabVIEW Communications VI Reference Manual

Customer Communication
National Instruments wants to receive your comments on our products
and manuals. We are interested in the applications you develop with our
products, and we want to help if you have problems with them. To make
it easy for you to contact us, this manual contains comment and
configuration forms for you to complete. These forms are in
Appendix C, Customer Communication, at the end of this manual.

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Chapter

Introduction to G
Programming

This chapter discusses the unique G approach to programming. It also

explains how to start using G to develop programs.

What Is G?
G is the programming language that has been at the heart of LabVIEW
for several years. Currently, it is integral to two of National
Instruments application development environments, LabVIEW and
BridgeVIEW.
G, like C or BASIC, is a general-purpose programming language with
extensive libraries of functions for any programming task. G includes
libraries for data acquisition, GPIB and serial instrument control, data
analysis, data presentation, and data storage. G also includes
conventional program debugging tools, so you can set breakpoints,
animate the execution to see how data passes through the program, and
single-step through the program to make debugging and program
development easier.
G differs from those programming languages in one important respect.
Other programming systems use text-based languages to create lines of
code, while G uses a graphical programming language to create
programs in block diagram form.

Components of a VI
G is a general-purpose programming system, but it also includes
libraries of functions and development tools designed specifically for
data acquisition and instrument control. G programs are called virtual
instruments (VIs) because their appearance and operation can imitate
actual instruments. However, VIs are similar to the functions of
conventional programming languages.
A VI consists of an interactive user interface, a dataflow diagram that
serves as the source code, and icon connections that set up the VI so that

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You can change the size, shape, and position of a control or indicator.
In addition, each control or indicator has a pop-up menu you can use to
change various attributes or select different options. You access this
pop-up menu by

(Windows and UNIX) right-clicking on the object with the mouse

button.

(Macintosh) <command>-clicking on the mouse button.

See Chapter 2, Building VIs, and the Front Panel Objects section of this
manual (Chapters 8 through 15) for information about how to build a
front panel.

Block Diagram
The Diagram window holds the block diagram of the VI, which is the
graphical source code of a VI. You construct the block diagram by
wiring together objects that send or receive data, perform specific
functions, and control the flow of execution.
The following simple VI computes the sum of and difference between
two numbers. The diagram shows several primary block diagram
program objectsnodes, terminals, and wires.

When you place a control or indicator on the front panel, a

corresponding terminal appears on the block diagram. You cannot
delete a terminal that belongs to a control or indicator. The terminal
disappears only when you delete its control or indicator on the front
panel.
The Add and Subtract function icons also have terminals. Think of
terminals as entry and exit ports. Data that you enter into the controls
(a and b) exits the front panel through the control terminals on the block

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diagram. The data then enters the Add and Subtract functions. When the
Add and Subtract functions complete their internal calculations, they
produce new data values at their exit terminals. The data flows to the
indicator terminals and reenters the front panel, where it is displayed.
The data exits from a source terminal and enters a destination or sink
terminal.
Nodes are program execution elements. They are analogous to
statements, operators, functions, and subroutines in conventional
programming languages. The Add and Subtract functions are one type
of node. G has an extensive library of functions for math, comparison,
conversion, I/O, and more.
Another type of node is a structure. Structures are graphical
representations of the loops and case statements of traditional
programming languages, by repeating blocks of code or executing them
conditionally. G also has special nodes for linking to external
text-based code and for evaluating text-based formulas.
Wires are the data paths between source and sink terminals. You cannot
wire a source terminal to another source, nor can you wire a sink
terminal to another sink. However, you can wire one source to several
sinks. Each wire has a different style or color, depending on the value
that flows through the wire. The previous example shows the wire style
for a numeric scalar valuea thin, solid line.
Data flow is the principle that governs G program execution. Stated
simply, a node executes only when all data inputs have arrived; the node
supplies data to all of its output terminals when it finishes executing; the
data passes immediately from source to sink terminals. Dataflow
programming contrasts with the control flow method of executing a
conventional program, in which instructions are executed in the
sequence in which they are written. Control flow execution is
instruction driven. Dataflow execution is data-driven or
data-dependent.
You can switch from the front panel to the block diagram by selecting
WindowsShow Panel from the menu.
See the Block Diagram Programming section of this manual
(Chapters 16 through 21) for in-depth information about using block
diagram objects to build a program.

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Icon and Connector

When an icon of a VI is placed on the diagram of another VI, it becomes
a subVI, the G equivalent of a subroutine. The controls and indicators of
a subVI receive data from and return data to the diagram of the calling
VI.
The connector is a set of terminals that correspond to the subVI controls
and indicators. The icon is either the pictorial representation of the
purpose of the VI, or a textual description of the VI or its terminals.
The connector is much like the parameter list of a function call; the
connector terminals act like parameters. Each terminal corresponds to a
particular control or indicator on the front panel. A connector receives
data at its input terminals and passes the data to the subVI code through
the subVI controls, or receives the results at its output terminals from
the subVI indicators.
Every VI has a default icon, which is displayed in the icon pane in the
upper right corner of the front panel and block diagram windows. This
VI icon is shown in the following illustration.

Every VI also has a connector, which you access by choosing Show

Connector from the icon pane pop-up menu on the front panel. When
you bring up the connector for the first time, you see a connector
pattern. You can select a different pattern if you want. The connector
generally has one terminal for each control or indicator on the front
panel. You can assign up to 28 terminals. If you anticipate future
changes to the VI that would require a new input or output, leave some
extra terminals unconnected. With the extra terminals, any new inputs
or outputs will not affect other VIs that use this VI as a subVI.
For more information, see Chapter 3, Building SubVIs.

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Help in G
The G Help window contains help information for functions, constants,
subVIs, controls and indicators, and dialog box options. To display the
window, choose Show Help from the Help menu or press <Ctrl-h>
(Windows); <command-h> (Macintosh); <meta-h> (Sun); or
<Alt-h> (HP-UX). If your keyboard has a <Help> key, you can press
that key instead. Move your cursor onto the icon of a function, a subVI
node, or a VI icon (including the icon of the VI you have open, shown
at the top right of the VI window) to see the help information.
Selecting HelpLock Help or clicking on the lock icon at the bottom of
the window locks the current contents of the Help window. When you
have locked it, moving over another function or icon does not change
the display in the Help window. Select Lock Help or click on the lock
icon again to turn this option off.

Front Panel Help

When you move the cursor over a control or indicator, the Help window
displays the description for that particular control or indicator. It is a
good idea to enter descriptions for all controls and indicators when you
create a VI. See the Creating Object Descriptions section of Chapter 2,
Building VIs, for information.
If you hold the cursor on a VI icon in the top right of a front panel for a
few moments, the Help window displays help for that VI.

Block Diagram Help

For functions and subVI nodes, the Help Window also displays the icon,
inputs and outputs as well as a description of the functionality of the
node.
You can display the Help window as either a simple or a complex view
by pressing the second button at the bottom of the Help window or by
toggling the HelpSimple Help option.
The simple view emphasizes the important connections and
de-emphasizes the other less critical connections. In this view, labels of
required connections are in bold text and recommended connections are
in plain text. Wire stubs appear in the place of the optional inputs and
outputs that are not displayed to inform you that additional connections

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exist and that choosing the complex view will display them. The
following illustration shows the simple view of a File I/O VI.

wire stub
showing optional input

In the complex view, the Help window shows all inputs with wires
pointing to the left, and outputs with wires pointing to the right. Labels
of optional inputs are in gray text. The following illustration shows the
complex view of a File I/O VI.

optional input
displayed

Also, the file path of the location of the path of the node is displayed.
If a function input does not need to be wired, the default value is usually
indicated in parentheses next to the name. If the function can accept
multiple data types, the Help window shows the most common type.
The terminal names for subVI nodes are the labels of the corresponding
front panel controls and indicators. The default value of a subVI does
not automatically appear in the wiring diagram. It is a good idea,
however, to include the default value in parentheses in the name of
controls when you create a subVI.
When you place the Wiring tool over a wire, the Help window displays
the data type carried by that wire. Also, when you move the Wiring tool
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over different areas of the VI icon, the corresponding connector

terminal is highlighted in the Help window.

Attribute Node Help

If you do not know the meaning of a particular attribute, you can use the
Help window to find out about the meaning of the attribute, its data
type, and acceptable values. If the attribute is a more complicated type,
such as a cluster, then the Help window displays a hierarchical
description of the data structure. The following illustrations show an
Attribute Node and the corresponding help information that is displayed
as you move the cursor over different attribute names.

Online Reference
In addition to the Help window, G has more extensive online
information available. To access this information, select HelpOnline
Reference. For most block diagram objects, you can select Online
Reference from the pop-up menu of the object to access its online
description. You also can access this information by pressing the button
shown to the left, which is located at the bottom of the Help window.

Creating Your Own Help Files

You can create your own online help or reference documents if you
have the right development tools. Help documents are based on
formatted text documents. You can enter topics in these documents that
create connections to your VIs.
The source files for all platforms must be in Windows Help format. It
is possible to create help documents for multiple platforms.

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When you have created source documents, you use a help compiler to
create a help document. If you want help files on multiple platforms,
you must use the help compiler for the specific platform on which you
intend to use the file. You can use any of the following compilers. The
Windows compilers also include tools for creating help documents.

(Windows) RoboHelp from Blue Sky Software, 1-800-677-4946;

for international customers (619) 459-6365.

(Windows) Doc-To-Help from WexTech Systems, Inc.,

1-800-939-8324.

(Macintosh) QuickView from Altura Software, (408) 655-8005.

(UNIX) HyperHelp from Bristol Technologies, (203) 438-6969.

When you have created and compiled your help files, you can link them
directly to a VI. Pop up on the VI connector pane of the VI for which
you want to link a file and select VI SetupDocumentation. Select the
Help Tag box and type the topic you would like to link to in the help
file. Choose the help file by clicking on the Browse button. The path
of the file appears in the Help Path box.

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Chapter

Building VIs

This chapter discusses basic features you need to be familiar with so

you can build or use VIs, including information about palettes and
menus. It also discusses basic tasks you need to learn, such as how to
create objects, change tools, and how to open, run, and save VIs.

Building VIs

If you select WindowsShow Diagram, you can see the corresponding

block diagram for the front panel. The block diagram contains terminals
for all front panel controls and indicators.

front panel

block diagram

Tools Palette
A tool is a special operating mode of the mouse cursor. You use tools to
perform specific functions.
Many of the tools contained in the floating Tools palette are shown in
the following illustration. You can move this palette anywhere you
want, or you can close it temporarily by clicking on the close box (the
small box with an x that appears in the top right corner of palettes).
Once closed, you can access it again by selecting WindowsShow Tools
Palette. You also can bring up a temporary version of the Tools palette
at the location of your cursor by clicking while pressing
<Ctrl-Shift> (Windows); <command-Shift> (Macintosh);
<meta-Shift> (Sun); or <Alt-Shift> (HP-UX).

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The tools and their functions/descriptions in the Tools palette are as

follows:
Operating toolPlaces Controls and Functions palette objects on the
front panel and block diagram.

Positioning toolPositions, resizes, and selects objects.

Labeling toolEdits text and creates free labels.

Wiring toolWires objects together in the block diagram.

Object Pop-up Menu toolPops up on the menu of an object.

Scroll toolScrolls through the window without using the scroll bars.

Breakpoint toolSets breakpoints on VIs, functions, loops, sequences,

and cases.

Probe toolCreates probes on wires.

Color Copy toolCopies colors for pasting with the Color tool.

Color toolSets foreground and background colors.

Change from one tool to another by doing any of the following while in
edit mode:

Click on the tool you want in the Tools palette.

Use the <Tab> key to move through the most commonly used tools
in sequence.

Press the spacebar to toggle between the Operating tool and the
Positioning tool when the front panel is active, and between the
Wiring tool and the Positioning tool when the block diagram is
active.

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Menus in G
G uses menus extensively. The menu bar at the top of a VI window (or
at the top of the Macintosh screen) contains several pull-down menus.
You can access pull-down menus from a menu bar by clicking on a
menu bar item. The pull-down menus are usually general in nature and
contain items common to other applications, such as Open, Save,
Copy, and Paste, and many others specific to the language G. Some
menus also list shortcut key combinations.
The menu in G that you use most often is the object pop-up menu.
Almost every G object, as well as empty front panel and block diagram
space, has a pop-up menu with options and commands. Instructions
throughout this manual suggest that you select a command or option
from an object pop-up menu.

Pop-Up Menus
As you learned in the previous section, all G objects have associated
pop-up menus. You pop up on an object by clicking on the object with
the right mouse button (on the Macintosh, holding down the
<command> key while you click on the object with the mouse). By
selecting options from the resulting menu, you can access options
related to that object and change its look or behavior.

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Editing VIs
After you are familiar with editing techniques, see the Front Panel
Objects section (Chapters 8 through 15) for information on building
front panels, and the Block Diagram Programming section of this manual
(Chapters 16 through 21) for help in building block diagrams.

Selecting Objects

Positioning
Tool

For many editing operations, such as moving, copying, and deleting,

you must select an object.To select an object, click on the mouse button
while the Positioning tool, shown at the left, is over the object. When
you have selected an object, G surrounds it with a moving dashed
outline called a marquee.

Not selected

Selected

To select more than one object, <Shift>-click on each additional

object. You also can deselect a selected object by <Shift>-clicking on
it. Another way to select one or more objects is to drag a selection
rectangle around the object(s), as shown in the following illustration.
Multiple selection
by <Shift>-clicking

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Click on an open area with the Positioning tool and drag diagonally
until all the objects you want to select are within or are touched by the
selection rectangle. When you release the mouse button, the selection
rectangle disappears and a marquee surrounds each selected object.
Then you can move, copy, or delete the selected objects.
Some objects must be enclosed completely by the rectangle to be
selected. Others are selected when they are partially enclosed. By
holding down the <Shift> key while dragging the selection rectangle,
you can select additional objects or deselect an object enclosed by the
rectangle.
Clicking on an unselected object or clicking on an open area deselects
everything currently selected. <Shift>-clicking on an object selects
or deselects it without affecting other selected objects.
You cannot select a front panel object and a block diagram object at the
same time. However, you can select more than one object on the same
front panel or block diagram.

Dragging and Dropping VIs, Pictures, and Text in G

You can drag VIs from the file system to a block diagram to create a
subVI call to that VI. This feature also works for custom controls, type
definitions, and globals. In addition, you can drag text and pictures from
other applications to copy them to front panels and block diagrams.
In Windows 3.1, external drag support is limited to dragging VIs and
controls from the File Manager. In Windows 95/NT, which have 32-bit
object linking and embedding (OLE) support, you can drag text and
pictures from OLE-supporting applications, in addition to dragging
from the File Manager/Explorer.
On the Macintosh, your system must have the Drag Manager to use
external Drag and Drop. The Drag Manager is built into
Systems 7.5 and later. It is also available for System 7.0 up to
System 7.5 as an extension from Apple.
You can use the following Drag and Drop capabilities internally
(between various G objects):

Drag front panel controls and indicators to block diagrams to create

block diagram constants and vice versa.

Drag a subVI to a path control or constant to drop the full pathname

of the VI inside the control or constant.

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You can use the following Drag and Drop capabilities externally (from
other applications to G objects):

Drag a file into a path control or constant to drop its full pathname.

Drag a datalog file into a Data Log File Refnum to create a cluster
containing the data structure in the datalog file.

Drag a graphics file into a Pict Ring, front panel, or block diagram
to drop the picture it contains.

Drag a VI file into the block diagram of a VI to drop it as a subVI.

Drag a custom control file into the front panel to drop the custom
control stored in that file.

(Windows 95/NT) Drag Text from an OLE source to drop its text into

a string control or constant, front panel, block diagram, or label.

(Windows 95/NT) Drag Image from an OLE source to drop its picture

into a picture ring, front panel, or block diagram.

(Macintosh) Drag a Text Clipping or text selected from any

application to drop that text into a string control or constant, front

panel, block diagram, or label.

(Macintosh) Drag an Image clipping or an image selected from

another application to drop it into a picture ring, front panel, or

block diagram.
Note:

If you can drop an object successfully, the destination is highlighted.

For more information on Drag and Drop features, see your Windows or
Macintosh system manual.

Positioning Objects
You can position an object by clicking on it with the Positioning tool
and then dragging it to the location you want.
If you hold down the <Shift> key and then drag an object, the action
restricts the direction of movement horizontally or vertically,
depending on which direction you first move the object.
You can move selected objects in small, precise increments by pressing
the appropriate arrow key on the keyboard once for each pixel you want
the objects to move. Hold down an arrow key to repeat the action. Hold
down the <Shift> key along with an arrow key to move the object
more rapidly.

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If you change your mind about moving an object while you are
dragging, continue to drag until the cursor is outside all open windows
and the dotted outline disappears, then release the mouse button. This
cancels the move operation, and the object remains where it was. If your
screen is cluttered, the menu bar is a convenient and safe place to
release the mouse button when you want to cancel a move.
You also can place objects on top of other objects. There are several
commands in the Edit menu to move them relative to each other.
For example, assume you have three objects stacked on top of each
other. Object 1 is on the bottom of the stack, and object 3 is on top.

Move To Front moves the selected object in the stack to the top. If
object 1 is selected, object 1 moves to the top of the stack, with object 3
under it, and object 2 on the bottom.

If object 2 is selected next, Move To Front changes the order to

object 2 on top, object 1 under it, and object 3 on the bottom.

Move Forward moves the selected object one position higher in the
stack. So starting with the original order of object 1 on the bottom of the
stack and object 3 on top, selecting this option for object 1 puts object 2
on the bottom, object 3 on the top, and object 1 in the middle.
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Move To Back and Move Backward work similarly to Move To Front

and Move Forward except that they move items down the stack rather
than up.

Aligning Objects
Select the objects you want to align and choose the axis along which
you want to align them from the Alignment ring, as shown at left. The
following illustration shows you how to select objects for alignment and
the results of the selection.
Selecting objects for alignment by left edges:

Results:

You can align an object along the vertical axis using its left, center, or
right edge. You also can align an object along a horizontal axis using its
top, center, or bottom edge. Your selection becomes the current
alignment option, which is indicated by a dark border around the item
in the palette.

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Top EdgesAligns all top edges of the selected objects with the
topmost object.

Vertical CentersAligns the objects at the point halfway between

the topmost and bottommost objects.

Bottom EdgesAligns all bottom edges of the selected objects

with the bottommost object.

Left EdgesAligns all left edges of the selected objects with the
object that is farthest to the left.

Right EdgesAligns the edges of the selected objects with the

object that is farthest to the right.

Horizontal CentersAligns the objects at the point halfway

between the farthest to the left object and the farthest to the right
object.

Distributing Objects
To space objects evenly, or distribute them, select the objects you want
to distribute and choose how you want to distribute them from the
Distribution ring. In addition to distributing selected objects by making
their edges or centers equidistant, four options at the right side of the
ring let you add or delete gaps between the objects, horizontally or
vertically.

Duplicating Objects
There are three basic methods for duplicating a G objectby copying
and pasting, by cloning, and by dragging and dropping. In all cases, you
can create a new copy of the object complete with its associated
elements, such as the terminal belonging to a front panel control or the
front panel control belonging to a terminal, the label, local variables,
and Attribute Nodes. Local variables and Attribute Nodes referring to
original controls are copied and switched so they refer to the copied
control.
To copy and paste within a VI or between VIs, select the object with the
Positioning tool and choose EditCut or EditCopy. Then, click on the
area in which you want to place the duplicate and choose EditPaste.
You can duplicate several objects at the same time by dragging a
selection marquee around the objects before duplicating them. You also
can copy text or pictures from other applications and paste them into
your front panel or block diagram.

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To clone an object, click the Positioning tool on it while pressing the

<Ctrl> (Windows); <option> (Macintosh); <meta> (Sun); or <Alt>
(HP-UX) key, and drag the copy to its new location. In UNIX, you also
can clone objects by clicking on and dragging the middle mouse button
without modifier keys.
When you clone or copy objects, G labels the copies with the same
name as the original object with the word copy appended (or copy 1,
copy 2, etc. for copies of copies).
On Windows and Macintosh, you can use Drag and Drop capabilities to
copy objects between VIs or from other applications. To drag and drop
an object, select it with the Positioning tool and drag it to the other panel
or diagram to which you want to copy it. For more information, see the
Dragging and Dropping VIs, Pictures, and Text in G section in this
chapter.
Instead of duplicating data types for existing front panel controls, you
can copy, clone, or drag and drop them to any diagram to make a
corresponding constant. In the same way, you can drag user-defined
constants from the block diagram to the front panel to create controls.

Deleting Objects
To delete an object, select the object and choose EditClear or press the
<Backspace> (Windows and HP-UX) key or the <Delete> key
(Macintosh and Sun). You only can delete block diagram terminals by
deleting the corresponding front panel controls or indicators.
Although you can delete most objects, you cannot delete parts of a
control or indicator such as labels or digital displays. However, you can
hide these components by deselecting ShowLabel or ShowDigital
Display from the pop-up menu of the object.
If you delete a structure such as a While Loop, the contents are deleted
as well. If you want to delete only the structure itself but preserve its
contents, pop up on the edge of the structure and select Remove While
Loop (or other structure name). You delete the structure but not its
contents and automatically reconnect any wires that crossed the border
of the structure.

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Labeling Objects
Labels are blocks of text that annotate components of front panels and
block diagrams. There are two kinds of labelsowned labels and free
labels. Owned labels belong to and move with a particular object and
annotate that object only. You can hide these labels, but you cannot
copy or delete them independently of their owners. Free labels are not
attached to any object, and you can create, move, or dispose of them
independently. Use them to annotate your front panels and block
diagrams. You use the Labeling tool, whose cursor is the I-beam and
box cursor, to create free labels or to edit either type of label.

Free Labels
To create a free label, select the Labeling tool from the Tools palette and
click anywhere on the open space.

A small box appears with a text cursor at the left margin ready to accept
typed input. Type the text you want to appear in the label. As shown in
the following illustration, the Enter button appears on the toolbar to
remind you to end text entry by clicking on the Enter button.

You also can end text entry by pressing the <Enter> key on the
numeric keypad. If you do not have a keypad, you can press the
<Enter> (Windows and HP-UX), or <Return> (Macintosh and Sun)
key on the keyboard, or click anywhere outside the label. If you do not
type any text in the label, the label disappears as soon as you click on
any other area.

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If you place a label or any other object over (partially covering) a control
or indicator, it slows down screen updates and might make the control or
indicator flicker. To avoid this problem, do not overlap a front panel object
with a label or other object.
You can copy the text of a label by selecting it with the Labeling tool.
Double-click on the text with the Labeling tool to highlight the section
you want. Triple-click on the text to highlight the entire label. You also
can drag the Labeling tool across the text to highlight it. When the text
is selected, choose EditCopy to copy the text onto the Clipboard. Now
you can highlight the text of a second label. Select EditPaste to replace
the highlighted text in the second label with the text from the Clipboard.
To create a new label with the text from the Clipboard, click on the
screen with the Labeling tool where you want the new label positioned.
Then, select EditPaste.
When you create a control or indicator on the front panel, a blank,
owned label accompanies it, waiting for you to type the name of the new
control or indicator. The label disappears if you do not enter text into it
before clicking on another area with the mouse. You can show the label
again by popping up on the control or indicator and selecting
ShowLabel.
Structures and functions come with a default label, which is hidden until
you show it. You can edit this label the way you want it to look.

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To display a hidden label, pop up on the object and select ShowLabel

from the pop-up menu, as shown in the following illustration.

The label appears, waiting for typed input. The label disappears if you
do not enter text into it before clicking outside the label.
Note:

On the block diagram, subVIs do not have labels that you can edit. The
label of a subVI always shows its name. Function labels, on the other hand,
can be edited to reflect the use of the function in the block diagram. For
example, you can use the label of an Add function to document what
quantities are being added, or why they are being added at that point in the
block diagram. See the note in the Creating VI Descriptions section in this
chapter for related information.

Text Characteristics
You can change text attributes by using the options from the Font ring
on the toolbar, as shown in the illustration that follows. If you select
objects or text and make a selection from this ring, the changes apply to
everything selected. If nothing is selected, the changes apply to the
default font, meaning that labels you create from then on will use the
new default font. Changing the default font does not change the font of
existing labels; it only affects labels created from that point on.

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If you select Font Dialog from the font window while a front panel is
active, the dialog box shown in the following illustration appears. If a
block diagram is active instead, the dialog box differs only in the
selection of Diagram Default instead of Panel Default in the
checkboxes at the bottom of the dialog box.

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With either the Panel Default or Diagram Default checkbox selected,

the other selections you make in this dialog box are used with new
labels on the front panel or block diagram.
In the previous illustration, the word Application appears in the Font
ring. This ring also contains the System Font, Dialog Font, and Current
Font options. The last option in the ring, Current Font, refers to the last
font style selected.
G uses the Application, System, and Dialog fonts for specific portions
of the interface. These fonts are predefined by G so that they map best
between platforms. When you take a VI that contains one of these fonts
to another platform, G ensures that the font maps are exchanged
appropriately.
The predefined fonts are as follows:

Application font is the G default font. It is used for the Controls

palette, the Functions palette, and text in new controls.

System font is the font used in G for menus.

Dialog font is the font used for text in dialog boxes.

If you click the Panel Default and Diagram Default checkboxes, the
selected font becomes the current font for the front panel, the block
diagram, or both. The current font is used on new labels. You can use
the checkboxes to set different fonts for the front panel and block
diagram. For example, you can have a small font on the block diagram
and a large one on the front panel.
For information on portability issues regarding the three types of fonts,
see the Resolution and Font Differences section in Chapter 27,
Portability Issues. For information on changing the defaults for the three
categories of fonts, see the Font Preferences section in Chapter 7,
Customizing Your G Environment.
The Font ring also has Size, Style, Justify, and Color options, as shown
in the following illustration.

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markers change to bold. These three types of changes are shown in the
following illustration.

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Resizing Objects
You can change the size of most objects. When you move the
Positioning tool over a resizable object, resizing handles appear at the
corners of the object, as shown in the following illustration.

Resizing cursor

When you pass the tool over a resizing handle, the Positioning tool
changes to the Resizing cursor. Click on and drag this cursor until the
dashed border outlines the size you want, as shown in the following
illustration.

To cancel a resizing operation, continue dragging the frame corner

outside the window until the dotted frame disappears. Then release the
mouse button. The object maintains its original size.
Some objects can change size only horizontally or vertically, or keep
the same proportions when you resize it, such as a knob. The resizing
cursor appears the same but the dotted resize outline moves in only one
direction. To restrict the growth of any object vertically or horizontally,
or to maintain the current proportions of the object, hold down the
<Shift> key as you click on the object and drag it.

Labels
You resize labels as you would other objects, using the resizing cursor.
Labels normally autosize; that is, the box automatically resizes to
contain the text you enter. Label text remains on one line unless you
enter a carriage return or resize the label box. Choose Size to Text from
the label pop-up menu to turn autosizing back on.

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Front Panel and Block Diagram Work Space

The description of the object also appears in the Help window when you
place the cursor over the object. The best way to set up help for the VIs
you create is to enter descriptions for all your controls and indicators.
Note:

You cannot edit subVI descriptions from the calling VI diagram. You can
edit a VI description through the WindowsShow VI Info option when
the front panel of the VI is open. Function description boxes are blank so
that you can describe the action taking place at each occurrence of that
function on the block diagram.

Creating VI Descriptions
Selecting WindowsShow VI Info displays the information dialog
box for the current VI. You can use the information dialog box to
perform the following functions.

Enter a description of the VI. The description window has a

scrollbar so you can edit or view lengthy descriptions.

Lock or unlock the VI. You can execute but not edit a locked VI.

View the current revision number.

View the path of the VI.

View how much memory the VI uses. The Memory Usage portion
of the information box displays the disk and system memory used
by the VI. (This figure applies only to the amount of memory the
VI is using and does not reflect the memory used by any of its
subVIs.)
The memory usage is divided into space required for the front panel
and the block diagram, VI code, and data space. The memory usage
can vary widely, especially as you edit and execute the VI. The
block diagram usually requires the most memory. When you are not
editing the diagram, save the VI and close the block diagram to free
space for more VIs. Saving and closing subVI front panels also
frees memory.

Saving VIs
You can save VIs as individual files, or you can group several VIs
together and save them in a VI library.

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Individual VI Files
Five options in the File menu concern saving your VIs as individual
files.
Select the Save option to save a new VI, choose a name for the VI, and
indicate its destination in the disk hierarchy. Also use this option to save
changes to an existing VI in a location previously indicated.
If you want to save a VI with a new name, you can use Save As, Save
a Copy As, or Save with Options from the File menu.
When you select the Save As option, G saves a copy of the VI in
memory to disk with the name you direct. After the save is finished, the
VI in memory points to the new version. In addition, all callers to the
old VI that are in memory now refer to the new VI. If you enter a new
name for the VI, G does not overwrite or delete the disk version of the
original VI.
When you select the Save A Copy As option, G saves a copy of the
VI in memory to disk with the name you enter. This does not affect the
name of the VI in memory.
Save with Options brings up a dialog box in which you can choose
to save an entire VI hierarchy to disk, optionally saving VIs without
their block diagrams. This option is useful when you are distributing
VIs or making backup copies. See Chapter 25, Managing Your
Applications, for instructions on how to use this option.
Caution:

You cannot edit a VI after you save it without a block diagram. Always
make a copy of the original VI.
You can use the FileRevert option to return to the last saved version
of the VI you are working on. A dialog box appears to confirm whether
to discard all changes made to the VI.
VIs that have been modified since they were last saved are marked with
an asterisk in their titlebars and in the list of open VIs displayed in the
Windows menu. When you save a VI, the asterisk disappears until you
make a new change.
See Chapter 25, Managing Your Applications, for information on saving
backup copies.

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Do not save your VIs in the vi.lib directory. National Instruments

updates this directory as needed during new version releases of G. Placing
VIs in vi.lib risks creating a conflict during future installations. If you
want your VIs to show up in the Functions palette, see the Customizing the
Controls and Functions Palettes section in Chapter 7, Customizing Your G
Environment, for more information.

VI Libraries (.LLBs)
You can group several VIs together and save them as a VI library.
However, unless you have a good reason for saving them as libraries, it
is preferable to save them as individual files, organized in directories.
Read the following lists before deciding to save VIs in a library.
Reasons for you to save VIs as libraries:

If you are using Microsoft Windows 3.1 or plan to transfer your

files to Windows 3.1, saving VIs as libraries allows you to use up
to 255 characters to name your files. Other operating systems have
long filename support (31 characters on the Macintosh, 255
characters on Windows 95/NT, and UNIX systems.)

If you are going to transfer VIs to other platforms, transferring a VI

library is easier than transferring multiple individual VIs.

If disk space is an important issue, you can save your files within
VI libraries, because they are compressed, slightly reducing disk
space requirements for VIs.

Reasons for you to save VIs as individual files:

If you store your VIs as individual files, you can use the file system
to manage them (copying, moving, renaming, backing up,
managing source code).

You cannot have hierarchy within a VI libraryVI libraries cannot

contain subdirectories or folders.

Loading and saving files are faster from the file system than from
VI libraries. Less disk space is required for temporary files during
the load and save processes.

Storing VIs and controls in individual files is more robust than

storing your entire project in the same file.

Keep in mind that many of the VIs shipped with G are shipped in VI
libraries so that they are stored in consistent locations on all platforms.

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Creating VI Libraries
To create a VI library, take the following steps:
1.

Select Save, Save as, or Save a Copy As from the File menu.

(Macintosh) If G is configured through PreferencesMiscellaneous

to use native file dialog boxes, click on Use LLBs in the dialog box
that appears.
3.

In the dialog box that appears after step 1 or step 2, click on the
New or the New VI Library button.

In the dialog box that appears, enter the name of the new library and
click on the VI Library button. G adds a .llb extension to the
name of the library automatically, if you do not.

A dialog box appears, ready for you to name your VI if you wish,
and save it in the new library.

Saving in Existing VI Libraries

When you have created a VI library, you can save new VIs in it just as
if it were a directory. After selecting one of the Save options from the
File menu, the name of your library file, with the .llb extension,
appears in the file dialog box. (Macintosh users using the native file
dialog box need to press the Use LLBs button first, before being able to
select a VI library.) When you double-click on the name of the library
file or press Open, the dialog box presents an option so you can save the
file in the library.

Editing the Contents of Libraries

You can remove a file from a VI library using the FileEdit VI
Library option. With the Edit VI Library dialog box that appears, you
also can mark files as Top Level, which has two uses. First, when you
create an application using the application builder libraries, the Top
Level setting indicates which VIs are to open automatically when you
run the application. Second, if you double-click on a specific library
from the file system on Windows or Macintosh, or if you launch your G
development environment with a library name specified on a command
line under Windows or UNIX, G opens all top level VIs automatically.
For more complex editing operations, you can use the llbedit.vi in
the general\examples\llbedit directory. This directory also
contains several subVIs that can help you create your own tools for
editing LLBs.

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This chapter discusses the concept of hierarchical design in your G

applications and explains two methods of creating subVIs. The chapter
also describes two utilitiesthe Hierarchy window, which displays the
hierarchy of your VIs, and the Find utility, which finds occurrences of
subVIs, as well as other objects or strings of text that you indicate.

Hierarchical Design
One of the keys to creating G applications is understanding and using
the hierarchical nature of a VI. After you create a VI, you can use it as
a subVI in the block diagram of a higher level VI. Therefore, a subVI is
analogous to a subroutine in C. Just as there is no limit to the number of
subroutines you can use in a C program, there is no limit to the number
of subVIs you can use in a G program. You also can call a subVI inside
another subVI.
When creating an application, you start at the top-level VI and define
the inputs and outputs for the application. Then, you use other VIs as
subVIs to perform the necessary operations on the data as it flows
through the block diagram. If a block diagram has a large number of
icons, you can group them into a lower-level VI to maintain the
simplicity of the block diagram. This modular approach makes
applications easy to debug, understand, and maintain.
You can create a subVI from a VI, or you can create a subVI from a
selection (portion) of a VI. Both methods are described in this chapter.

Creating SubVIs from VIs

The icon of a VI is its graphical symbol. The connector of a VI assigns
controls and indicators to input and output terminals. If you want to call
your VI from the block diagram of another VI, first create an icon and
connector for it. This section explains how to create and edit a VI icon
and connector.

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Creating the Icon

To create an icon, make sure you are in edit mode. Either double-click
on the icon in the top-right corner of the front panel, or pop up on the
icon and select Edit Icon, as shown in the following illustration.
Remember, you must be in edit mode in the front panel window to get
this menu.

After you select Edit Icon, the Icon Editor appears.

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Use the tools to the left of the window, shown in the preceding
illustration, to create the icon design in the fat-pixel editing area. The
normal-size image of the icon appears in the appropriate box to the right
of the editing area.
Depending on the type of monitor you are using, you can design a
separate icon for display in monochrome, 16-color, and 256-color
mode. You design and save each icon version separately. The editor
defaults to Black & White, but you can click on one of the other color
options to switch. You can copy from a color icon to a black-and-white
icon, and from black and white to color as well, by using the Copy from
options at the right of the Icon Editor.
Note:

It is best to create a black-and-white icon. If you design a color icon, it does

not show up if you add it to the Functions palette. Also, you cannot print it
out and it does not show up on a black-and-white monitor. G uses the blank
black-and-white icon in these cases.
The tool icons to the left of the editing area perform the following
functions.
pencil

Draws and erases pixel by pixel. Use

the <Shift> key to restrict drawing to
horizontal and vertical lines.

line

Draws straight lines. Use the <Shift>

key to restrict drawing to horizontal,
vertical, and diagonal lines.

dropper

Selects a color to be the foreground

color from an element in the icon. Use
the <Shift> key to select the
background color with the dropper.

fill bucket

Fills an outlined area with the

foreground color.

rectangle

Draws a rectangular border in the

foreground color. Double-click on this
tool to frame the icon in the foreground
color. Use the <Shift> key to
constrain the rectangle to be a square.

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filled rectangle

Draws a rectangle bordered with the

foreground color and filled with the
background color. Double-click to
frame the icon in the foreground color
and fill it with the background color.
Use the <Shift> key to constrain the
rectangle to a square.

select

Selects an area of the icon for moving,

copying, or deleting. Double-click on
the entire icon to select it. Double-click
on the entire icon and then press the
<Delete> key to erase it. Use the
<Shift> key to constrain the rectangle
to a square.

text

Enters text into the icon. Double-click

on this tool icon to select a different
font.

foreground/background

Displays the current foreground and

background colors. Click on each to get
a palette from which you can choose
new colors.

Holding down the <Ctrl> (Windows); <option> (Macintosh);

Note:

Undo

Cancels the last operation you

performed in the Icon Editor.

Saves your drawing as the VI icon and

returns to the front panel.

Cancel

Returns to the front panel without

saving any changes.

You can cut, copy, and paste the entire icon using these options from the
menu or pressing <Ctrl> (Windows); <command> (Macintosh); <meta>
(Sun); or <Alt> (HP-UX) plus x for cut, c for copy, and v for paste.

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Defining Connector Terminal Patterns

You send data to and receive data from a subVI through the terminals
in its connector pane. You define connections by choosing the number
of terminals you want for the VI and by assigning a front panel control
or indicator to each of those terminals. Only the controls and indicators
you use programmatically by wiring to the subVI require terminals on
the connector pane.
If the connector for your VI is not displayed already in the upper right
corner of the front panel, choose Show Connector from the icon pane
pop-up menu, as shown in the following illustration. The block diagram
does not have a connector pane.

The connector replaces the icon in the upper right corner of the front
panel. G selects a terminal pattern for your VI with as many terminals
on the left of the connector pane as controls on the front panel, and as
many terminals on the right of the connector pane as indicators on the
front panel.
Each of the rectangles on the connector represents a terminal area, and
you can use them either for input to or output from the VI. If you want
to use a different terminal pattern for your VI, you can select a different
pattern.

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Selecting and Modifying Terminal Patterns

To select a different terminal pattern for your VI, pop up on the
connector and choose Patterns from the pop-up menu.

A solid border highlights the pattern currently associated with your

icon, as shown in the previous illustration. To change the pattern,
choose a new one. If you choose a new pattern, any assignment of
controls and indicators to the terminals on the old connector pane is lost.
If you want to change the spatial arrangement of the connector terminal
patterns, choose one of the following commands from the connector
pane pop-up menu: Flip Horizontal, Flip Vertical, or Rotate 90
Degrees. G disables these items if any terminal connections exist.

Assigning Terminals to Controls and Indicators

After you decide which terminal pattern to use for your connector, you
must then assign front panel controls and indicators to the terminals.
Follow these steps:
1.

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Click on a terminal of the connector. The tool automatically

changes to the Wiring tool. The terminal turns black.

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Click on the front panel control or indicator you want to assign to

the selected terminal. A marquee frames the selected control.

Position the cursor in an open area of the front panel and click on
it. The marquee disappears and the selected terminal turns to gray,
indicating that the terminal has been assigned.

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Note:

If the connector terminal turns white, then a connection was not made.
Repeat steps 1 through 3 until the connector terminal turns gray.
Although you use the Wiring tool to assign terminals on the connector to
front panel controls and indicators, no wires are drawn between the
connector and these controls and indicators.
4.

Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each control and indicator you want to
connect.

You also can select the control or indicator first, and then select the
terminal. You can choose a pattern with more terminals than you need.
You can leave some extra terminals unconnected if you anticipate
making changes to the VI in the future that require a new input or
output. Having the extra connections available means that the new input
or output does not affect other VIs that already are using this VI as a
subVI. Unassigned terminals do not affect the operation of the VI. You
also can have more front panel controls than terminals.
The connector pane has, at most, 28 terminals. If your front panel
contains more than 28 controls and indicators that you want to use
programmatically, group some of them into a cluster and assign the
cluster to a terminal on the connector.

Required, Recommended, and Optional Connections for SubVIs

G has a feature that can keep you from forgetting to wire subVI
connectionsindications of required, recommended, and optional
connections in the connector pane and the same indications in the Help
window.
Inputs and outputs of VIs that come in vi.lib have been premarked as
Required, Recommended, or Optional. G sets inputs and outputs of
VIs that you create to Recommended by default.
When an input is marked as Required, you cannot run the VI as a subVI
without wiring it correctly. When an input or output is marked as
recommended, you can run the VI, but the Error List window lists a
warning if warnings are enabled.
To see if connections are Required, Recommended, or Optional, or to
mark them as one of these states, click on a terminal in the connector
pane and select an option from the This Connection Is submenu. A
checkmark indicates its status, as shown in the following illustration.

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In the Help window, Required connections appear in bold,

Recommended connections are in plain text, and Optional connections
are in grayed-out text.

Deleting Terminal Connections

You can delete connections between terminals and their corresponding
controls or indicators individually or all at once. To delete a particular
connection, pop up on the terminal you want to disconnect on the

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connector and choose Disconnect This Terminal from the pop-up

menu, as shown in the following illustration.

The terminal turns white, indicating that the selected connection no

longer exists. To delete all connections on the connector, choose
Disconnect All Terminals from the pop-up menu anywhere on the
connector. G also deletes all existing connections automatically if you
select a new pattern from the Patterns palette. If you delete a control or
indicator from the front panel, it is disconnected from its connector
terminal, if one exists.

Confirming Terminal Connections

To see which control or indicator is assigned to a particular terminal,
click on a control, indicator, or terminal with the Wiring tool when the
connector pane is visible. G selects the corresponding assigned object.

Creating SubVIs from VI Selections

You can convert a portion of a VI into a subVI that can be called from
another VI. You select a section of a VI, select EditSubVI From
Selection, and the section becomes a subVI. Controls and indicators are
created automatically for the new subVI, the subVI is wired
automatically to the existing wires, and an icon of the subVI replaces
the selected section of the block diagram in your original VI.

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Creating a subVI from a selection is the same as removing the selected

objects and replacing them with a subVI, except for the following
behaviors:

Note:

None of the front panel terminals included in the selection are

removed from the caller VI. Instead, the front panel terminals are
retained on the caller VI and are wired to the subVI.

All attributes included in the selection are retained on the caller VI

and are wired to the subVI. The selected attributes are replaced by
front panel terminals in the subVI which act as channels for
transferring the value of an attribute, in or out of the subVI.

When a selection includes a local variable, it is replaced by a front

panel terminal in the subVI. The local variable is retained on the
caller VI and is wired to the subVI. When more than one instance
of the same local variable is selected, the first instance becomes a
front panel terminal and the rest remain as local variables in the
subVI. Only one instance of the local variable is retained on the
caller VI; the rest of the selected instances are removed from the
caller and moved to the subVI.

Because local variables can either read or write from a front panel
terminal, when instances of both read and write local variables are
selected, two front panel objects are created in the subVIone to
pass the value of the local variable into the subVI and another to
pass the value out of the subVI. The front panel terminal created to
represent the read local variables has the suffix read added to its
name, and the front panel terminal created to represent the write
locals has the suffix write added to its name.

Currently there is no Undo option to undo the creation of a subVI.

However, selecting FileRevert can undo the creation of a subVI by
reverting to the VI as it existed before the last save that you have made.

Rules and Recommendations

The ability to create a subVI from a selection can be a great convenience
but might not be as simple as it seems. Careful planning still is required
to create a logical hierarchy of VIs. Moreover, you must consider which
objects should be included in the selection, so that you can avoid
situations where the functionality of a resulting VI is affected
adversely. In cases where a problem definitely occurs, G does not make
a subVI out of the selection but does present a dialog box to explain
why. In cases where there is only a potential problem, a dialog box

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appears with an explanation of the potential problem. You then must

decide whether or not to continue.
Tip: If there are no local variables or Attribute Nodes in a selection, you
might want to use a Sequence Structure to encapsulate the code you
want sent to a subVI and preview the results.
The following rules and recommendations can help you use this G
feature effectively.

Number of Connections
Do not make very large selections that create a subVI with more than
28 inputs and outputs, the maximum number of connections on a
connector pane.
Keep in mind that each front panel terminal, each attribute, and certain
local variables included in the selection require a slot in the connector
pane; a selection with a large number of these items might run out of
connector pane slots.
To avoid exceeding the maximum terminals, select a smaller section of
the diagram, or group data into arrays and clusters before selecting a
region of the diagram to convert.

Cycles
Try to avoid making selections that create cycles in the diagram. Cycles
occur if a data flow originates from an output of the subVI and
terminates as an input to the subVI.
Identifying cycles while making selections is difficult, but G detects
them for you. When G detects a cycle, it displays a dialog box
prompting you either to create a new VI from the selection or to cancel.
If you choose to create a new VI, a new Untitled VI is created from your
selection. The selected items in the original diagram are left untouched.

Attribute Nodes within Loops

Do not include Attribute Nodes within a loop in your selection.
Because an Attribute Node is retained on the caller VI and wired to the
subVI, execution of the subVI does not update the value of the attribute
on every iteration of the loop. You cannot make a subVI in such cases.

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Illogical Selections
Do not convert selections into a subVI that do not make sense. For
example, it does not make sense to convert a selection consisting of one
object inside a Sequence Structure and another object outside of the
Sequence Structure without including the Sequence Structure itself.
G disallows such selections and displays an explanation of the problem.

Locals and Front Panel Terminals within Loops

Try to avoid including local variables or front panel terminals inside a
loop in your selection.
Because selected front panel terminals or locals are retained on the
caller VI and wired to the subVI, execution of the subVI does not update
the value of these items on every iteration of the loop. This can cause a
change in the functionality of the caller VI.
G displays a warning in such cases; you must decide whether to
continue or cancel.

Case Structures Containing Attribute Nodes, Locals,

or Front Panel Terminals
Try to avoid including a Case Structure containing an Attribute Node,
front panel terminal, or local variable to which a value is written.
In such cases, when the subVI is executed, a specific value always is
written to the object because you wire it to the subVI. Although it exists
in the original block diagram, a value can be written only when either
the TRUE or FALSE part of the Case Structure executes. This can
change the functionality of the caller VI.
G displays a warning in such cases; you must decide whether to
continue. If you continue, you first must edit the subVI to supply a value
in all cases.

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Consider the following illustration as a simple example.

The Case Structure is selected for conversion into a subVI. The front
panel terminal Output is left out in the original diagram and connected
to the subVI through a connector as shown in the following illustration.

In the original block diagram, G wrote a value to Output only when the
FALSE part of the case executed. However, when the selection turns
into a subVI, G always writes a value to Output regardless of whether
the TRUE or FALSE part of the case was executed within the subVI.
You need to edit the subVI to supply data for the extra cases.

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Using the Hierarchy Window

The Hierarchy window displays a graphical representation of the
calling hierarchy for all VIs in memory, including type definitions and
global variables.
You can configure many aspects of the display in the Hierarchy
window. For example, you can have the layout displayed horizontally
or vertically, and you can include or exclude VIs in vi.lib, global
variables, or type definitions.
Other useful features of the Hierarchy window include the ability to
access the VI Setup, Edit Icon, Show VI Info, and Print
Documentation options, the ability to drag or copy and paste
hierarchy nodes to a block diagram of another VI as a subVI, and the
ability to search for hierarchy nodes by name.

Opening the Hierarchy Window

You can open the Hierarchy window in any of the following ways:

Select ProjectShow VI Hierarchy. The Hierarchy window is

shown with the VI of the current active window as the focus node.

Under the pop-up menus of subVIs, global variables, or type

definitions, select Show VI Hierarchy. The Hierarchy window
appears with the selected subVI, global variable, or type definition
as the focus node.

If the Hierarchy window is already open, you can bring it to the

front by selecting it from the list of open windows under the
Windows menu.

The Hierarchy window can be switched between horizontal and vertical

display through an option in the View menu or by pressing the
Horizontal Layout or Vertical Layout button at the top of the window.
In a horizontal display, subVIs are shown to the right of their calling
VIs; in a vertical display, they are shown below their calling VIs.

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SubVIs always are connected with lines to their calling VIs. The
window shown in the following illustration is displayed horizontally.

Arrow buttons and arrows beside nodes indicate what is displayed and
what is hidden, as follows:

A red arrow button pointing towards the node indicates that some
or all subVIs are hidden. Clicking on the button shows the
immediate subVIs of the node.

A black arrow button pointing towards the subVIs of the node

indicates that all immediate subVIs are shown.

A blue arrow pointing towards the callers of the node indicates that
the node has additional callers that are not shown.

If a node has no subVIs, no red or black arrow buttons are shown.

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A node becomes the focus node, indicated by being surrounded by a

thick red border, when an operation is performed on it. It becomes
defocused when you perform an action on another node.
As you move your cursor over objects in the Hierarchy window and
your cursor becomes idle over a node, G displays the name of the node
below the icon of the node. If you prefer, you can use an option in the
View menu to show the full path instead of the name.
You can double-click on any icon in the Hierarchy window to open the
associated VI.
If you show the Help window and move the cursor over an icon, G
displays the Help window information for that VI.

Hierarchy Window Options

Several options let you control the display of the Hierarchy window;
others let you perform actions on nodes displayed in the window.
Options are available in the View menu, in buttons near the top of the
Hierarchy window, in the pop-up menu of a node, and through mouse
clicks. You also can access the View menu by popping up on an empty
space in the Hierarchy window.

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View Menu Options

The View menu contains the following options related to the display of
the Hierarchy window. Many of the options are also available from
buttons near the top of the window.

RedrawRedraws the window layout to minimize line crossings

and maximize symmetry, which is useful after successive
operations on hierarchy nodes. If a focus node exists, the window
is scrolled to make that node visible. If no focus node exists, the
window is scrolled to make the first root showing subVIs visible.

Show All VIsDisplays all hidden VIs. There is no focus node

after this option has been selected. The option does not affect other
settings in the View menu. In other words, VIs in vi.lib, global
variables, and type definitions that are not included in the hierarchy
still are hidden.

Vertical HierarchyArranges the nodes from top-to-bottom with

the calling VIs above their subVIs.

Horizontal HierarchyArranges the nodes from left-to-right with

the calling VIs to the left of their subVIs.

Include VIs in vi.libToggles the Hierarchy window to include

or exclude VIs in vi.lib.

Include GlobalsToggles the Hierarchy window to include or

exclude globals.

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Include Type DefsToggles the Hierarchy window to include or

exclude type definitions.

Full VI Path in LabelToggles the Hierarchy window to display

either the full VI path or simply the name of the VI in the Tip strip
for each hierarchy node.

Hierarchy Toolbar Buttons

A toolbar in the Hierarchy window contains buttons that affect the
display of the window.

The buttons, which perform some of the same actions as items in the
View menu, are described as follows:
Redo Layout

Redraws the window layout to

minimize line crossings and maximize
symmetry, which is useful after
successive operations on hierarchy
nodes. If a focus node exists, the
window is scrolled to make that node
visible. If no focus node exists, the
window is scrolled to make the first
root showing subVIs visible.

Vertical Layout

Arranges the nodes from top to bottom

with the calling VIs above their subVIs.

Horizontal Layout

Arranges the nodes from left to right

with the calling VIs to the left of their
subVIs.

Include VI Lib

Toggles the Hierarchy window to

include or exclude VIs in vi.lib.

Include Globals

Toggles the Hierarchy window to

include or exclude globals.

Include Type Definitions

Toggles the Hierarchy window to

include or exclude type definitions.

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Hierarchy Node Pop-Up Menu

If you pop up on a node (subVI, global variable, or type definition)
displayed in the Hierarchy window, a menu appears with options for
controlling the display or carrying out commands related to the selected
node.

The options are described as follows:

Highlight ConnectionsMakes the selected node the focus node

and highlights in red the edges connecting its immediate callers and
subVIs.

Show Immediate SubVIsIf the node is hiding all or some

subVIs, this option expands the node to show all of its immediate
subVIs. The edges connecting the node to its subVIs are
highlighted in red. The option is toggled with Hide All SubVIs.

Hide All SubVIsIf a node is showing all immediate subVIs, this

option collapses the node to hide its entire subVI chain. The option
is toggled with Show Immediate SubVIs.

Show VI HierarchyMakes the selected node the focus node and

displays the nodes belonging to its call chain and subVI chain.
Unrelated roots are also visible, but all of their subVIs are hidden.
The edges connecting the call chain of a node and subVI chain are
highlighted in red.

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Show All SubVIsMakes the selected node the focus node and
expands its entire subVI chain. The edges connecting the subVI
chain of the node are highlighted in red.

Show All CallersMakes the selected node the focus node and
expands its entire call chain. The edges connecting the call chain
are highlighted in red.

Edit IconDisplays the Icon Editor for editing of the icon of the
node.

VI SetupDisplays the VI Setup dialog box for the node.

Get InfoDisplays the Get Info dialog box for the node.

Open Front PanelOpens the front panel of the VI, global, or

type definition.

Print DocumentationBrings up the Print Documentation

dialog box, from which you can choose the portion of the VI you
want to print. For more information on this dialog box, see the
Selecting Print Options section of Chapter 5, Printing VIs.

Hierarchy Node Mouse-Click Sequences

Mouse-click sequences are available for selecting nodes, for copying or
dragging nodes, and for shortcuts to certain pop-up menu options.
Where applicable, the sequences are performed with the Positioning
tool selected.
The shortcut mouse clicks are as follows. For a more complete
description of options available in the pop-up menu, see the section
Hierarchy Node Pop-Up Menu of this chapter.

Clicking on the red arrow button executes the Show Immediate

SubVIs action.

<Shift>-clicking on the red or black arrow button executes the

Show All SubVIs action.

Pressing <Ctrl-click> (Windows); <option-click>

(Macintosh); <meta-click> (Sun); and <Alt-click>
(HP-UX); on the node executes the Show VI Hierarchy action.

Double-clicking on the node executes the Open Front Panel action.

Single-clicking on the node selects it for dragging to a block

diagram or copying to the Clipboard to use as a subVI.

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By <Shift>-clicking on and holding the mouse button down

while selecting, you can select multiple nodes for copying to other
block diagrams or front panels. You also can make multiple
selections by dragging a rectangle over the objects you want to
select.

Pressing the <Tab> key toggles between the Positioning and the
Scroll tool of the Tools palette.

Finding Hierarchy Node Mechanism

A Find Hierarchy Node mechanism is available to search currently
visible nodes in the Hierarchy window by name.
You can initiate the search by simply typing in the name of the node. A
small Search window appears displaying the text that has been typed.
The search takes place immediately and highlights a matching node by
displaying a Tip strip of its name.
In the following illustration the Find Hierarchy Node mechanism has
found the node named drawJoint.vi.

A search is performed as you type; thus, when no node matches the

characters currently displayed in the Search window, the system beeps
and no more characters can be typed. You then can use the
<Backspace> or <Delete> key to delete one or more characters, so
that you can resume typing.

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The Search window disappears automatically if no keys are pressed for

a certain amount of time. You can press the <Esc> key to remove the
Search window immediately.
When a match has been made on a node, you can use the right or down
arrow key, or the <Enter> on Windows and Sun or the <Return> key
on Macintosh and HP-UX, to find the next node that matches the search
string. To find the previous node that matches, you can press the left or
up arrow key, or <Shift-Enter> on Windows and Sun or
<Shift-Return> on Macintosh and HP-UX.

Finding VIs, Objects, and Text

When developing an application consisting of multiple subVIs or even
a single large VI, you might want to find occurrences of a particular
object or string of text. The ProjectFind command can help you find
all instances of the following objects with the names you indicate:

VIs

Built-in functions

Type definitions

Global variables

Local variables

Attribute Nodes

Breakpoints

Front panel terminals

Text

For information on type definitions, see the Type Definitions section in

Chapter 22, Custom Controls and Type Definitions. For information on
local and global variables, see Chapter 21, Global and Local Variables.
For information on Attribute Nodes, see Chapter 20, Attribute Nodes.
For information on breakpoints, see the Placing Breakpoint Tools
section of Chapter 4, Executing and Debugging VIs and SubVIs.
In addition to the Find command, many objects have pop-up options
that help you quickly find related objects. For example, if you pop up
on a control, an option helps you find the corresponding terminal as
well as any local variables or Attribute Nodes associated with it.

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Find Dialog Box

To bring up the Find dialog box, select ProjectFind, or press
<Ctrl-f> (Windows); <command-f> (Macintosh); <meta-f> (Sun);
or <Alt-f> (HP-UX).
As a shortcut, you can select a piece of text or an object before
accessing the dialog box. The dialog box appears, with the text or object
preselected for the search.

Finding VIs and Other Objects

To search for VIs or other objects, click on the Objects button in the
Find dialog box.

To select the object you want to search for, click on the button after the
words Select Object. The Select Objects menu appears.

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The options available in this menu are as follows:

FunctionsBrings up the Functions palette so you can select

built-in functions, VIs, or any objects that you have customized to
appear in the Functions palette.

VIsDisplays a palette of all VIs in memory that are not located in

vi.lib.

Type DefsDisplays a palette of all type definitions in memory

that are not located in vi.lib.

GlobalsDisplays a palette of all global VIs in memory that are

not located in vi.lib.

Objects in vi.libDisplays all VIs, type definitions, and global

variables that are located in vi.lib.

OthersDisplays a menu from which you can select Attribute

Nodes, breakpoints, and front panel terminals.

VIs by NameInvokes the Select VIs by Name dialog box,

which displays all VIs in memory by name in alphabetical order.
You can type the name of the object to jump quickly to the item in
the list you want. With the three checkboxes (VIs, Globals, and
Type Defs), you can include and exclude different types of objects
to be displayed in the list box.

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Finding Text
To search for specific text, click on the Text button in the Find dialog
box. The dialog box is displayed as follows.

Search String Options

You can type in the text you want to find, and optionally limit the scope
of the search to specific areas of VIs (front panel, block diagram, show
VI info text, or history information) or components of objects, such as
the label or description.
The following options are available for indicating the search string:

Match CaseFinds only text strings that exactly match the case
(uppercase or lowercase) of the characters you type in.

Match Whole WordFinds text strings only if they are preceded

and followed by a non-alphanumeric character such as a space or a
plus sign (+), or the start or end of a line. (If this option is not
selected, the command matches any string, regardless of if it is a
fragment of a larger string or not.)

Regular ExpressionHandles the character string as a regular

expression. The regular expression has the same specifications the
Match Pattern function (see Online HelpFunction and VI
Reference for those specifications).

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Text Search Options

The More Options button invokes the Text Search Options dialog
box, which has options for configuring the scope of the text search for
each VI.

The options indicate if and where to search text that is visible or hidden.
The options are as follows:

Note:

Search in VIsIndicates whether to search the front panel of a VI,

block diagram, Get Info text, or History window text. At least one
of these must be checked.

Search in Objects LabelIndicates whether to search visible or

hidden object name labels.

Search in Objects Data & PartsIndicates if you need to search

visible or hidden data and parts.The data and parts of an object
consist of everything belonging to an object except for the name
label of the object. You also have the option of searching the
description of various objects. At least one of the options in the
Search in Objects Label and Search in Objects Data & Parts
must be checked.

The Text Search options are saved from search to search; therefore, if you
do not find a string of text that is expected to exist, make sure that the Text
Search Options are set appropriately.

Narrowing the Search Scope

Three options in the Search Scope ring menu indicate the VIs to be
searched:

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All VIs in MemoryIndicates the search scope as all VIs that

currently are loaded. Two checkboxes are available to include or
exclude VIs in vi.lib and the Hierarchy window.
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Selected VIsSelects a custom set of VIs to search. The Hierarchy

window can be included or excluded from the search scope. The
Select button brings up the Select VIs option in the Search dialog
box.

Name of a VISearches for a specific VI only. The name of the VI

in this ring item depends on the active VI when you invoked the
Find dialog box.

Click on the Find button to begin searching for the text or you have
selected.

Search Results Window

After you have completed a search, if there is more than one search
result, the Search Results window displays all search results, as shown
in the following illustration. If only one result is found, the result is
immediately highlighted, bypassing the Search Results window.

You can display this window also by selecting ProjectSearch

Results.
The following options are available in the Search Results window:

ClearClears and frees memory used to store search results.

Go ToHighlights the currently selected search result. You also

can do this by double-clicking on the item. Items that already have
been highlighted are checked.

FindInvokes the Find dialog box.

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StopAppears in place of the Find button during a search. If

there is a long search through many VIs, the Search Results window
updates search results as they are found and shows the status of the
search. You use the Stop button to interrupt the search.

If you delete an object or VI and it is part of a search result, then the

item entry of that result is disabled. Notice, however, that modifying
text does not update the search results. Therefore, you might highlight
a text search result that no longer matches the search criteria. In that
case, perform another find to update the search results.

Finding Next and Previous Search Items

Select ProjectFind Next to highlight the next and previous results in
the search list. For hidden text, all objects needed to display the text are
made temporarily visible as grayed-out objects and the text is selected;
when you click on the mouse or press a key, the objects are hidden
again.

Find Pop-Up Menu for Global and Local Variables and Attribute Nodes
A Find pop-up menu item is available on controls, front panel controls
and indicators, global variables, locals variables, and Attribute Nodes.
You can pop up on a local variable or Attribute Node to find its
corresponding control, front panel terminal, or other local variables and
Attribute Nodes. Conversely, controls and front panel controls and
indicators have pop-up menus to find all corresponding locals and
Attribute Nodes. From a global node, you can find its corresponding
global definition or all other global nodes. Conversely, global controls
have a pop-up menu for finding all corresponding global references in
memory. If more than one result is found, the Search Results window
appears.

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Executing and Debugging

VIs and SubVIs

Chapter

This chapter discusses how to operate and debug VIs, and explains how
to set up VIs and subVIs for special execution modes.

Executing VIs
Running VIs
You can run a VI by selecting OperateRun or by clicking on the Run
button. G compiles the VI if necessary.
Run button

VI running at
top level

While the VI is executing, the Run button changes appearance. If the

VI is running at its top level (meaning it has no callers and therefore is
not a subVI), the Run button changes to look like the illustration shown
to the left.

If the VI is executing as a subVI, the Run button changes to look like

the illustration shown to the left.
VI caller
is running

Press the Run Continuously button to run the VI over and over, until
you stop or pause execution.
Run Continuously
button

Stop button

Pressing the Stop button aborts execution of the top-level VI. If a VI is

used by more than one running top-level VI, the button appears grayed
out.

Pause button

Pressing this button pauses execution. You can press it again at any time
to continue execution.

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You can run multiple VIs at the same time. After you start the first one,
switch to the front panel or block diagram of the next one and start it as
described previously. Notice that if you run a subVI as a top-level VI,
all caller VIs are broken until the subVI completes. You cannot run a
subVI as a top-level VI and as a subVI at the same time.
If your VI runs but does not perform correctly, see the sections
Debugging Broken VIs and Debugging Executable VIs later in this
chapter.
When you edit a VI, the toolbar contains several tools used for editing
VIs, including the Font ring, the Alignment ring, and the Distribution
ring.

When you run a VI, those tools are replaced with debugging tools, as
shown in the following illustration.

Run button

If you pop up on a control while running a VI, you can see that all
objects have a much simpler set of options. These are the same as the
options in the Data Operations submenu that you see in pop-up menus
when you edit VIs.

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You can cut, copy, or paste the contents of the control, set the control
to its default value, and read the description of the control with options
in this menu. Some of the more complex controls have additional
options. For example, an array has options you can use to copy a range
of values or go to the last element of the array.

When editing a VI, the pop-up menu of an object contains an editing

menu and a Data Operations submenu, as shown in the following
illustration. This submenu contains the same options you see when

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running a VI plus an additional option, the Make Current Value

Default option.

The Operate menu on the menu bar contains commands for executing
the current VI. The following sections discuss several fundamental
execution-related tasks.

Stopping VIs

Stop button

Normally, you should let the VI run until it completes. However, if you
need to halt execution immediately, click on the Stop button or select
OperateStop. The Stop command aborts the top-level VI at the
earliest opportunity. The halted VI most likely did not complete its task,
so you cannot rely on any data it produces. Although G closes files open
at the time and halts any data acquisition that might be in progress, you
should avoid designing VIs that rely on the Stop button or Stop menu
option. For example, if you create a VI that executes indefinitely within
a While Loop until stopped by the operator, wire the conditional
terminal of the loop with a Boolean switch on the front panel.
If you want to prevent an operator from inadvertently aborting your VI
by clicking on the Stop button, hide it by deselecting the VI
SetupWindow OptionsShow Abort Button option from the icon
pane pop-up menu on the front panel of the VI. See Chapter 6, Setting
up VIs and SubVIs, for information on setting window options.

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Running VIs Repeatedly

Run Continuously
button

VI running
continuously

To execute a VI repeatedly, click on the Run Continuously button. The

VI begins executing immediately, and the Run Continuously button
changes from outlined arrows to filled arrows while the VI is running.
Click on the Run Continuously button again to stop the VI. The VI
stops when it has completed normally.
The behavior of the VI and the state of the toolbar during continuous
run is the same as during a single run started with the Run button or the
OperateRun command.

Data Logging on the Front Panel

Front panel data logging logs a time stamp and the data in all front panel
controls of a VI to a separate datalog file. You can have several separate
files, each filled with logged data from different tests. You can retrieve
this data using interactive retrieval through the VI, programmatic data
retrieval, or standard file I/O functions.
Each VI maintains a log file binding, which shows where the datalog
file to which it will log front panel data resides. If the binding is clear,
meaning that the location is unspecified, the VI prompts you for the
location of the file.
Configure and control front panel data logging by selecting the Operate
menu and its Data Logging submenu, as shown in the following
illustration.

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When automatic data logging is enabled for a VI, G logs the front panel
of the VI any time the VI completes execution. You can tell if automatic
data logging is enabled for a VI by looking at the OperateLog at
Completion option. Selecting OperateLog at Completion enables
automatic data logging for a VI if it is disabled and disables it if it is
enabled.
To interactively log front panel data for a VI, select OperateData
LoggingLog.
Note:

A waveform chart returns only one data point at a time with front panel
data logging. If you wire an array into the chart indicator, the data log
contains the array subset that was displayed on the chart for that record.

Enter button

You can change the log file binding of a VI with the OperateData
LoggingChange Log File Binding option. You can select a specific
record by typing the record number and then clicking on the Enter
button or pressing the <Enter> key on the numeric keypad.

You can mark the selected record for deletion by clicking on the Delete
button. When the selected record is marked for deletion, the Delete
button changes to a full trash can. Clicking on the full trash can unmarks
Delete button
the selected record for deletion. Selected records are not deleted until
you select OperateData LoggingPurge Data, or until you switch
out of data retrieval mode, either by clicking on the OK button or
Record marked
selecting Retrieve again. If any records still are marked for deletion
for deletion button when you switch out of data retrieval mode, you are asked if you want
to delete the marked records.
Click on the OK button to return to the VI whose data log you have been
viewing.
Selecting OperateClear Log File Binding disassociates the VI from
any associated log file. The next time you log from the front panel data
of the VI, you will be prompted to specify the log file.
To view logged data interactively, select the OperateRetrieve
option. The toolbar becomes the data retrieval toolbar, as shown in the
following illustration.

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The highlighted number indicates which record currently is selected for

viewing. The numbers in square brackets indicate the range of records
logged. The date and time indicate when the selected record was logged.
You can view the next or previous record by clicking on the up arrow
or down arrow, respectively. You also can use the up or down arrows
on your keyboard.

Retrieving Data Programmatically

You can retrieve data logged from a VI by using the Enable Database
Access option or using standard file I/O functions to read the file as a
datalog file.

Accessing Databases
You also can retrieve data by using the Enable Database Access
option.You can access this option from the pop-up menu of a subVI that
has logged front panel data in the associated datalog file of the VI, as
shown in the following illustration. A halo that looks like a file cabinet
appears around the datalog file. This halo has terminals for accessing
data from the datalog file. If you run the calling diagram, the subVI does
not execute. Instead, you retrieve data from a specified record of the
datalog file. It also returns the time that the data was logged, and a

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Boolean value indicating whether the indicated record number is

invalid.

The following illustration shows the halo terminals for accessing the
logged data.

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If the subVI has n logged records, you can wire any number from n to
n 1 to the record # terminal. You can access records relative to the
first logged record using non-negative record numbers. 0 means first
record, 1 means second record, and so on, through n 1, which stands
for the last record.
You can access records relative to the last logged record using negative
record numbers. 1 means last record, 2 means second to the last, and
so on, through n, which means the first record. If you wire a number
outside the range n to n 1 to the record # terminal, the invalid record
#? output is set to TRUE, and no data is retrieved.

Retrieving Data Using File I/O Functions

You also can retrieve data that has been logged from the front panel of
a VI using file I/O functions that belong to G. Each record in the datalog
file created by front panel data logging is a cluster containing a time
stamp. It also contains a cluster of an unsigned 32-bit integer for
seconds since G reference time as well as an unsigned, 16-bit integer for
additional milliseconds. This integer is followed by a cluster of the front
panel data in panel order.
You can access the records of datalog files created by front panel data
logging using the same G file I/O functions that you use to access
programmatically created datalog files. Enter the appropriate type,
described previously, as the type input to the File Open function, as
shown in the following example.

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Debugging VIs
Debugging Broken VIs
A VI cannot compile or run if it is broken. The VI Run button typically
appears broken while you are creating or editing it, until you wire all
the icons in the diagram. If it still is broken after you finish wiring the
icons, try selecting EditRemove Bad Wires or selecting <Ctrl-b>
(Windows); <command-b> (Macintosh); <meta-b> (Sun); or
<Alt-b> (HP-UX). Often, this fixes a broken VI.

Broken run
button

Warning
button

To find out why a VI is broken, click on the Broken Run button. An

Error List window appears listing all the errors. This window is shown
in the following illustration.

You also can access this box by clicking on the Warning button of a
VI, or by selecting WindowsShow Error List. The Warning button
for a VI is only visible if the VI has a warning (such as overlapping
objects) and you have checked the Show Warnings option in the Error
List window. You can use the Preferences dialog box to configure G to
show warnings by default.
To locate a particular error, double-click on the text that describes it. G
shows the error by bringing the relevant window to the front and

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highlighting the object causing the error. You also can view errors and
warnings for other VIs by selecting the name of the VI from the VI List
pop-up menu.
The following list contains some of the most common reasons for a VI
being broken during editing.

A function terminal requiring an input is unwired. For example, you

must wire all inputs to arithmetic functions. You cannot leave
unwired functions on the diagram while you run the VI to try out
different designs.

The block diagram contains a broken wire because of a mismatch

of data types or a loose, unconnected end. You can remove broken
wires, including wire stubs you cannot see, with the EditRemove
Bad Wires command or by typing <Control B>.

A subVI is broken, or you edited its connector after you placed its
icon in the diagram.

You might have a problem with an object you have made invisible,
disabled, or otherwise altered through an Attribute Node. Restore
the object using the Attribute Node to fix the problem, if possible.

Interpreting Error Messages

The following list contains some possible errors in a form similar to the
way they look in the Error List window.
Table 4-1.

Error Messages

Descriptions

Function Name: contains unwired

or bad terminal.

A required input is not wired or the type is

inappropriate. Wire the required inputs with the
proper data types.

Code Interface Node: object code

not loaded.

You did not link the object code of a CIN properly.

Pop up on the node and reload the code.

Control: control does not match

its type definition.

Edit the control to match, or pop up and update or

disconnect the type definition VI from the control.

Enumeration has duplicate

entries.

All the items in an enumeration control must be

unique and distinct.

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Table 4-1.

Error Messages (Continued)

Error Messages

Descriptions

More Errors....

G shows only 100 errors at one time. Unlisted errors

appear after you fix the listed errors.

For Loop: N is unwired and there

are no input indexing tunnels.

Unless N is wired or an array is indexed on input,

the loop cannot determine how many iterations to
execute.

Global or Local Variable: named

component doesnt exist.

The name of a variable has changed since you last

loaded the VI and the name in the global or local
variable no longer matches. Pop up on the variable
and select another name.

Global Variable: subVI is

missing.

G was not able to find the global subVI when it

loaded the calling VI, perhaps because you changed
the name. Replace the bad global subVI with a good
one.

Node: A subroutine priority VI

cannot contain an asynchronous
node.

You cannot use an asynchronous function, such as

Wait, in a VI that has a priority level equal to
subroutine.

Right Shift Register: type is

undefined.

You must remove unused shift registers.

Right Shift Register: some but not

all left sides are wired.

A shift register must have inputs for all the left sides
or for none.

Sequence: One or more sequence

locals were never assigned.

You forgot to wire to a Sequence Structure local

variable. Remove unused sequence locals.

subVI name: bad linkage to subVI.

The connector pattern of the subVI changed since

you last loaded the subVI, or you forgot to assign
controls or indicators of the subVI to connector
terminals. In the former case, you can use the
Relink command in the subVI pop-up menu.

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Executing and Debugging VIs and SubVIs

Error Messages (Continued)

Error Messages

Descriptions

subVI name: recursive references

(dispose it).

You have changed the name of the calling VI to be

the same as one of its subVIs, and now G registers
this change as the VI calling itself recursively. (The
VI and subVI are probably in different directories.)
G prevents recursion when you attempt to place a
VI on its own block diagram.

subVI name: LV Subroutine link

error.

A problem exists with linkage to a CIN routine.

subVI name: A Subroutine priority

VI cannot call a non-subroutine
priority subVI.

You must make the subVI execute at subroutine

priority or change the calling VI to something other
than subroutine priority.

subVI name: subVI is already

running.

You cannot run a VI if one of its subVIs already is

running as a subVI of another VI.

subVI name: subVI is in either

panel order or cluster order mode.

You cannot run a VI if you ar changing the panel or

cluster order of one of its subVIs.

subVI name: subVI is in

interactive retrieval mode.

You cannot run a VI if one of its subVIs is in

interactive retrieval mode.

subVI name: subVI is missing.

G was not able to find the subVI when it loaded the

calling VI, perhaps because you changed the name.
replace the bad subVI with a good one, or open the
missing subVI if you can find it.

subVI name: subVI is not

executable.

The subVI is broken. Open it and repair its errors.

Terminal: The associated array or

cluster on the front panel has no
elements; its type is undefined.

You must place a control or indicator in the array or

cluster.

Type Definition: cant find valid

type definition.

G was not able to find the type definition VI when

it loaded the calling VI, perhaps because you
changed the name. Open the missing type definition
VI if you can find it, pop up on the bad control, and
disconnect it from the type definition, or replace it
with a good control.

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Table 4-1.

Error Messages (Continued)

Error Messages

Descriptions

(Un) bundle By Name: Empty

cluster, or some components are
unnamed.

The input cluster wired to the Bundle By Name

function is either empty or has some components
that are not labeled.

Unit: bad unit syntax.

The text in the node is not a legal unit expression.

A ? is placed immediately before the
unrecognizable character.

If you encounter messages that are not self-explanatory, and are not
listed in this chapter, contact National Instruments.

Correcting Broken VI Range Errors

A range error indicator appears in place of the Run button in the
following circumstances.
Range Error
indicator

You configured a control on a subVI to stop execution when it

receives an out-of-range value (through the Data Range option of
the control), and the control receives such a value.

You configured an indicator on a subVI to stop execution when it

tried to return an out-of-range value to a calling VI, and the
indicator attempted to return such a value.

An operator enters an out-of-range value into a control that you set

to stop execution on error, as long as that the VI is not running at
the time.

You can determine which control or indicator is out of range by its

change in appearance, as shown in the following illustration.

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A VI or subVI can pass out-of-range values to one of its indicators without

halting execution. The error condition exists only when a subVI attempts
to return such a value. Also, an operator can enter out-of-range values into
a control while its VI is executing. The out-of-range error condition only
prevents the VI from starting, not from continuing once it already has
started.

Debugging Executable VIs

If your program executes but does not produce the expected results, you
often can solve the problem by taking the following steps.

Eliminate all VI warnings. If you select the Show Warnings option

in the Error List window, the listbox identifies the warnings for
your VI. Then, you can determine the causes and eliminate them
from your VI.

Check wire paths to ensure that the wires connect to the proper
terminals. Triple-clicking on the wire with the Operating tool
highlights the entire path. A wire that appears to emanate from one
terminal actually might emanate from another, so look closely to
see where the end of the wire connects to the node.

Use the Help window (HelpShow Help) to make sure that both
functions and Tip strips are wired correctly.

Verify that the default value for functions or subVIs that have
unwired inputs is what you expect.

Use breakpoints, execution highlighting, and single-stepping to

determine if the VI is executing as you planned. Make sure you
disable these modes when you do not want them to interfere with
performance.

Use the probe feature described in the Using the Probe Tool section
of this chapter to observe intermediate data values. Also, check the
error output of functions and subVIs, especially those performing
I/O.

Observe the behavior of the VI or subVI with various input values.

For floating-point numeric controls, you can enter the values NaN
and Inf in addition to normal values.

Check to make certain that execution highlighting is turned off in

subVIs, if your VI runs more slowly than expected. Also, close
subVI windows when you are not using them.

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Check the representation of your controls and indicators to see if

you are receiving overflow because you have converted a
floating-point number to an integer or an integer to a smaller
integer. Also refer to the Recognizing Undefined Data section of this
chapter.

Check the data range and range error action of controls and
indicators. They might not be taking the error action you want.

Check for For Loops that inadvertently might execute zero

iterations and produce empty arrays. Also refer to the Execution
Highlighting and Recognizing Undefined Data sections of this
chapter.

Verify that you initialized shift registers properly, unless you

specifically intend them to save data from one execution of the loop
to another.

Check the order of cluster elements at the source and destination

points. Although G detects data type and cluster size mismatches at
edit time, G does not detect mismatches of elements of the same
type. Use the Cluster Order option on the cluster shell pop-up
menu to check cluster order.

Check the node execution order. Nodes that are not connected by a
wire can execute in any order. The spatial arrangement of these
nodes does not control the order. That is, unconnected nodes do not
execute from left to right, top to bottom on the diagram as
statements do in textual languages.

Check that there are not any extraneous VIs. Unlike functions,
unwired subVIs do not always generate errors (unless you
configure an input to be required or recommended). If you
mistakenly place an unwired subVI on the block diagram, it
executes when the diagram does, and consequently your program
might end up doing extra actions.

Check that you do not have hidden VIs. You inadvertently might
have hidden subVIs three waysby dropping one directly on top
of another node; by decreasing the size of a structure without
keeping the subVI in view; or by placing one off the main diagram
area. In the last case, scroll the block diagram window to its limits.
Also check the inventory of subVIs used in the VI against the
Project menu options This VIs SubVIs and Unopened SubVIs to
determine if any extraneous subVIs exist. You also can look in the
Hierarchy window to see the subVIs for a VI, or in the Error List
window to see a list of hidden objects (as long as the Show
Warnings checkbox is selected). To help avoid corruption caused

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by hidden VIs, you can indicate that inputs to VIs are required; for
information, see Required, Recommended, and Optional Connections
for SubVIs in Chapter 3, Building SubVIs.

Recognizing Undefined Data

There are two mnemonics that can appear in floating-point digital
displays to indicate faulty computations or meaningless results. NaN
(not a number) is the symbol that represents a particular floating-point
value that operations such as taking the square root of a negative
number can produce. Inf is another special floating-point value
produced, for example, by dividing one by zero.
Undefined data can corrupt all subsequent operations. Floating-point
operations propagate NaN and Inf, which, when explicitly or
implicitly converted to integers or Booleans, become meaningless
values. For example, dividing one by zero produces Inf, but converting
that value to a word integer produces the value 32,767, which appears
to be a normal value. Before converting to integer types, check
intermediate floating-point values for validity unless you are sure that
this type of error does not occur in your VI.
Executing a For Loop zero times can produce unexpected values. For
example, the output of an initialized shift register is the initial value.
However, if you do not initialize the shift register, the output is either
the default value for the data type0, FALSE, or empty stringor the
output is the last value loaded into the shift register when the diagram
last executed.
Indexing beyond the bounds of an array produces the default value for
the array element data type. You can do this inadvertently in a number
of ways, such as indexing an array past the last element using a While
Loop, supplying too large a value to the index input of an Index Array
function, or supplying an empty array to an Index Array function.
When you design VIs that can produce undefined output values for
certain input values, you should not rely on special values such as NaN
or empty arrays to identify the problem. Instead, make sure your VI
either produces an error message that identifies the problem or produces
only defined default data.
For example, if you create a VI that uses an incoming array to
auto-index a For Loop, you need to evaluate the operation of the VI if

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the input array is empty. You either can produce an output error code or
substitute predefined values for the values created by the loop.
Note:

A floating-point indicator or control with a range of Infinity to +Infinity

still can generate a range error if you send NaN to it.

Understanding Warnings
If an object is hidden completely by another object, G generates a
warning to indicate that all objects are not visible. For example, if a
terminal is hidden under the edge of a structure, or tunnels are on top of
each other, a warning message is placed in the Error List window.
Warnings do not prevent you from running a VI; they are intended to
help you debug potential problems in your programs.

Debugging Features
The following debugging features are discussed in this section:

Single-stepping through a VI to observe each execution step

Highlighting execution to watch the data flow as it occurs

Using a probe to display data

Setting breakpoints to pause execution, so that you can single-step,

probe wires to see their data, or edit indicators

Suspending execution to edit indicators, to control the number of

times to execute, or to go back to the beginning of the VI

Single-Stepping through VIs

Pause button

Step Over
button

For debugging purposes, you might want to execute a block diagram

node by node. This form of execution is called single-stepping. While
executing a VI, you can start single-stepping by clicking on the Pause
button. If you have not yet started executing a VI, you can start
single-stepping by pressing the Start Single-stepping button. From
single-stepping you can return to normal execution at any time by
clicking on the Pause button.
While the VI is running in single-step mode, you can press any of the
active three step buttons to proceed to the next step. The step button you
press determines where the next step executes.
If you idle your cursor over any of the step buttons, a Tip strip appears
with a description of what the next step will be if you press that button.

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You might want to use execution highlighting as you single-step

through a VI, so you can follow data as it flows through the nodes. See
the Execution Highlighting section in this chapter.

An Example of Single-Stepping through a VI

The following illustration shows an example of a VI that is
single-stepping (Caller 1.vi). This VI currently is running on behalf
of the VI Caller 3.vi. The subVI, Fibonacci.vi, currently is
executing (you can tell this by the arrow glyph on the Run button). The
VI, Factorial.vi, is the next node to be executed. Clicking on the
Step Into button opens its block diagram and starts single-stepping.
Clicking on the Step Over button executes the subVI and pauses.
Clicking on the Step Out button finishes executing the current frame of
the loop and pauses.

After stepping into the subVI Fibonacci.vi and stepping into the
loop, clicking on the Step Out button and holding down the mouse for
a second, a menu appears from which the user can select how far the VI
should execute before pausing. Selecting Block Diagram runs the VI
until all nodes on the block diagram of the VI have executed, at which
time execution pauses.

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Selecting one of the VIs on the call stack runs that VI until it is finished.
At that point, the caller of the selected VI pauses.

Using Step Buttons

The step buttons are as follows:

Step Over button

Step Into button

Step Out button

Press the Step Over button to execute a structure (sequence, loop, etc.)
or a subVI and then pause at the next node. The keyboard shortcut is
<Ctrl> (Windows); <command> (Macintosh); <meta> (Sun); or
<Alt> (HP-UX) followed by the right arrow key.
Press the Step Into button to execute the first step of a subVI or
structure (sequence, loop, etc.) and then pause at the next step of the
subVI or structure. The keyboard shortcut is <Ctrl> (Windows);
<command> (Macintosh); <meta> (Sun); or <Alt> (HP-UX) followed
by the down arrow key.The step buttons affect execution only in a VI or
subVI that is in single-step mode. If a VI in single-step mode has one
subVI that is also in single-step mode and one that is in normal
execution mode, the first subVI single-steps when called but the second
executes normally when called. Press the Step Out button to finish
executing the current block diagram, structure, or VI and pause. The
keyboard shortcut is <Ctrl> (Windows); <command> (Macintosh);
<meta> (Sun); or <Alt> (HP-UX) followed by the up arrow key.
When the VI finishes executing, the step buttons become grayed-out.

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Reading Call Chains

When a subVI is paused, a Call Chain ring appears. This menu lists the
chain of callers from the top-level VI down to this subVI. but keep in
mind that this is not the same as the ProjectThis VIs Callers option,
which lists all calling VIs regardless of whether they currently are
executing. When you select a VI from the Call Chain ring, its block
diagram opens and the VI calling the current subVI is selected. This
helps you distinguish the current instance of the subVI if the block
diagram contains more than one instance.

Call Chain ring

In addition to the keyboard shortcuts given in the Using Step Buttons, the
following commands are available:

When single-stepping through a subVI or structure, clicking on the

Step Out button while holding the mouse down brings up a menu
from which you can select how far the VI should execute before
pausing.

Double-clicking on front panel controls and indicators, local

variables, and global variables displays and highlights the
corresponding block diagram object.

Pressing the <Ctrl> (Windows); <option> (Macintosh); <meta>

(Sun); or <Alt> (HP-UX) key while double-clicking on a subVI
brings its block diagram to the front.

Execution Highlighting
For debugging purposes, it is helpful to view an animation of the
execution of the VI block diagram.
To use this feature, click on the Hilite Execution button. The button
changes its appearance. Click on this button at any time to return to
off
on
normal view mode. You commonly use execution highlighting in
Hilite Execution button conjunction with single-step mode to gain an understanding of how data
flows through nodes. Highlighting greatly reduces the performance of a
VI.
With execution highlighting, the movement of data from one node to
another is marked by bubbles moving along the wires. Additionally, in

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single-stepping, the next node blinks rapidly as shown in the following

illustration sequence.

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When you are single-stepping through a subVI with the Hilite

Execution button on, an execution glyph on the subVI icon of the block
diagram indicates which VIs are running and which are waiting to run.

running

waiting to run
Block Diagram

The Hierarchy window displays whether a VI is paused and/or

suspended. (For more information about the Hierarchy Window, see the
Using the Hierarchy Window section of Chapter 3, Building SubVIs.) The
arrow in the following illustration indicates a subVI that is running
regularly or single-stepping. The pause glyph indicates a subVI that is
paused and/or suspended. A green pause glyph (or a hollow glyph if
displayed in black and white) indicates that this subVI pauses when
called. A red pause glyph (or a solid glyph if displayed in black and
white) indicates that this subVI currently is paused.

paused
Hierarchy Window

Using the Probe Tool

You can use the Probe tool to check intermediate values in a VI that
executes but produces questionable or unexpected results. For example,
you might have a complicated block diagram with a series of
operations, any one of which might be returning incorrect data.

Probe tool selected

One way to look for the source of the questionable results is to wire an
indicator to the output wire from one of the operations to display the
intermediate results. But placing an indicator on the front panel and
wiring its terminal to the block diagram is not a convenient debugging
mechanism. It is time-consuming and creates unwanted items on your
front panel and block diagram that you later must delete.

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Select the Probe tool and place its cursor on a wire, or pop up on the
wire and select Probe. As shown in the following illustration, the
floating Probe window appears, with no data displayed within. As soon
as you run the VI, the Probe window displays data passed along the
wire.

Each probe is numbered automatically and uniquely. The wire to which

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diagram have executed. When a wire has a breakpoint, execution pauses

after data has passed through the wire.
When you reach a breakpoint during execution, you can single-step
through execution, probe wires to see their data, change values of front
panel controls, or continue running to the next breakpoint or until
execution is completed, depending on which one occurs first.
To set a breakpoint, select the Breakpoint tool in the Tools palette and
then click on the block diagram, node, or wire. Click this tool on the
same object at any time to remove the breakpoint. The appearance of the
tool indicates if a breakpoint is set or cleared, as shown at the left.
The following table indicates how breakpoints are displayed and when
execution pauses, in relation to where breakpoints are placed.
Table 4-2.

Location of
Breakpoint

Breakpoint Placement

How Breakpoint Is
Highlighted

When Pause Will Occur

Block diagram

Red border around block

diagram. If the diagram is
inside a structure, the red
border is inside the
structure as well.

When the end of the block

diagram is reached.

Node

Red border framing the

node.

Just before the node

executes. At this point all
the input signals into the
node can be probed with
the Probe tool.

Wire

Red bullet in the middle

of wire. If a probe is
attached to the wire, the
probe has a red border.

After data has passed

through the wire.

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In the following example, the wire with the attached probe has a
breakpoint. The VI pauses after the probe has generated data.

In the next example, the Increment node has a breakpoint. The VI

pauses before Increment executes. One wire also has a breakpoint. The
VI pauses after Multiply has executed.

And in the following example, the For Loop has a breakpoint. The VI
will pause after Multiply has executed.

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When a VI pauses because of a breakpoint, its block diagram is brought

to the front (if the front panel was closed, it is opened as well), and the
node or wire that caused the break is highlighted with a marquee.
Breakpoints are saved with a VI, but only become active during
execution.

Suspending Execution
You can edit indicators, execute the subVI as many times as you want
before returning to the caller, or go back to the beginning of the subVI
by suspending execution of a SubVI.
To set a subVI in suspend mode, open the subVI and check the
OperateSuspend when Called option. This option also can be
accessed by popping up on the connector pane on the front panel while
in run mode, and selecting SetupExecution OptionsSuspend when
Called. The subVI automatically suspends when it is called. If you
check this option when single-stepping, the VI does not switch into
suspend mode immediately.
If you want to suspend execution at a particular call to a subVI, use the
SubVI Node Setup option from the pop-up menu of the subVI node,
instead of the Suspend when Called option. The SubVI Node Setup
suspends execution at that particular instance of the subVI only.

Recognizing Automatic Suspension

A VI is suspended automatically if, during its execution, a control or an
indicator goes out of range. The terminal or local variable that caused
the out-of-range error is selected.
A subVI with a control or indicator set to stop on a range error has a
conditional breakpoint. If a range error occurs, the subVI pauses as if it

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encountered a breakpoint. If no range error occurs, the subVI executes

normally.
When data passed to a subVI causes a range error, the front panel of the
subVI opens or comes to the foreground and the subVI remains in
suspend mode. At this time, the values on the subVI controls are the
inputs passed by the calling VI, and you can change the values if you
want. In fact, you must change them to run the subVI if the range error
indicator is on. The indicators of the subVI display either default values
or values from the last execution of the subVI during which its front
panel was open.

Using Toolbar Buttons When SubVIs Are Suspended

Run button

If you want to execute the current subVI before returning to the caller,
press the Run button (or select the OperateRun command) while in
suspend mode. You can repeat the execution as many times as you want.
When the subVI completes, the indicators display results from that
execution of the subVI. However, you can change the indicator values
if you want to return different values to the calling VI. In fact, the
suspend mode is the only time you can set values on indicators. Click
on the Run button again when you are ready to return the indicator
values of the subVI to the calling VI.
If you want to go back to the beginning of the VI, click on the Skip to
Beginning button.

Skip to Beginning

Return to Caller

The Return to Caller button appears when a suspended subVI is idle.

Click on it to return to the caller VI. Notice that you can return to a
caller without executing the current VI. If you want to execute it, be
sure to press the Run button before returning to the caller.

Viewing Hierarchy Windows During Suspension

The Hierarchy window displays an exclamation point glyph to indicate
a subVI that has been suspended. The following illustration shows a
subVI in the Hierarchy window with the Suspend when Called option
is on.

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Disabling Debugging Features

To reduce memory requirements and to increase performance slightly,
you can compile a VI without various debugging features. To do this,
go to VI SetupWindow Options from the connector pane pop-up
menu on the front panel and deselect the checkboxes for Show Run
Button, Show Continuous Run Button, Show Abort Button, or Allow
Debugging.

Commenting out Sections of Diagrams

In some cases, you might want to execute a VI with a section of the
block diagram disabled. The easiest way to do this is to enclose the
section of diagram that you want disabled in a Case Structure with a
constant Boolean wired to the selector. Put the diagram you want to
disable in the frame of the Case Structure that does not execute.
If the Case Structure produces any values, enter a value for the output
tunnels.

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Printing VIs
This chapter discusses printing issues in G.

Printing in G
There are three primary ways to print VIs in G.

You can use the Print Window option to make a quick printout
of the contents of the current window.

You can make a more comprehensive printout of a VI, including

information about the front panel, block diagram, subVIs, controls,
VI history, and so on, by selecting the Print Documentation
option.

You can use the G programmatic printing feature to make VIs that
can print under the control of your application.

In addition, you can use the Serial Port VIs to send text to the printer if
you have a printer connected to your serial port; doing so generally
requires some knowledge of the command language of the printer.
In Windows and UNIX, another option for printing is to use the System
Exec VI located in FunctionsCommunication. On the Macintosh,
you can use the AESend Print Document VI located in
FunctionsCommunicationAppleEvent. In Windows, you also can
use dynamic data exchange (DDE) to tell another application to print
data.

Printing Configuration
There are two dialog boxes that affect the appearance of all printouts,
regardless of the method you use to print: the Printing dialog box and
the Preferences dialog box.
You use the Printing dialog box of the Preferences dialog box to tell
G how it should print. You can choose the following dialog box, for
example, to implement PostScript printing.

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To configure information and formatting that is printer specific, use the

Printer Setup (Page Setup in UNIX and on the Macintosh) option
from the File menu. For example, with most printers, you change the
orientation of printouts (landscape versus portrait) using this dialog
box. Many printers also have options for font substitution, paper size,
and other printer specific settings. Printer Setup (Page Setup for the
Macintosh and UNIX) settings are saved with your VI.

PostScript Printing
To produce higher quality printouts, you can use the Preferences dialog
box, which contains options for customizing the way G prints, including
the option to select PostScript printing (if you have a PostScript
printer).
If you have a PostScript printer, you can take advantage of the
following benefits.

PostScript printouts reproduce the image of the screen more

accurately.

PostScript facilitates high resolution graphs.

PostScript reproduces patterns and line styles more accurately.

You use the Preferences dialog box to indicate if you want to use
PostScript printing. If you select PostScript printing, you have the
option to select PostScript level 2, or Color/Grayscale, which
supports color printing. See Chapter 7, Customizing Your
G Environment, for information on the Preferences dialog box.

Printing the Active Window

You can use the Print Window option to print out the contents of the
currently active window (front panel or block diagram). Using this
option, you can make a quick printout with the minimum number of
prompts. For more comprehensive printouts of VIs, use the Print
Documentation menu option.
Print Window formats the printout so that it looks the same as it does
when you set the VI to print programmatically. The Execution Options
section of the VI Setup dialog box contains a few options which give
you more control over the way your VI looks when you print
programmatically or when you print using Print Window. See the
Setting Page Layout section later in this chapter for information on these
options.

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Selecting Print Options

If you want a more detailed printout of the contents of a VI, use the
Print Documentation option, shown in the following illustration.
This option displays a dialog box you can use to select from several VI
formats. You also can create your own custom format.

Setting Printout Formats

The Print Documentation dialog box has five different print formats.
The icon for each of these formats is shown to the left of the description.
The Icon, Description, Panel and Diagram format (the default) prints
the icon, VI description, front panel and block diagram.

The Using the Panel format prints the front panel, VI description, and
the control names and their descriptions.

The Using as a SubVI format prints the icon, connector, VI description,

and the terminals (data types), names, and descriptions of the connected
controls. This format is similar to the G function reference format.

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The Complete Documentation format prints everything, including the

icon, connector, description, front panel, information about all front
panel controls, the block diagram, and a list of the names of the subVIs.
The Custom format prints using the current custom settings. You can
change the custom settings by selecting Configure after you select
the custom option. See the Creating Custom Print Settings section in this
chapter for information on this dialog box.

Choosing Layout Options

The Print Documentation dialog box contains several page layout
options that control scaling, page breaks, and headers for the printout.
These are described as follows.
Scale Front Panel to Fit and Scale Block Diagram to FitThese two
options control whether the panel and diagram sections are scaled to fit.
These options cause G to scale the front panel and/or block diagram
down to no less than one-fourth the original size to fit on the fewest
number of pages possible.
Print HeaderPrints a header at the top of every page. This header
includes the page number, the VI name, and the last modification date
of the VI.
Page Breaks Between SectionsInserts a page break between the
following sections:

Connector icon and description

Front panel

List of front panel control details

Block diagram

Block diagram details

VI hierarchy

List of subVIs

Creating Custom Print Settings

To bring up the Custom Print Settings dialog box, select the Custom
button in the Print Documentation dialog box. After you select Custom,
the Configure button is activated. Click on this button to see the dialog
box shown in the following illustration.

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This dialog box displays the categories of items that you can print.
These categories are listed in the order that they appear on the printout.
In addition, the page layout options in this dialog box control scaling,
page breaks, and headers for the printout.
The icon for each of the custom print setting options is shown to the left
of the description.
Icon and Description
VI Connector and IconPrints a picture of the VI icon along with
its inputs and outputs.
VI DescriptionPrints the VI description.
Front PanelPrints the front panel.

ControlsPrints a list of the names of the controls and indicators.

When an array, cluster, or refnum is encountered, the subcontrols are

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printed. You can select the following options from the pop-up menu
next to this option.

DescriptionsPrints the descriptions next to the control names.

Include Data Type InformationIf you print to the printer, then
the terminal for each control is printed to the left of the control
name. If you save to a text file, the data type is printed after the
description.
Block DiagramPrints the block diagram.
Hidden FramesPrints the nonvisible frames of Case Structures
and Sequence Structures.
Repeat Higher Level FramesWhen printing nonvisible frames,
prints the visible ones again, in sequence.
VI HierarchyPrints a description of the current VI hierarchy in
memory, with lines showing connections between VIs and their subVIs.
The current VI is highlighted with a box.
List of SubVIsPrints the icon, name, and path of all subVIs used.

VI HistoryPrints the history information, if any, for the current VI.

Printing Section Headers

In addition to the layout options found in the Print Documentation dialog
box, the Custom Print Settings dialog box has a Print Section Headers
option.
Print Section HeadersPrints a header for each section (for example,
a heading such as List of SubVIs before the subVI information). When
printing using Print Documentation, this selection is set automatically
for each format.

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Programmatic Printing
If you want to print something under the control of your VI, rather than
interactively as with the Print Window and Print Documentation dialog
boxes, use programmatic printing. With this type of printing, you can
program your VI to print after every execution. You also can program
it to print out the contents of a specific front panel or a specific control
during executionperhaps in response to the user pressing a Print
button.
Programmatic printing allows you to control when printouts occur, as
well as the appearance of your printouts, such as if or not a header is
printed.
To implement programmatic printing, select OperatePrint at
Completion.
When this option is on, G prints the contents of that front panel any time
the VI completes execution. If the VI is a subVI, G prints when that
subVI finishes execution, before it returns to the caller.

Controlling When Printouts Occur

In some cases, you do not want a VI to print out every time. You might
want it to occur only if the user presses a button, or if some condition
occurs, such as a test failure. You also might want more control over the
format for your printout. Or, you might want to print only a subset of
the controls, or even just one specific control.
You can create a subVI whose panel is formatted the way you want the
VI to look. Instead of selecting OperatePrint at Completion on your
VI, select it from the subVI. When you want a printout, you can call the
subVI, passing the data to it to be printed out.
With this organization, you have complete control over the appearance
of the printout, using G controls and tools to create very simple or
complex printouts.

Enhancing Printouts
Using transparency and the Color tool, you can hide portions of controls
that you do not want to be visible in your printouts. For example, you
can use transparency to simplify the appearance of the edges of
controls.

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Use graphical objects from the Decorations palette to highlight sections

of your printout. For example, you might surround a section of controls
with a box to set it off from the remainder of your panel.
You also can use bitmapped graphics to customize your printout, adding
elements such as company logos to your report.

Setting Page Layout

The settings in EditPreferences and in Printer Setup (Page Setup for
the Macintosh and UNIX) affect the appearance of your printouts. You
also can use VI SetupExecution Options to implement or disable some
layout options that affect the appearance of your printout. These page
layout options, shown in the following illustration, also affect the
behavior of the Print Window.

The Print Panel When VI Completes Execution option is another way

to turn on programmatic printing.
If you select Print Header, a header including the VI name, the last
modification date, and the page number appears at the top of each page.
If you select Scale to Fit, and the panel is bigger than a single page, the
printout scales down to as little as one-fourth the original size to fit the
panel on as few pages as possible.
If you select Surround Panel with Border, G prints a box around the
panel.

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Using Alternative Printing Methods

You might find that the previously mentioned method of printing is not
appropriate for your application. There are some additional techniques
that address various printing concerns.
For example, the previous method of printing is geared towards printing
an entire page of data. In some applications, you might prefer to print
data on a line-by-line basis. If you have a line-based printer connected
to your serial port, you can use the Serial Port VIs to send text to the
printer. Doing this generally requires some knowledge of the command
language of the printer but has worked well for a number of applications
developed by G users.
If G cannot print data the way you want, you might consider using
another application to print your data by saving the data to a file and
then printing from the other application.

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If you check the Add an entry every time this VI is saved option, G adds
an entry to the VI history every time you save the VI. If you have not
entered a comment in the Comment box of the History window, only a
header is added to the history. The header contains the revision number
if that option is checked in the PreferencesHistory dialog box, the date
and time, and the name of the VI.
If you check the Prompt for comment when this VI is closed option, the
History window appears so that you can enter a comment when you
close a VI that has changed since you loaded it, even if you already have
saved the changes.
If you check the Prompt for comment when this VI is saved option, the
History window appears when you save so that you can enter a
comment. This is useful if you prefer to comment on your changes when
you finish making them instead of as you are editing. If you do not set
this option, you cannot change the history of the VI after you select
Save until the save is finished.
Note:

G does not prompt you to enter a comment when you save or close a VI if
the only changes you made were changes to the history.
The options to the right of the VI SetupDocumentation dialog box
create access to online help files that you have created. Put your cursor
in the Help Tag box and type in a topic to display for this VI. Then type
in the path to the help file in the Help Path box, or click the Browse
button and find the file. The filename and path of the file appears in the
Help Path box. After you have set these options, clicking on the online
help icon at the bottom of the Help dialog box accesses the help file you
selected. See Chapter 1, Introduction to G Programming, for information
on creating your own help files.

Window Options
The window options apply to the VI when it is in run mode, but not in
edit mode. You can use these options to control the ability of a user to
interact with the program by restricting access to G features, and by
changing the way the window looks and behaves. You can make your
VI look and act like a dialog box, in that the user cannot interact with
other windows while this window is open. You also can remove the
scrollbars and the toolbar, and set a window to be centered or sized
automatically to fit the screen.

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The window options are shown in the following illustration.

Dialog Box prevents the user from interacting with other windows
while this option window is open, just as a system dialog box does.
If you turn off the Allow User to Close Window checkbox in the VI
Setup dialog box, the Window Options dialog box hides the close box
for the VI front panel, and dims the FileClose option. With this VI
setup option, you can ensure that a user cannot close a run-time or
pop-up VI front panel inadvertently.
Allow Run-Time Pop-Up Menu determines if objects on this front
panel can display a pop-up menu of data operations in run mode.
When you select the Hilite <Return> Boolean option, G highlights any
Boolean currently associated with the <Enter> (Windows and HP-UX),
or <Return> (Macintosh and Sun) key. You associate keys with
controls using the Key Navigation dialog box, which is described in the
Key Navigation Option for Controls section of Chapter 8, Introduction to
Front Panel Objects.
The Size to Screen option automatically resizes the panel of a VI to fit
the screen when the VI is switched to run mode and when it is loaded
into memory. The VI does not retain a record of its original size and
location, so it stays in the same place if you switch back to edit mode.
Auto-Center automatically centers the front panel on the user's
computer screen when the VI is opened or when it is switched to run
mode.
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Other options toggle between showing and hiding various window

features. You can hide individual buttons by deselecting them, or hide
the entire toolbar by deselecting the Show Toolbar option.
Enable Log/Print at Completion enables or disables automatic data
logging (see the Data Logging on the Front Panel section in Chapter 4,
Executing and Debugging VIs and SubVIs), and programmatic printing
(see the Programmatic Printing section in Chapter 5, Printing VIs).
Caution:

If you hide the menu bar and the toolbar, there is no visible means of
changing from run mode back into edit mode. Use the <Ctrl-m>
(Windows); <command-m> (Macintosh); <meta-m> (Sun); or <Alt-m>
(HP-UX) hot key that corresponds to the OperateChange to Edit Mode
option to change the VI back to edit mode, where the menu bar and palette
are visible.
The options do not take effect until the VI starts running.

SubVI Node Setup Dialog Box

The following dialog box appears when you select SubVI Node Setup
from the node pop-up menu of a subVI on the block diagram.

These options are a subset of the options in the VI Setup dialog box. The
difference between the two sets of options is that you use the SubVI
Setup dialog box to specify options that relate to a specific call to a
subVI, although you use the subVI execution options of VI Setup to
specify the behavior of all calls to that VI.

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Customizing Your
G Environment

This chapter discusses how to customize your G environment by setting

preferences, and by changing the contents of the Controls and
Functions palettes.

Setting G Preferences
Preferences Dialog Box Options
To customize your application and configure some default parameters,
you use the various Preferences dialog boxes.
You access the Preferences dialog boxes by selecting
EditPreferences, as shown in the following illustration.

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Use the pull-down menu at the top of the dialog box to select among the
different categories of preferences, as shown in the following
illustration.

Path Preferences
You can specify the directories that G searches when looking for VIs as
well as the paths G uses for temporary files and the library directory. If
not already selected, select Paths from the pull-down menu in the
Preferences dialog box to bring up the dialog box shown in the
following illustration.

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The format of pathnamesthe use of colons, slashes, or backslashes

differs slightly on different platforms.
In the Path Preferences dialog box is another pull-down menu, shown
in the following illustration, from which you select the path category
you want to view or edit.

In the dialog box that appears, many items are grayed out and inactive
because G is set to use the default path. If you want to change one of
these preferences, deselect the Use Default checkbox, as shown in the
following illustration.

Library, Temporary, and Default Directories

The Library Directory, Temporary Directory, and Default
Directory are single directories (folders). When you edit one of these
paths, you have options to type in a new path and replace the existing

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path, or browse the file dialog box to select a path. This is shown in the
following illustration.
path category

current value

new value

The Library Directory shows the absolute pathname to the directory

containing vi.lib and any library directories you supply. The default
is the directory containing your G development environment.
The Temporary Directory shows the absolute pathname to the
directory for temporary files, which varies according to platform, as
follows:

(Windows) The default is the directory containing your G

development environment.

(Macintosh) In System 6, the default is the G folder. Under System

7, the default is an invisible folder called Temporary Items at

the top of your hard drive, which is where Apple recommends that
temporary files be stored. If your G development environment
crashes, the temporary files are moved into the trash when you
restart.

(UNIX) The default is the /tmp directory.

The Default Directory shows the absolute pathname to the default

directory, which is the initial directory the file dialog box displays. The
Default Directory function in the FunctionsFile I/OFile Constants
palette also returns this value. The default is the current working
directory. Changes to the Default Directory take place immediately.
Note:

All changes to the Library Directory, Temporary Directory, and Default

Directory options take effect when you relaunch your G development
environment.

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VI Search Path
The VI Search Path is used only when your G development
environment searches for a subVI, control, or external subroutine that
is not in the expected location. It lets you list the path of directories for
G to search. When you edit the search path, you are given more options
than for the other pathsyou can add new items in specific locations,
remove paths, and select from a list of special paths.

The list contains paths that your G development environment searches,

in the order that it searches them. To add a new directory, you first need
to decide when your G development environment searches that
directory relative to the other directories. Select an adjacent directory
from the list. Then use either the Browse button, which displays a file
dialog box, or the special pull-down menu, which contains a list of
special paths, to select the directory that your G development
environment searches. You also can edit or enter this path in the string
control next to these options. Finally, use Insert Before, Insert After,
or Replace to add that option to the list.
When you select a path, G normally searches that directory, but not its
subdirectories. You can make the search hierarchical by appending a *
as a new path item.
Some examples on different platforms:

(Windows) To search the directory C:\VIs\ recursively, you enter

C:\VIs\*

(Macintosh) To search recursively the VIs folder on the HD disk,

you enter HD:VIs:*

(UNIX) To search recursively /usr/home/gregg/vis, you enter

/usr/home/gregg/vis/*.

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You can use the special pull-down menu shown in the following
illustration, which is located to the right of the Browse button, to
select from several special directories.

These directories are as follows:

<vilib> as a path entry is a symbolic path that refers to the

vi.lib directory inside of the Library Directory.

<topvi> is a symbolic path that refers to the directory containing

the top-level VI.

<foundvi> refers to a list of directories that LabVIEW builds

each time a VI is loaded. During a search, any directory in which
LabVIEW finds a subVI, or that you manually select, is added to
this list. Use this symbolic path so that if you move or rename a
directory of VIs, and then open a calling VI, you manually have to
find that directory only once for that load.

You also can remove a path using the Remove button, which places the
removed path into the string box, in case you decide to re-insert it
elsewhere in the list.
Note:

Changes to the VI Search Path option take effect immediately.

Performance and Disk Preferences

While it executes, G maintains temporary files on disk. For example,
when you save a VI, G first saves it into a temporary file. If the save is
successful, the original is replaced with the new file. G needs a fair
amount of disk space for these operations. To avoid problems, G
normally checks for available disk space in the temporary directory at
launch time. If you have less than 500 KB of disk space free, G alerts
you and quits. If you have less than 2 MB available, G warns you, but
continues. You can turn these warnings off or change the levels at which
they alert you using the Performance and Disk dialog box, accessed
from the Preferences pull-down menu.

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The Performance and Disk Preferences dialog box is shown in the

following illustration. Notice that one option is only available on
Windows 3.1, and some other options are only available on the
Macintosh.

Except for the Deallocate memory as soon as possible option, changes

to the Performance & Disk options take place when you restart your
computer.
The options in this dialog box are as follows:
Deallocate memory as soon as possibleForces G to deallocate the
memory of a VI after it completes execution. Doing this can improve
memory usage in some applications because subVIs deallocate their
memory immediately after executing. However, it probably slows
performance because G has to allocate and deallocate memory more
frequently.
Note:

Changes to the Deallocate memory as soon as possible option take effect

immediately.
(Windows 3.1) Use default timerThe timing functions in G use the
built-in Windows timer. This timer has, by default, a resolution of 55
ms (it increments 18 times a second). This means that the Tick Count,
Wait, and Wait Until Next ms Multiple VIs in G only have 55 ms
resolution. Notice, however, that you can specify more accurate timing

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rates to the DAQ VIs, because they use the built-in timers of the DAQ
boards to control the acquisition rate.
You can increase the resolution of the Tick Count, Wait, and Wait Until
Next ms Multiple VIs to 1 ms by increasing the resolution of the built-in
timer of Windows to 1 ms. If you increase the timer resolution, your
software timing loops are more accurate.
Under certain circumstances, you might not want to increase the timer
resolution from 55 ms. Changing the resolution increases the number of
timer tick interrupts from 18 interrupts per second to 1000 interrupts
per second. If you are performing other interrupt intensive operations,
you might exceed the capacity of your PC to handle the interrupt load,
which might lock up or crash your PC.
DAQ operations that use programmed I/O instead of DMA to transfer
data between the DAQ board and PC memory are interrupt intensive.
Do not change the timer tick resolution to 1 ms if you plan to perform
any of the following operations at high transfer rates:

Buffered analog input using the PC-LPM-16

Buffered analog output using the AT-MIO-16, MC-MIO-16, or Lab

series boards

Buffered digital I/O using the DIO-24, DIO-96, or Lab series

boards

Buffered analog input or output with DMA disabled in WDAQCONF

using any DAQ board

Transfer rates of approximately 30 ksamples/sec or higher on a 386

25 MHz machine causes interrupt load problems with the 1 ms timer
resolution. Transfer rates of approximately 75 to 80 ksamples/sec or
higher on a 486 33 MHz machine, or 100 ksamples/sec or higher on a
486 50 MHz machine, might cause interrupt load problems.
The timing functions in G for Windows 95/NT have a timer resolution
of 1 ms, the maximum resolution possible under Windows 95/NT.
Slower machines might have lower resolution.
(Macintosh) Compact memory during executionDirects G to compact
memory approximately once every 30 seconds. Compaction reduces
fragmentation by moving allocated memory to a single location. A
disadvantage to this option is that compaction takes time and might
cause a short lull in performance while G is compacting memory.

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(Macintosh) Cooperation levelWith this option, you can control how

cooperative G is with other background applications. If you set it to

Low, G does not share time very frequently with other applications.
Setting it low improves the performance of G, but it causes the
performance of any other applications that run in parallel to decrease. If
you set it to High, G performance suffers, but other applications have
more time to execute.
Check available disk space during launchChecks amount of disk
space available in the temporary directory as G launches. You can
check whether you want G to use the default in two cases: abort if less
than 500 KB, or warn if less than 2,000 KB.
Note:

Changes to the Check available disk space during launch option take effect
when you relaunch G. Changes to the Use default timer, Compact memory
during execution, and Cooperation level options take effect immediately.

Front Panel Preferences

The Front Panel Preferences dialog box is shown in the following
illustration.

The options in this dialog box are as follows:

Open the control editor with double clickMakes easy access
available to the Control Editor window, where you can customize the
appearance of a front panel control or indicator.

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End text entry with Return key (same as Enter key)Makes the
<Enter> (Windows); <return> (Macintosh); <Return> (Sun); or
<Enter> (HP-UX) on the alphanumeric keyboard function like the
<Enter> key on the numeric keypad, ending text entry. If you select
this option, you can embed new lines by pressing <Ctrl-Enter>
(Windows); <option-return> (Macintosh); <meta-Return>
(Sun); or <Alt-Return> (HP-UX).
(Windows, Macintosh) Override system default function key settingsBy
default, your operating system might use some function keys for system
purposes. For example, on the PC, pressing F10 is the same as pressing
the <Break> key. On the Macintosh, F1 to F4 usually are treated as
Cut, Copy, Paste, and Clear. If you turn this override option on, the
function keys are not used for system purposes but are passed instead to
G as standard function keys.

Use localized decimal pointUses the decimal separator for the system
instead of the period. For example, in many countries, the comma is
used as a decimal point. Turn this option on if you want G to pay
attention to the way you have configured your system. Turn it off if you
want G to use periods in all cases for the decimal point.
Use smooth updates during drawingWhen G updates a control with
smooth updates off, it erases the contents of the control and draws the
new value. This can result in a noticeable flicker as the old value is
erased and replaced. Using smooth updates, G draws data to an
offscreen buffer and then copies that image to screen instead of erasing
a section of the screen. This avoids the flicker caused by erasing and
drawing. However, it can slow performance, and it requires more
application memory because an offscreen drawing buffer has to be
maintained.
Use transparent name labelsDirects G to use labels that you can see
through.
(Sun) Support numeric keypad on Sun keyboardsTurns on support

for the Sun keyboard, including keypads, arrow keys, and the Help key.
Do not turn this option on if you are using a non-Sun keyboard (for
example, if you are using an X terminal or a PC running X software).
Blink speedSets the blinking speed for front panel objects, to the
default 1,000 milliseconds or a speed that you type in. Blinking is a
basic attribute turned on with Attribute Nodes. See Chapter 20, Attribute
Nodes, for more information.

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Changes to options in the Front Panel Preferences dialog box take effect
immediately.

Block Diagram Preferences

The Block Diagram Preferences dialog box is shown in the following
illustration.

The options in this dialog box are as follows:

Show dots at wire junctionsDirects G to place dots where two wires
cross, making it easier to differentiate between such junctions and wires
that branch.
Show tip-strips over terminalsDirects G to place parameter names
over terminals when you idle your cursor over them in functions and
subVIs.
Show wiring guidesShows wire stubs that indicate data type and data
direction for each parameter when the cursor is idled over a block
diagram node.
Show subVI names when droppedDirects G to label a subVI with the
name of the original VI when you drop it on the block diagram, and to
show the label.

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Note:

Changes to options in the Block Diagram Preferences dialog box take

effect immediately.

Debugging Preferences
The Debugging Preferences dialog box is shown in the following
illustration.

The options in this dialog box are as follows:

Show data bubbles during execution highlightingAnimates
execution flow by drawing bubbles along the wires. You might want to
turn this feature off if it significantly slows down performance on your
computer.
Auto probe during execution highlightingProbes scalar values
automatically, drawing their values on the diagram. You can turn off
this feature if you find that it clutters the display.
Show warnings in error box by defaultDisplays warnings in addition
to errors in the Error List dialog box. A warning does not mean that the
VI is incorrect; it just points out a potential problem in your block
diagram.
Warn about objects unavailable in the student editionIf you have
selected the previous option about warnings, this option includes
warnings about objects unavailable in the LabVIEW Student Edition.

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Changes to options in the Debugging Preferences dialog box take effect

immediately.

Color Preferences
The Color Preferences dialog box is shown in the following illustration.

Windows, UNIX only

This dialog box lets you change the colors used by G for various items.
If you do not select the Use default colors checkbox, you can click on
any rectangle to change the color. The options are the following:
Front PanelYou can select a color for the front panel of new VIs.
Changing the color does not affect old VIs.
Block DiagramYou can select a color for the block diagram of new
VIs. Changing the color does not affect old VIs.
ScrollbarYou can select a color for scrollbars. This option affects
only the VIs that are currently open.
Coercion DotsYou can select a color for the dots indicating coercion
of numerical data. This option affects only the VIs that are currently
open.
(Windows, UNIX) Menu TextYou can select a color for text used in

menus.

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(Windows, UNIX) Menu BackgroundLets you select a color for the

background used in menus.

Blink ForegroundLets you select the foreground color for a blinking

object. Affects only a blinking object in its blink state. Blinking is a
basic attribute turned on with Attribute Nodes. See Chapter 20, Attribute
Nodes, for more information.
Blink BackgroundLets you select the background color for a
blinking object. Affects only a blinking object in its blink state.
Use default colorsUses the default choice of colors for all items listed
in this dialog box. You must turn this off if you wish to change any of
these colors.
(UNIX) Provide extra colorsToggles between a 216-color palette and

a 125-color palette. A larger palette can cause a noticeable flash when

you switch between windows.
Note:

Changes to options in the Color Preferences dialog box take effect

Customizing Your G Environment

you have a PostScript printer and a PostScript printer driver, the

printout is a graphics image. Do not select this option if your printer or
printer driver does not support PostScript printing or you will have a
printout containing nonsense.
PostScript level 2Tells G that the connected printer supports
PostScript level 2. If this box is checked, G sends PostScript level 2
code to the printer. If the box is not checked, G sends Color/Grayscale
code. Color/Grayscale is a subset of PostScript level 2. Select this
option only if your printer supports PostScript level 2.
(Windows, UNIX) Bitmap printingDirects G to create a bitmap, draw all

data for that page into the bitmap, and then send the bitmap to the
printer. This method takes longer to print than the other two, but can
yield a more accurate representation of the text and fonts than standard
printing, even though the printout is not as high resolution as with
PostScript printing. The bitmap image is in color for color printers and
black and white otherwise.
Note:

Changes to options in the Printing Preferences dialog box take effect

immediately.

History Preferences
As explained in Chapter 25, Managing Your Applications, each VI has a
History window that displays the development history of the VI. With
the History Preferences dialog box, you can choose the default settings
for the History window of new VIs.

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The History Preferences dialog box is shown in the following

illustration.

The options in the History dialog box are divided into two groups. The
first group contains five options for indicating when and how entries to
the History window are added for new VIs.
The second group of options in the History Preferences dialog box
concerns how you log in to G, which in turn determines the name G
inserts in the headers to comments entered in the VI History window.
Options concerning History window entries can be specified for
individual VIs through the VI SetupDocumentation dialog box. See
Documentation Options in Chapter 6, Setting up VIs and SubVIs, for
information about accessing the options.
The options in this dialog box are as follows:
Add an entry every time VI is savedDirects G to add an entry to the
VI history every time you save the VI. If you have not entered a
comment in the Comment box of the History window, only a header is
added to the history. (The header contains the revision number if that
option further down in this dialog box is checked, the date and time, and
the name of the VI.)
Prompt for comment when VI is savedDirects G to bring up the
History window when you save so that you can enter a comment. This
is useful if you prefer to comment on your changes when you finish
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making them instead of as you are editing. If you do not set this option,
you will not have a chance to change the history of the VI after you
select Save until the save is finished.
Prompt for comment when VI is closedSimilar to the previous
option, except that G only prompts you when you close a VI, rather than
every time you save. You are prompted if the VI changed any time since
you loaded it, even if you have already saved the changes.
Note:

G does not prompt you to enter a comment when you save or close a VI if
the only changes you made were changes to the history.
Record comments generated by the editorCauses the editor to insert
comments into the History window when certain events occur. The
events that cause automatic comments are conversion to a new version
of LabVIEW or BridgeVIEW, subVI changes, and changes to the name
or path of the VI.
Show revision number in titlebarAdds the revision number to the
header of the History window. The revision number starts at zero and is
incremented every time you save the VI. It will not be incremented
however, if the only changes you made were changes to the VI history.
The login options are as follows:
(Windows and Macintosh only) Login automatically with the registration

nameUses the name of the registered user of the application.

Show the login prompt at startup timePrompts you for a user name
when your application is started. The user name can be changed any
time by selecting EditUser Name; the prompt displays a menu of all
user names so-far entered into LabVIEW with this option.

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Note:

This option is a LabVIEW-only feature. BridgeVIEW has its own login

security system in which the EditUser Name option does not appear.

You can switch to another user name (the system user name or your
application registration name) in Windows or on the Macintosh, or the
system user name in UNIX, without having to type it in by using the
pull-down menu shown in the preceding illustration. You also can type
in a name, which appears in the list thereafter.
(Windows NT, Macintosh with file sharing only, and UNIX) Login automatically

with the system user nameAssuming that a user name has been
defined, causes G to use the system login name of the current user.
Note:

Changes to options in the History Preferences dialog box take effect

immediately.

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Time and Date Preferences

The Time and Date Preferences dialog box is shown in the following
illustration.

The options in this dialog box control the default displays of time and
date in the digital displays of new controls and indicators. You can
override the defaults in this dialog box for individual digital displays,
as explained in the Format and Precision of Digital Displays section of
Chapter 9, Numeric Controls and Indicators.
The options in this dialog box are as follows:
Default date formatDetermines whether the month, day, or year
comes first in digital displays.
Default time formatDetermines whether time in digital displays is
based on a 12-hour or 24-hour clock.
Date SeparatorDetermines the character used to separate the month,
day, and year (in the order selected in the Default date format option)
of digital displays.
Time SeparatorDetermines the character used to separate the hours
and minutes past the hour in digital displays.
Note:

Changes to options in the Time and Date Preferences dialog box take effect
immediately.

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Miscellaneous Preferences
The Miscellaneous Preferences dialog box is shown in the following
illustration.

Windows, Macintosh only

The options in this dialog box are as follows:

Open VIs in run modeOpens VIs in run mode rather than edit mode.
Show tip-stripsToggles the display of Tip strips.
(Windows, Macintosh) Use native file dialogsUses the operating

system's native file dialog boxes in G so that they look similar to those
of other applications on your machine (with a few exceptions discussed
at in the next paragraph). When this preference is not selected, G uses
its own platform-independent file dialog boxes, which add some
convenient features, such as providing a list of recent paths and
reducing the steps necessary to save VIs in VI libraries.
In a few cases, the native file dialog box of the operating system does
not have the functionality required by G. In such cases, G uses its own
file dialog box even when this option is selected. On the Macintosh, if
you wire the pattern input or if you wire the datalog type input and use
a select mode of 1 (select new file), 2 (select new or existing file), 4
(select new directory), or 5 (select new or existing directory), G uses its
own file dialog box. In Windows, even if you wire the pattern input, G
uses its own file dialog box.

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(Windows, Macintosh) Allow drop-through clicksYou can set G so that

clicking only once on the mouse activates and selects an object in an
inactive window. This reduces the number of mouse clicks required
from two to one. (Normally, the first click activates the window and the
second click passes through as a click in the window.)

Use hot menusWith this option, you can navigate the menus using the
mouse without keeping the left mouse button pressed. This ergonomic
feature relieves strain on the hand.
Note:

Changes to options in the Miscellaneous Preferences dialog box take effect

immediately.

How Preferences Are Stored

Usually, you do not have to edit preference information manually or
know its exact format, because the Preferences dialog box takes care of
it for you. Preferences are stored differently on each platform, as
described in the following paragraphs.
(Windows) Preference information is stored in a LabVIEW.INI
file in your LabVIEW directory, if you are a LabVIEW user. The format
for this file is similar to other .INI files, such as the WIN.INI file. It
begins with a section marker [LabVIEW].

If you are a BridgeVIEW user, you can find preference information

stored in a BridgeVIEW.INI file in your BridgeVIEW directory . The
format for this file is similar to other .INI files. It begins with a section
marker [BridgeVIEW].
This is followed by variable labels and their values, such as
offscreenUpdates=True. If a configuration value is not defined
in LABVIEW.INI, LabVIEW checks to see if there is a [LabVIEW]
section of your WIN.INI file, and if so, checks for the configuration
value in that file.
Note:

The references to WIN.INI files applies only to Windows 3.1. If you are a
BridgeVIEW user, this information does not apply to the Windows
platform you are using.
You also can specify a preference file on the command line when you
start LabVIEW or BridgeVIEW. For example, to use a file named lvrc
instead of .labview.ini, type labview -pref lvrc.

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(Macintosh) You can create a LabView Preferences file in your System

Folder that contains preference information. Under System 6, this
preference file is created at the top level of the System Folder; however,
under System 7, it is created in the Preferences folder of the System Folder.

If you want, you can copy your LabVIEW Preferences file to the
LabVIEW folder. When launched, LabVIEW always looks for the
Preferences file in the LabVIEW folder. If not found there, it looks in
the System Folder, and if not found there, it creates a new one in the
System Folder. By moving Preferences files between desktop and the
LabVIEW folder, you can create multiple Preferences for multiple users
or uses.
(UNIX) Preference information normally is stored in a source file in your
home directory. If you change a parameter from the Preferences dialog
box, G writes the information to this file. The following information is
supplied for those who want more information on the storage format
and the rules for finding preference information.

Preference entries consist of a preference name followed by a colon and

a value. The preference name is the executable name followed by a
period (.) and a token. When LabVIEW searches for preference names,
the search is case-sensitive. You have the option to enclose the
preference value in double or single quotation marks. For example, to
use a default precision of double and use a search path that recursively
searches the a particular directory, you specify the following preference
entries.
labview.defPrecision : double
labview.viSearchPath : "/usr/lib/labview/*"

LabVIEW also searches for preferences in a file named labviewrc in

the applications directory. For example, if you have installed your
LabVIEW files in /opt/labview, preferences are read out of both
/opt/labview/labviewrc and the .labviewrc file in your
home directory.
Entries in the .labviewrc file override conflicting entries in the
labviewrc file. You might want to use this global preference file to
store things that are the same to all users such as the VI search path.

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You also can specify a preference file on the command line when you
start LabVIEW. For example, to use a file named lvrc instead of
.labviewrc, type labview -pref lvrc.
Caution:

The labviewrc file is still read in this case. Also, keep in mind that
changes made in the Preferences dialog box are written to the lvrc file in
this example.

Customizing the Controls and Functions Palettes

G has a powerful set of tools for customizing the Controls and
Functions palettes in any of the following ways:

You can add your own VIs and controls to the palettes by saving
them in the user.lib or instr.lib directories.

You can add your own VIs and controls to the palettes by using the
EditEdit Control & Function Palettes option.

You can set up the palettes so they automatically change as you add
or remove files from specific directories.

You can rearrange the built-in palettes to make the functions you
use frequently more easily accessible.

You can set up different views for different users, hiding some
functions to make G easier to use for one user while providing the
full capabilities for another user.

Adding VIs and Controls to user.lib and instr.lib

The simplest method for adding new entries to the Controls and
Functions palettes is to save them inside of the user.lib directory.
When you restart G, the User Libraries subpalette of the Functions
palette contains subpalettes for each directory, llb, or .mnu file in
user.lib and entries for each file in user.lib.
The Instrument I/O palette of the Functions palette corresponds to the
instr.lib directory. You might want to put instrument drivers in this
directory to make them easily accessible from the palettes.
Note:

The vi.lib directory contains files from National Instruments. Do not

save files into vi.lib because these files are overridden when you upgrade
G.

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Installing and Changing Views

Controls and Functions palette information is stored in the menus
directory of the directory of your application. The menus directory
contains directories corresponding to each view that you create or
install.
This organization makes it easy to transfer views to other people. To
give someone else a copy of a view, give the person a copy of the
directory of the view from the menus directory. After placing it in his
or her menus directory, the view becomes available.
To switch to another view, select EditEdit Control & Function
Palettes. Then select the view that you want from the menu setup ring.
To create your own view, see the description in the following Palettes
Editor section. For more details on how views are organized, see the
How Views Work section later in this chapter.

Palettes Editor
For more control over the layout and contents of the Controls and
Functions palettes, use the EditEdit Control & Function Palettes
option. When you have selected this option, you enter the Palettes
Editor. The Edit Palettes dialog box appears.
In this editor, you can rearrange the contents of palettes by dragging
objects to new locations. If you want to delete, customize, or insert
objects, pop up on a palette as shown in the following illustration, or
pop up on an object within a subpalette.

With the pop-up options, you can modify anything within the User
Libraries menu (corresponds to user.lib) or the Instrument I/O
menu (corresponds to instr.lib). If you want to edit the top-level
Controls or Functions palettes or any of the other predefined menus,
G Programming Reference Manual

Both .mnu files and VI library files are binary files that can contain one
Controls palette and one Functions palette. In addition, both types of
files contain an icon for the Controls and Functions palettes. Each
submenu that you create must be stored in a separate file.
When you select a view, G looks for a directory in the menus directory.
It builds the top-level Controls and Functions palettes from the
root.mnu file within that directory. The top-level palettes then link to
other .mnu or VI library files for each subpalette within the palette.
If you link in a directory, you initiate a search to check if the directory
contains a dir.mnu file. If so, the directory uses that .mnu file as the
subpalette for the directory. Otherwise, your application creates a
dir.mnu file based on the contents of the directory. For each VI (or
control), an entry is created. For each subdirectory, .mnu file, or VI
library, your application creates a subpalette.
G automatically updates the palettes within a VI library as you add files
to or remove files from the VI library. You have the option to set a .mnu
file to update based on the contents of a directory. To change this
setting, select Synchronize with Directory from the pop-up menu of
the subpalette icon. Although it is a good idea to have the .mnu file in
the same directory with which it is synchronized, you actually can select
any directory. In addition to reflecting a specific directory, you can
have additional VIs or controls from other directories in the same
palette. You also can remove VIs from the palette by selecting Delete
Item from the pop-up menu.

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Introduction to Front Panel

Objects

Chapter

This chapter introduces the front panel and its two components
controls and indicators. It also explains how to import graphics from
other programs to use in your controls.

Building the Front Panel

Controls and indicators on the front panel are the interactive input and
output terminals of the VI. You use controls to supply data to a VI, and
indicators display the data generated by the VI. This section explains a
few editing options common to all controls and indicators.
The Controls palette on the front panel is shown in the following
illustration.

If you idle your cursor over any square of the panel, the name of the
collection of controls is displayed.
The types of controls in the palette, from left to right, top to bottom, are
as follows:

Numeric controlsFor entering and displaying numeric quantities.

Boolean controlsFor entering and displaying TRUE/FALSE

values.

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String & Table controlsFor entering and displaying text.

List & Ring controlsFor displaying and/or selecting from a list of

options.

Array & Cluster controlsFor grouping sets of data.

Graph controlsFor plotting numeric data in chart or graph form.

Path & Refnum controlsFor entering and displaying file paths

and for passing refnums from one VI to another.

DecorationsFor adding graphics to customize front panels. These

objects are for decoration only, and do not display data.

Select a ControlFor choosing a custom control of your own

design.

Front Panel Control and Indicator Options

When you pop up on a control or indicator on the front panel while
editing a VI, you see a menu like the one shown in the following
illustration. The options above the line in the pop-up menu are common
to all controls and indicators. Some controls and indicators do not have
any of the options shown below the lineRepresentation, Data
Range, and Format & Precisionin their pop-up menus.

Objects in the Controls palette initially are configured as controls or

indicators. For example, if you choose a toggle switch from the Boolean
palette, it appears on the front panel as a control, because a toggle
switch is usually an input device. Conversely, if you select an LED, it

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appears on the front panel as an indicator, because an LED is usually an

output device. However, you can reconfigure all controls to be
indicators, and indicators to controls, by choosing the Change to
Control or Change to Indicator commands from the pop-up menu of
the object. The Numeric palette contains both a digital control and a
digital indicator because you use both frequently. The String palette
also contains both a string control and a string indicator.
The Find Terminal option on the control and indicator pop-up menus
highlights the block diagram terminal for the control or indicator. This
option is useful for identifying a particular object on a crowded block
diagram.
The Create Attribute Node option creates an Attribute Node for the
object. You can use Attribute Nodes to control various properties of the
object programmatically.
The Show submenu shows a list of the parts of a control that you can
choose to hide or show, such as the name label.
When editing a VI, the pop-up menu for a control contains a Data
Operations submenu. Using items from this menu, you can cut, copy,
or paste the contents of the control, set the control to its default value,
make the current value of the control its new default, and read or change
the control's description. (When editing a VI, you can paste data into an
indicator.) Some of the more complex controls have additional options;
for example, the array has options you can use to copy a range of values
and to show the last element of the array.
The following illustration shows the edit mode Data Operations
submenu for a numeric control. This submenu is the only part of the
pop-up menu of a control available while the VI is running.

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If you pop up on a control while a VI is running, you can change only

the value of a control. While running a VI, you cannot change most
characteristics of a control, such as its default value or description.

Replacing Controls
The Replace option of the pop-up menu of an object displays the
Controls palette from which you can choose a control or indicator to
take the place of the current item on the front panel.
Use Replace when you want to choose a different style of control, but
do not want to lose all of the editing options you have selected for the
control up to that point. Selecting Replace from the pop-up menu
preserves as much information as possible about the original control,
such as its name, description, default data, dataflow direction (control
or indicator), colors, size, and so on. However, the new control keeps
its own data type. Wires from the terminal of the control or local
variables remain connected on the block diagram.
The more similar the control is to the one being replaced, the more the
original characteristics can be preserved. As an example, the following
illustration shows a slide being replaced by a different style of slide.

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The next illustration shows the result.

The new slide has the same height, scale, value, name, description, and
so on.
If you were to pop up and replace the slide with a string instead, only
the name, description, and data flow direction are preserved, because a
slide does not have much in common with a string.
Another way to replace a control that does not use the Replace pop-up
menu and does not preserve any characteristics of the old control
involves copying the control to the Clipboard. This method does keep
the connections on the block diagram and VI connector. Copy the new
control to the Clipboard. Then select the old control that you want to
replace with the Positioning tool, and select EditPaste. The old control
is discarded and the new control is pasted in its place.

Key Navigation Option for Controls

All front panel controls have a Key Navigation option. You use this
option to associate a keyboard key combination with a control. When a
user enters that key combination while running the VI, G acts as though
the user had clicked on that control. The associated control becomes the
key focus. If the control is a text control, any existing text within that
control is highlighted, ready for editing. If the control is a Boolean
control, the state of the button is toggled.
Note:

The Key Navigation option is disabled for indicators, because you cannot
enter data into an indicator.
You also can use the Key Navigation option to indicate whether a
control should be included when the user tabs from control to control
while running.

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You can use the Key Navigation option to associate function keys
with various buttons that control the behavior of a panel. You can use it
to define a default button for VIs that behave like a dialog box, so that
pressing the <Enter> (Windows and HP-UX), or <Return>
(Macintosh and Sun) key becomes the same as clicking on the default
button.
If you associate the <Enter> or the <Return> key with a dialog box
button, G automatically draws that button with a special thick border
around it, as shown in the following illustration.

There are two important things to know about the <Enter> or the
<Return> key:
1.

If you associate the <Enter> or the <Return> key with a control,

then no control on that front panel ever receives a carriage return.
Consequently, all strings on the front panel are limited to a single
line.

Chapter 8

Introduction to Front Panel Objects

changes, because it is now in panel order edit mode, as shown in the

following illustration.

The white boxes on the controls and indicators show their current places
in the panel order. Black boxes show the new place in the panel order
of the control or indicator. Clicking on an element with the panel order
cursor sets the position of the element in the panel order to the number
displayed inside the Tools palette. You can change this number by
typing a new number into it. When the panel order is the way you want
it, click on the Enter button to set it and exit the panel order edit mode.
Click on the X button to revert to the old panel order and exit the panel
order edit mode.
X Button

The panel order determines the order in which the controls and
indicators appear in the records of datalog files produced by logging the
front panel.

Customizing Dialog Box Controls

dialog ring

dialog button

There are several types of dialog box controls: dialog rings (which are
numeric), dialog buttons (which are Boolean), dialog checkmarks, and
dialog buttons.
The dialog controls change appearance depending on which platform
you are using. Each appears with the color and appearance typical of
that platform.

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(Windows) The dialog button appears as a three-dimensional rectangular

gray button. The dialog ring appears as a flat black-and-white rectangle,
as shown in the following illustration.

Windows

(Macintosh) The dialog button appears as a two dimensional

black-and-white oval. The dialog ring appears as a black-and-white
rectangle with a drop shadow, as shown in the following illustration.

Macintosh

(UNIX) The dialog button appears as a three-dimensional rectangular

gray button. The dialog rings appears as a flat, black-and-white
rectangle with drop shadow, as shown in the following illustration.
You cannot color the dialog button or the dialog ring.

Sun and
HP-UX

Because these controls change appearance, you can create VIs with
controls whose appearance is compatible with any of the computers that
can run G. Using these controls, along with the checkmark and radio
button Booleans, simple numeric controls, simple strings, and the
dialog fonts, you can create a VI that adapts its appearance to match any
computer you use the VI on. By using the VI Setup options to hide the
menu bar and scrollbars and control the window behavior, you can
create VIs that look like standard dialog boxes for that computer.

Customizing Controls Using Imported Graphics

You can import graphics from other programs for use as background
pictures, as items in ring controls, or as parts of other controls. (For
more information on using graphics in these controls, see Chapter 13,
List and Ring Controls and Indicators, and Chapter 22, Custom Controls
and Type Definitions.)

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Before you can use a picture in G, you have to load it into the G
Clipboard. There are one or two ways to do this, depending on your
platform, as described below.
(Windows) If you can copy an image directly from a paint program to the
Windows Clipboard and then switch to G, G automatically imports the
picture to the G Clipboard. Or, you can use the Import Picture from
File option from the Windows Edit menu to import a graphics file
into the G Clipboard. In Windows 3.1, you can use the latter method on
CLP, EMF, GIF, PCX, BMP, TARGA, TIFF, LZW, WMF, and WPG
files. On Windows 95/NT, you can use EMF, WMF, and CLP files.
(Macintosh) If you copy from a paint program to the Clipboard and then
switch to G, G automatically imports the picture to its Clipboard.
(UNIX) You can use the Import Picture from File option from the

UNIX Edit menu to import a picture of type X Window Dump (XWD),

which you can create using the xwd command.
(All Platforms) When a picture is on the G Clipboard, you can paste it as

a static picture on your front panel, or you can use the Import Picture
option of a pop-up menu, or the Import Picture options in the Control
Editor.
For an example of how to import graphics from other programs, see
general\controls\custom.llb.

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Numeric Controls and

Indicators

Chapter

This chapter explains how to create, operate, and configure the various
styles of numeric controls and indicators.
When you select ControlsNumeric from the palette, a new palette of
controls and indicators appears, as shown in the following illustration.

Numeric controls and indicators are either digital, slide, rotary, ring,
enumerated, color box, or color ramp controls.

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Digital Controls and Indicators

A digital numeric control and indicator are shown in the following
illustration.

Digital numerics are the simplest way to enter and display numeric data.
Use the Operating tool and any of the following methods to increase or
decrease the displayed value:
Operating tool

Enter button

Click inside the digital display window and enter numbers from the
keyboard.

Chapter 9

Numeric Controls and Indicators

complex single-precision (CSG) floating-point numbers. These choices

are shown in the following illustration.

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Range Options of Numeric Controls and Indicators

Each representation has natural minimum and maximum range limits.
For example, signed byte integers are limited to values from 128
through 127, although floating-point numbers have the ranges shown in
the following table.
Table 9-1.

Precision

Note:

Range Options of Floating-Point Numbers

Single

Double

Extended
(platformdependent)

Minimum
Positive
Number

1.5E45

5.0E324

1.9E4951

Maximum
Positive
Number

3.4E38

1.7E308

1.1E4932

Minimum
Negative
Number

1.5E45

5.0E324

1.9E4951

Maximum
Negative
Number

3.4E38

1.7E308

1.1E4932

Although G can process in the range shown in Table 9-1, the range of
extended floating-point numbers it can represent and display in text format
is 9.9999999999999999E999.
You can choose other limits within these natural bounds with the Data
Range option from the pop-up menu. The following dialog box
appears.

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Numeric Range Checking

You also can limit intermediate values to certain increments. For
example, you might limit word integers to increments of 10, or
single-precision floating-point numbers to increments of 0.25. If you
change either the limits or the increment, you need to decide what to do
if a VI or the operator attempts to set a value outside the range or off the
increment. You have the following options:
Ignore

G does not change or flag invalid

values. Clicking on the increment and
decrement arrows changes the value by
the increment you set, but the value
does not go beyond the minimum or
maximum values.

Coerce

G changes invalid values to the nearest

valid value automatically. For example,
if the minimum is 3, the maximum is
10, and the increment is 2, valid values
are 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10. G coerces the
value 0 to 3, the value 6 to 7, and the
value 100 to 10.

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Suspend

G suspends execution of a VI or subVI

when a value is invalid. When you
choose to suspend on invalid values, G
keeps a copy of all the front panel data
in memory in case you need to open the
front panel to show an error.

A top-level VI with controls whose values are invalid cannot run. If the
value of a control is invalid before a subVI runs (when a subVI is about
to execute), the VI is suspended. The front panel of the VI opens (or
becomes the active window) and the invalid control(s) are outlined in
red (or a thick black line on a black-and-white monitor). The toolbar on
the block diagram of a suspended subVI looks like the following
illustration.

You must set the control to a valid value before you can proceed. When
all control values are valid, the toolbar looks like the following
illustration, and you can click on the Run button to continue execution.

Run button
Return to Caller button

If the value of an indicator or control becomes invalid while a subVI is

running, execution pauses as if there were a breakpoint. The front panel
of the VI opens (or becomes the active window). The indicator(s) and
control(s) that are currently invalid are outlined in red (or a thick black
line on a black-and-white monitor). When a suspended VI finishes
execution, if there are any invalid values, the Return to Caller button
is disabled, as shown in the following illustration.

You must set indicators to valid values before you can return to the
calling VI. You also can change the control values to produce valid
outputs and run the subVI again by clicking on the Run button. When

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all indicator values are valid, the toolbar looks like the following
illustration, and you can click on the Return to Caller button to
continue execution.

Format and Precision of Digital Displays

You can select the format of your digital displays for numerics or for
time and date. If numeric, you can choose if the notation is
floating-point, scientific, engineering, or relative time in seconds, and
you can select their precision, that is how many digits to the right of the
decimal point they display, from 0 through 20. The precision you select
affects only the display of the value; the internal accuracy still depends
on the representation.
To change any of these parameters of the digital display, select Format
& Precision option from the display pop-up menu. The dialog box
opens in numeric format, as shown in the following illustration.

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You can see an example at the top of the dialog box as you make
selections. Examples of format and precision settings on a digital
control are shown in the following illustration.

floating-point notation
4 digits of precision

scientific notation
6 digits of precision

engineering notation
3 digits of precision

relative time
seconds

To format absolute time and/or date, select Time & Date from the
Format ring at the top of the dialog box. The dialog box changes, as
shown in the following illustration.

You can format for either time or date, or both. If you enter only time
or only date, G infers the unspecified components. If you do not enter
time, G assumes 12:00 a.m. If you do not enter date, it assumes the
previous date value. If you enter date, but the control is not in a date

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format, G assumes the month, day, and year ordering based on the
settings in the Preferences dialog box. If you enter only two digits for
the year, G assumes the following: any number less than 38 is in the
twenty-first century, otherwise the number is in the twentieth century.
Though absolute time is displayed as a time and date string, it is
represented internally as the number of seconds since 12:00 a.m.
Jan. 1, 1904, Universal Time. G keeps track of these components
internally.
Note:

When a control is in absolute time format, you always have the option to
enter time, date, or time and date. If you do not want G to assume a date,
use relative time.
Notice the examples at the top right of the dialog box, which change as
you make selections.
The valid range for time and date differs across computer platforms as
follows:
(Windows) 12:00 a.m. Jan. 2, 1970 12:00 a.m. Feb. 4, 2106
(Windows NT) 12:00 a.m. Jan. 2, 1970 12:00 a.m. Jan. 17, 2038
(Macintosh) 12:00 a.m. Jan. 2, 1904 12:00 a.m. Jan. 2, 2040
(UNIX) 12:00 a.m. Dec. 15, 1901 12:00 a.m. Jan. 17, 2038

These ranges might be up to a few days wider depending on your time

zone and if daylight saving time is in effect.

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Slide Numeric Controls and Indicators

The slide controls and indicators are shown in the following illustration.

Each slide has a digital display. You can use the digital displays to enter
data into slide controls, as explained in the Digital Controls and
Indicators section of this chapter. You can use the Operating tool on
such parts as the slider, the slide housing, the scale, and increment
buttons to enter data or change values. The slider is the part that moves
to show the value of the control. The housing is the stationary part that
the slider moves on or over. The scale indicates the value of the slider,
and the increment buttons are small triangles at either end of the
housing. An example of a slider is shown in the following illustration.

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You can drag the slider with the Operating tool to a new position. If the
VI is running during the change, intermediate values might pass to the
program, depending on how often the VI reads the control.
You also can click on a point on the housing and the slider snaps to that
location as shown in the following illustration. Intermediate values do
not pass to the program.

If you use a slide that has increment buttons, you can click on an
increment button, as shown in the following illustration, and the slider
moves slowly in the direction of the arrow. Hold down the <Shift>
key to move the slider faster. Intermediate values might pass to the
program.

Just like the digital numerics, slides have Representation, Data

Range, and Format & Precision options in their pop-up menus.
These options work the same as they do for digital displays, except that

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slides cannot represent complex numbers. Slides also have other

options. The following illustration shows a slide pop-up menu.

The ShowDigital Display option of the pop-up menu controls the

visibility of the digital display of the slide.

Slide Scale
The scale submenu options apply to the scale for the slide only. The
scale pop-up menu is shown in the following illustration.

The Marker Spacing option is discussed in the section, Scale Markers.

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The Format & Precision option functions as described in the Format

and Precision of Digital Displays section of this chapter.
The Style option shows you the palette shown in the following
illustration. You can display a scale with no tick marks or no scale
values, or you can hide the scale altogether.

The Mapping item shows you the option of linear or logarithmic scale
spacing, as shown in the following illustration.

If you change to Logarithmic spacing, and the low scale limit is less
than or equal to 0, the limit automatically becomes a positive number,
and G revalues other markers accordingly. Keep in mind that scale
options, including the mapping functions, are independent of the slide
data range values, which you change with the Data Range pop-up
option. If you want to limit your data to logarithmic values, you need to
change the data range to eliminate values less than or equal to zero.

Scale Markers
The scale of a numeric control or indicator has two or more markers,
which are labels that show the value associated with the marker
position.
You can change the outer two markers, the scale limits, and you can
change any inner markers from even spacing to place them anywhere
you want.

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Changing Scale Limits

The outer two markers are the scale limits. They are not required to
coincide with the range limits, but they can be a subset of the range of
the control or indicator. For example, the default range of a 16-bit
signed integer control or indicator is 32,768 to 32,767. However, you
can set the data range to be 1,000 to 1,000 and then set the scale limits
to be 0 and 500.

scale
range
data range
representation limits

You can change the minimum, maximum, and increment of a scale

interactively in five ways using either the Operating tool or the Labeling
tool. If you want to change a scale programmatically, use the Attribute
Node. See Chapter 20, Attribute Nodes, for more information on
changing a scale programmatically using the Attribute Node.

If you type a new maximum value into its display, the minimum
stays the same, and G recalculates the increment automatically.

If you type a new minimum value into its display, the maximum
stays the same, and G recalculates the increment automatically.

If you type the current minimum value into the maximum display,
G flips the scale so that what was formerly the minimum is now the
maximum, and can flip the scale so that what was formerly the
maximum is now the minimum. G also recalculates the increments.

If you type into any intermediate marker, the increment becomes

that value minus the minimum.

If you change the size of the slide, the increment adjusts so that the
markers do not overlap.

Selecting Non-Uniform Scale Marker Distribution

By default, scale markers are evenly spaced. If you want, you can
indicate exactly where inner markers for a scale are located. This is
useful for marking a few specific points on a slide (such as a set point
or threshold). If you want non-uniform marker distribution, select
ScaleMarker SpacingArbitrary from the pop-up menu of the scale.
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Then, you can pop up on the slide and select ScaleAdd Marker or pop
up on the marker and select Add Marker. A marker appears at an
arbitrary location, as shown in the following illustration.

To delete an arbitrary marker, pop up on the slide and select

ScaleDelete Marker or pop up on the marker and select Delete
Marker.
When a marker is created, you can type a number in the marker; the
location changes automatically to match the number. You also can
move markers by dragging ticks, the small lines beside the data points
of the scale. To do so, idle the Operating tool over the ticks. The cursor
changes to show that the ticks can be moved, as shown in the following
illustration.

In Uniform mode, dragging a tick changes the marker distribution. In

Arbitrary Markers mode, dragging a tick moves only the current
marker, without changing the other markers. Pressing the <Ctrl>
(Windows); <option> (Macintosh); <meta> (Sun); or <Alt> (HP-UX)

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key while dragging creates a new marker. (If the ticks are hidden, as
chosen in the ScaleStyle dialog box, you cannot drag them.)
The arbitrary markers affect only the inner markers, not the two end
markers. If no arbitrary markers are visible in the current range, the
scale reverts temporarily to uniform markers.

Text Scale
You also can use text labels on numeric scales. Labels are useful
because you can associate strings with integer values. This
configuration is useful for selecting mutually exclusive options. To
implement this option, select Text Labels from the slide pop-up menu.
The slide control appears with default text labels, min and max, and
you can begin typing immediately to enter the labels you want. Press
<Shift-Enter> (Windows and HP-UX), or <Shift-Return>
(Macintosh and Sun) after each label to create a new label, and <Enter>
on the numeric keypad after you have finished your last label.
You can use the Labeling tool to edit min and max labels in the text
display or on the slide itself.

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You can pop up on the text display and select ShowDigital Display to
find out what numeric values are associated with the text labels you
create. These values always start at zero (on the bottom of vertical slides
and on the left or right of horizontal slides) and increase by one for each
text label.
Use the Add Item After or Add Item Before option from the text
display pop-up menu to create new labels, as shown in the following
illustration.

You also can press <Shift-Enter> (Windows and HP-UX), or

<Shift-Return> (Macintosh and Sun) to advance to a new item
when you are editing the existing items.

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Filled and Multivalued Slides

The Numeric palette contains four controls that are configured to fill
from the minimum to the slider value. These controls include a vertical
slide, a horizontal slide, the tank, and the thermometer. Using the Fill
Options item in the pop-up menu, you can turn all slides into fill slides,
and you can turn fill slides into regular slides. Normally, you have three
choices, as shown in the following illustration. These are fill from the
minimum value to the slider location, fill from the maximum value to
the slider location, or use no fill.

You also can show more than one value on the same slide. To do so,
choose Add Slider from the pop-up menu. A new slider appears along
with a new digital display as shown in the following illustration.

When you do this, two more options appear in the Fill Options palette:
Fill to Value Above and Fill to Value Below. These options apply to
the active slider. All five options appear in the following illustration.

For an example of slide controls and indicators, see

general\controls\alarmsld.llb.
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Rotary Numeric Controls and Indicators

The rotary numeric controls and indicators are shown in the following
illustration.

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Chapter 9

Color Ramp
The color ramp displays a color corresponding to a specified value. You
can configure a color scale, which consists of at least two arbitrary
markers, each consisting of a level and the display color corresponding
to that level. As the input value changes, the color displayed changes to
the color corresponding to that value. An example is shown in the
following illustration.
overflow color

color display area

ramp

underflow color

digital display

Chapter 9

Numeric Controls and Indicators

Table 9-6-1 through Table 9-6-5 list all the units you can use with the
units feature.
Table 9-2.

Quantity Name

Unit

Abbreviation

plane angle

radian

rad

solid angle

steradian

time

second

length

meter

mass

gram

electric current

ampere

thermodynamic
temperature

kelvin

amount of
substance

mole

mol

luminous intensity

candela

Table 9-3.

Quantity Name

G Programming Reference Manual

Base Units

Derived Units with Special Names

Unit

Abbreviation

frequency

hertz

force

newton

pressure

pascal

energy

joule

power

watt

electric charge

coulomb

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Table 9-3.

Derived Units with Special Names (Continued)

Quantity Name

Unit

Abbreviation

electric potential

volt

capacitance

farad

electric resistance

ohm

Ohm

conductance

siemens

magnetic flux

weber

magnetic flux
density

tesla

inductance

henry

luminous flux

lumen

illuminance

lux

Celsius
temperature

degree
Celsius

degC

activity

becquerel

absorbed dose

gray

dose equivalent

sievert

Table 9-4.

Additional Units in Use with SI Units

Quantity Name

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Numeric Controls and Indicators

Unit

Abbreviation

time

minute

min

time

hour

time

day

plane angle

degree

deg

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Table 9-4.

Additional Units in Use with SI Units (Continued)

Quantity Name

Unit

plane angle

minute

plane angle

second

volume

liter

mass

metric ton

area

hectare

energy

electron
volt

mass

unified
atomic
mass unit

Table 9-5.

Quantity Name

CGS Units

Unit

Abbreviation

area

barn

force

dyne

dyn

energy

erg

pressure

bar

Table 9-6.

G Programming Reference Manual

Abbreviation

Other Units

Quantity Name

Unit

Fahrenheit temperature

degree Fahrenheit

degF

Celsius temperature
difference

Celsius degree

Cdeg

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Abbreviation

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Table 9-6.

Numeric Controls and Indicators

Other Units (Continued)

Quantity Name

Unit

Abbreviation

Fahrenheit temperature
difference

Fahrenheit degree

Fdeg

length

foot

length

inch

length

mile

area

acre

pressure

atmosphere

atm

energy

calorie

cal

energy

British thermal unit

Btu

Chapter 9

Numeric Controls and Indicators

for the broken wire shown below, the List Errors window indicates that
the error is Wire: unit conflict.

Some functions are ambiguous with respect to units and cannot be used
with signals that have units. For example, the Add One function is
ambiguous with respect to units. If you are using distance units, Add
One cannot tell whether to add one meter, one kilometer, or one foot.
Because of this ambiguity, the Add One function and similar functions
cannot be used with data that has associated units.
One way around this difficulty is to use a numeric constant with the
proper unit and the addition function on the block diagram to create
your own Add One unit function.

Note:

You cannot use units in Formula Nodes.

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Polymorphic Units
If you want to create a VI that computes the root mean square value of
a waveform, you have to define the unit associated with the waveform.
A separate VI is necessary for voltage waveforms, current waveforms,
temperature waveforms, and so on. In order to have one VI to do the
same calculation, regardless of the units received by the inputs, G has
polymorphic unit capability.
Create a polymorphic unit by entering $x, where x is a number (for
example, $1). You can think of this as a placeholder for the actual unit.
When the VI is called, G substitutes the units you pass in for all
occurrences of $x in that VI. The $x place holder always gets passed a
unit that is expressed in base units, for example, meters, meters/sec, not
feet, inches, and so on.
A polymorphic unit is treated as a unique unit. It is not convertible to
any other unit and propagates throughout the diagram just as other units
do. When it is connected to an indicator that also has the abbreviation
$1, the units match and the VI can compile.
$1 can be used in combinations like any other unit. For example, if the
input is multiplied by 3 seconds and then wired to an indicator, the
indicator must be $1 s units. If the indicator has different units, the
block diagram shows a bad wire.
If you need to use more than one polymorphic unit, you can use the
abbreviations $2, $3, and so on.
A call to a subVI containing polymorphic units computes output units
based on the units received by its inputs. For example, suppose you
create a VI that has two inputs with the polymorphic units $1 and $2
that creates an output in the form $1 $2 / s. If a call to the VI receives
inputs with the unit m/s to the $1 input and kg to the $2 input, the
output unit is computed as kg m / s^2.
Suppose a different VI has two inputs of $1 and $1/s, and computes
an output of $1^2. If a call to this VI receives inputs of m/s to the $1
input and m/s^2 to the $1/s input, the output unit is computed as m^2
/ s^2. If this VI receives inputs of m to the $1 input and kg to the
$1/s input, however, one of the inputs is declared to be a unit conflict
and the output is computed (if possible) from the other. A polymorphic
VI can have a polymorphic subVI because the respective units are kept
distinct.

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Boolean Controls and

Indicators

Chapter

This chapter discusses how to create, operate, and configure Boolean

controls and indicators.

Creating and Operating Boolean Controls and Indicators

A Boolean control or indicator has two valuesTRUE or FALSE.
Boolean controls and indicators are available from the
ControlsBoolean palette, as shown in the following illustration.

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when you operate the control, V stands for the output value of the
control, and RD stands for the point in time that the VI reads the control.

The Switch When Pressed action changes the control value each time
you click on it with the Operating tool, in a manner similar to that of a
light switch. The action is not affected by how often the VI reads the
control.
The Switch When Released action changes the control value only after
you release the mouse button during a mouse click within the graphical
boundary of the control. The action is not affected by how often the VI
reads the control.
The Switch Until Released action changes the control value when you
click on it, and retains the new value until you release the mouse button.
At this time, the control reverts to its original value, similar to the
operation of a door buzzer. The action is not affected by how often the
VI reads the control.
With Latch When Pressed action, the control changes its value when
you click on it, and retains the new value until the VI reads it once. At
this point, the control reverts to its default value, whether or not you
keep pressing the mouse button. This action is similar to that of a circuit
breaker and is useful for stopping While Loops or for getting the VI to
do something only once each time you set the control.

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The Latch When Released action changes the control value only after
you release the mouse button within the controls graphical boundary.
When your VI reads it once, the control reverts to the old value. This
guarantees at least one new value.
The Latch Until Released action changes the control value when you
click on it, and retains it until your VI reads it once or you release the
mouse button, depending on which one occurs last.
For an example of Boolean controls and indicators, see
general\controls\booleans.llb.

Customizing Booleans with Imported Pictures

You can design your own Boolean style by importing pictures for the
TRUE and FALSE state of any of the Boolean controls or indicators.
This process is explained in the Using the Control Editor section of
Chapter 22, Custom Controls and Type Definitions.

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Chapter

String Controls and

Indicators

This chapter discusses how to use string controls and indicators, and the
table. You can access these objects through the ControlsString &
Table palette, shown in the following illustration.

Using String Controls and Indicators

A string control and string indicator are shown in the following
illustration.

table shows how G interprets these codes.
Table 11-1.

Code

G \ Codes
G Interpretation

\00 - \FF

Hex value of an 8-bit character; must be uppercase

Backspace (ASCII BS, equivalent to \08)

Form feed (ASCII FF, equivalent to \0C)

Linefeed (ASCII LF, equivalent to \0A)

Carriage return (ASCII CR, equivalent to \0D)

Tab (ASCII HT, equivalent to \09)

Space (equivalent, \20)

Backslash (ASCII \, equivalent to \5C)

Use uppercase letters for hexadecimal characters and lowercase letters

for the special characters, such as form feed and backspace. Thus,
G interprets the sequence \BFare as hex BF followed by the word are,
whereas G interprets \bFare and \bfare as a backspace followed by
the words Fare and fare. In the sequence \Bfare, \B is not the
backspace code, and \Bf is not a valid hex code. In a case like this,
when a backslash is followed by only part of a valid hex character,
G assumes a 0 follows the backslash, so G interprets \B as hex 0B. Any
time a backslash is not followed by a valid hex character, G does not
recognize the backslash character.
You can enter some nondisplayable characters from the keyboard, such
as a carriage return, into a string control, whether or not you select
\ Codes Display. However, if you enable the backslash mode when
the display window contains text, G redraws the display to show the
backslash representation of any nondisplayable characters as well as the
\ character itself.
Suppose the mode is disabled and you enter the following string.
left
\right\3F

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When you enable the mode, the following string appears because the
carriage return after left and the backslash characters following it are
shown in backslash form as \n\\.
left\n\\right\\3F

Suppose now that you select \ Codes Display and you enter the
following string.
left
\right\3F

When you disable the mode, the following string appears because
G originally interpreted \r as a carriage return and now prints one. \3F
is the special representation of the question mark (?) and prints this way.
left
ight?

Now if you select \ Codes Display again, the following string appears.
left\n\right?

Indicators behave in the same way.

In these examples, the data in the string does not change from one mode
to the other. Only the displayed representation of certain characters
changes.
The backslash mode is very useful for debugging programs, and for
sending nonprintable characters to instruments, serial ports, and other
devices.

Password Display Option

With the Password Display option, the string control displays an * for
each character entered into it. When you read the data of the string from
the block diagram, however, you read the actual data that the user
entered. If you try to copy data from the control, only the * characters
are copied.

Hex Display Option

Use the Hex Display option to display the string as hex characters
rather than alphanumeric characters.

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Limit to Single Line Option

The Limit to Single Line option prevents you from entering a carriage
return into a string while typing into it.

To show a selected area of data, you can turn the option on or off by
selecting or deselecting Data OperationsShow Selection.
The row and column headings of a table are not part of the table data.
Table headings are a separate piece of data, and you can read and set
them using the Attribute Node.
The table is the same as a two-dimensional array of strings as far as the
block diagram is concerned. Because of this, string functions can
manipulate tables. See the Online ReferenceFunction and VI
ReferenceString Functions topic for information on using these
functions.

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Path Controls and Indicators

and Refnums

Chapter

This chapter describes how to use file path controls and refnums, which
are available from the ControlsPath & Refnum palette, shown in the
following illustration.

Path Controls and Indicators

A path control and path indicator are shown in the following
illustration.

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You can use path controls and indicators to enter and display,
respectively, the location of a file or directory in a file system using the
standard syntax for a given platform. If a function that is supposed to
Path Symbol
return a path fails, it returns an invalid path. When an invalid path is
displayed by a path control or indicator, the Path symbol changes to the
Not a Path symbol, and <Not A Path> appears in the text field to
Not a Path Symbol indicate that the path is invalid.
You can change the value of a path control from a valid path to an
invalid path by clicking on the Path symbol and selecting the Not a
Path option from the menu. This is shown in the following illustration.
In the same way, you can change the value of a path control or indicator
from an invalid path to a valid empty path by clicking on the Not a Path
symbol and selecting the Valid Path option from the menu.

You might use this Not a Path value as the default value for a path
control on your VI. In this way, you can detect when the user has not
entered a path, in which case the user can use a file dialog box for
choosing a path.

Refnums
The Path & Refnums palette contains several refnum controls, shown
in the following illustration. These refnums generally are used to
identify I/O operations. G has seven refnum data types for various kinds

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of I/O. For each refnum, there is a corresponding control. The following

illustration shows the different kinds of refnums.
Byte
Stream
File
RefNum

Data
Log
File
RefNum

VISA
Session
RefNum

Device
RefNum

Occurrence
RefNum

Network
Connection
RefNum

VISA
Address
RefNum

To open a file, you must specify the path of the file you want to open.
Because you can open more than one file at a time, you need to indicate
which operations apply to which open file. The path control is not
sufficient for this, because you can open one file more than once,
concurrently.
When you open a file, G returns a refnum that identifies that file. You
use this refnum in all subsequent operations that relate to that file. You
can think of this refnum as a unique number produced each time you
open a file to identify it. When you close the file, the refnum is
disassociated from it.
Note:

You only need to use a refnum control or indicator if you want to pass a
refnum between two VIs.
If you are a LabVIEW user, refer to Chapter 5, VISA Transition Library
Reference in the LabVIEW Instrument I/O VI Reference Manual, for
information on the two VISA refnums.
There are two kinds of file refnums, one for datalog files and one for
byte stream files.
Because datalog files have an inherent structure, the Data Log File
RefNum is used to pass the refnum as well as a description of the file
type to (or from) calling VIs. The Data Log File RefNum is resizeable,
like a cluster. You place a control inside the refnum that defines the

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structure of the file. For a file that contains numbers, you create a
datalog refnum containing a number. If each record in the file contains
a pair of numbers, you place a cluster inside the refnum, and then place
two numeric controls inside the cluster.
The remaining refnums are easy to use, because they do not have any
options. The Byte Stream File RefNum is used with byte stream files,
either text or binary files. Typically, you use it when you open or create
a file in one VI but want to perform I/O on the file in another VI. You
need a refnum control on the front panel of the VI that performs I/O, and
a refnum indicator on the front panel of the VI that opens or creates the
file.
The Device RefNum is used with the device I/O functions available for
the Macintosh. It is used only when you open a device in one VI but
want to perform I/O on the device in another VI.
Note:

You rarely need to use a Device RefNum control on your front panel. These
controls are used in the Instrument I/O VIs in vi.lib to access the G
GPIB and serial device drivers. You only need to use a Device RefNum
control if you have to write a special-purpose G device driver for the
Macintosh.
The Network Connection RefNum is used with the TCP/IP VIs. You
generally use it when you open a network connection in one VI but want
to perform I/O on the network connection in another VI.
The Occurrence RefNum is used with the occurrence functions. You use
it only when you generate an occurrence in one VI but want to set or
wait for the occurrence in another VI.
The following illustration shows the front panel and block diagram of a
VI that uses and returns an Occurrence RefNum generated in
another VI.

front panel

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The following illustration shows the front panel and block diagram of a
VI that uses and returns a Byte Stream File RefNum generated in
another VI.

front panel

block diagram

The following illustration shows the front panel and block diagram of a
VI that uses and returns a Data Log File RefNum generated in
another VI. Datalog files can contain any data type. The datalog file in
the following example contains numeric data.

front panel

block diagram

The following illustration shows the front panel and block diagram of a
VI that uses and returns a Network Connection RefNum generated in
another VI.

front panel

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block diagram

G Programming Reference Manual

List and Ring Controls

and Indicators

Chapter

This chapter describes the listbox and ring controls and indicators,
which are available from the ControlsList & Ring palette, shown in
the following illustration.

The List & Ring palette contains eight controlsText Ring, Menu
Ring, Dialog Ring, Pict Ring, Text & Pict Ring, Single Selection
Listbox, Multiple Selection Listbox, and Enumerated Type. This
chapter discusses the ring controls, listbox controls, and the enumerated
type controls, in that order. For information about the attributes of
listbox and ring controls, see Chapter 20, Attribute Nodes.

Listbox Controls
Listbox controls are used to present users with a list of options. An
example is shown in the following illustration. There are two types of
listbox controlsSingle Selection in which only one option can be

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selected, and Multiple Selection, in which one or more options can be

selected.

In addition to displaying a list of text options, you can have one of

several different symbols drawn next to each item (as in the Save dialog
box, where directories and files have different symbols). You can detect
the currently selected option(s) by reading the value of the control. By
using an Attribute Node, you also can detect which item, if any, the user
double-clicked on. Finally, you can choose to have some options
grayed-out (non-selectable) using the Attribute Node.

Creating a List of Options

When you put a listbox on a front panel, it contains no text. You can
create the list of options in edit mode by typing them with the Labeling
tool, or in run mode by using the Attribute Node. Separate individual
options by entering a carriage return. If you can determine the options
when you create the VI, you might want to type in the options while in
edit mode. If you can determine the options at run time (for example, a
list of files), use the Attribute Node.

Selecting Listbox Items

There are three ways to select items in a listboxby using the mouse,
by using the arrow keys, or by typing part of the name of the option you
want.

G Programming Reference Manual

MouseUse the Operating tool to select items. With the Multiple

Selection Listbox, you can select more than one item by
<Shift>-clicking on additional items.

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Arrow keysUse the arrow keys to select items. To add the

currently highlighted option to the list of selected items, press the
spacebar. You can deselect a currently selected option by using the
arrow keys to move to the option and then pressing the spacebar.

Typing part of the name of the option you wantType the name of
the option to select the item. You also can use the left or right arrow
keys to go to the previous or next items that match the typed letters.

Listbox Data Types

The data type for a Single Selection Listbox is Int32. The data value for
the Single Selection Listbox is a number that represents the currently
selected option, with the first option having a value of zero. If no option
is selected, the value is 1.
The Multiple Selection listbox is an array of Int32s, where the value(s)
in the array represent the currently selected option(s). If no option is
selected, the value is an empty array.

Listbox Pop-Up Menu Options

The listbox pop-up menu includes the options shown in the following
illustration. The options unique to listbox controls are described in this
section.

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Show
You use Show from the pop-up menu, shown in the following
illustration, to select which components of the listbox are visible. You
also can choose to show or hide the label, the scrollbar, and the symbols.

If you select ShowSymbols, the listbox adds an extra column to the left
side of the list for symbols. An example of this is shown in the
following illustration. Initially, no items have symbols. You can add
symbols using the Attribute Node.

Selection Mode
You use Selection Mode from the pop-up menu to indicate how many
items you can select at once.

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For a Single Selection Listbox, you have selection mode options to set
the listbox to support zero or one selections, or one selection, shown in
the following illustration.

If you select 1 Item (the default setting), then one option in the listbox
always is selected (highlighted). When you click on a different option,
the new option is selected (highlighted), and the previous option is
deselected. If you select 0 or 1 Item, the behavior is the same, with the
exception that a user can deselect the current option by
<Shift>-clicking on it, leaving no options selected.
In a Multiple Selection Listbox, you have the same selection mode
options as the Single Selection Listbox. In addition, you can indicate
that multiple options can be selected, as shown in the following
illustration.

By default, the Multiple Selection listbox has a selection mode in which

the user can select 0 or More Items. You also can select 0 or More
Items to put it into a multiple selection mode where at least one item
must be selected.

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Keyboard Mode
You use Keyboard Mode from the pop-up menu, shown in the
illustration that follows, to indicate how the listbox should treat upper
and lower case characters when you select options by typing their initial
letters.

If you select Case Sensitive, an item is selected only if the uppercase

and lowercase letters of what the user types exactly match the item. If
you select Case Insensitive, case is ignored. If you select System
Default (the default setting for a listbox), the listbox behaves the same
way that other listboxes do for a given platform. Specifically, in
Windows and on the Macintosh, the listbox is case insensitive. In
UNIX, the listbox is case sensitive.

Creating a Grayed-Out Dividing Line

If you use a value of 1 for the symbol of an option, the listbox draws
a grayed-out dividing line instead of drawing the name of the option.

Chapter 13

List and Ring Controls and Indicators

Use the Remove Item command from the ring pop-up menu to delete
any item. As with the add item commands, the numeric values of the
item adjust automatically.
If you set a ring indicator or control to a value smaller than zero or
greater than the number of items included, the control or indicator
displays the first or the last item, respectively.

Adding Picture Items to Rings

A new Pict Ring or Text & Pict Ring has one item with an empty picture
display. You must copy a picture to the Clipboard before you can import
the picture into a Pict Ring. When you have a picture on the Clipboard,
pop up on the Pict Ring and select Import Picture. To add another
picture, copy it to the Clipboard, then pop up on the Pict Ring and select
Import Picture Before or Import Picture After, as shown in the
following illustration.

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Changing the Size and Text of Text & Pict Rings

You can enlarge the Text & Pict Ring to make more room for the
contents, just as you can enlarge all controls. You also can decrease the
size. When you resize the Text & Pict Ring from one of its bottom
corners, the height of the text area changes. When you resize the Text
& Pict Ring from one of its top corners, the height of the picture area
changes. These resizing capabilities are shown in the following
illustration.

Enumerated Type Controls

An enumerated type control is similar to a text ring control. If data from
an enumerated type is connected to a Case Structure, however, the case
displays the string, or text of the item, instead of a number. The
enumerated type data type is unsigned byte, unsigned word, or unsigned

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long, selectable from the Representation palette. An example is shown

in the following illustration.

Front panel
object

digital display

Block diagram

One advantage of enumerated types over ring controls is that if you use
an enumerated type on the connector pane of a subVI, then popping up
to create a constant, control, or indicator will create an enumeration
with the proper strings.
You enter items into an enumerated type the same way you enter items
into a ring, using Add Item After or Add Item Before. Or, you can use
the Labeling tool. Press <Shift-Enter> (Windows and HP-UX), or
<Shift-Return> (Macintosh and Sun) to enter a new item. Click on
any area outside the enumerated type when you have finished entering
items.
If an enumerated type is wired to a Case Structure, the Case Structure
must have one frame for each item in the enumerated type. Pop up on
the Case Structure and select Add Case After if you need more frames.
Like a ring, the value of an enumerated type is the index of its current
items. You can pop up and select ShowDigital Display.
All arithmetic operations except Add One and Subtract One treat the
enumerated type the same as an unsigned numeric. Add One increments
the last enumeration to the first, and Subtract One decrements the first
enumeration to the last.

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If you connect a numeric value to an enumerated type indicator, G

converts the number to the closest enumeration item. If you connect an
enumeration control to a numeric value, the value is the enumerated
type index. To wire an enumeration control to an enumeration indicator,
the enumeration items must match exactly.

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Array and Cluster Controls

and Indicators

Chapter

This chapter describes how to use arrays and clusters. You access arrays
and clusters from the ControlsArray & Cluster palette, shown in the
following illustration.

See the examples in general\examples\general\arrays.llb.

The Online ReferenceFunction and VI Reference describes G
functions, many of which can operate on arrays in addition to scalars.
The Array Functions and the Cluster Functions topics describe the
functions designed exclusively for array and cluster operations.

Arrays
An array is a variable-sized collection of data elements that are all the
same type, as opposed to a cluster, which is a fixed-sized collection of
data elements of mixed types. Array elements are ordered, and you
access an individual array element by indexing the array. The index is

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zero-based, which means it is in the range of zero to n 1, where n is

the number of elements in the array, as in the following illustration.
index

11-element
array

Melissa

Greg

Gregg

Don

Duncan

Thad

index (continued)

11-element array
(continued)

Dean

Stepan

Kate

Mary

Mark

A simple example of an array is a list of names, represented in G as an

array of strings, as shown in the following illustration.

Jeff

Paul

Rob Bruce Steve Meg

Jack Brian Deb

Kevin Tom

List of Names in an Array of Strings

Another example is a waveform represented as a numeric array in which

each successive element is the voltage value at successive time
intervals, as shown in the following illustration.

index
volts

0
0.4

0.9

1.4

0.8

-0.1

-0.7

-0.3

0.3

0.2

Waveform in an Array of Numbers

A more complex example is a graph represented as an array of points

where each point is a pair of numbers giving the X and Y coordinates,
as shown in the following illustration.

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index
X coord

0.4

Y coord

0.2

Array and Cluster Controls and Indicators

2.2

3.3

3.2

2.4

1.8

1.9

0.5

1.3

2.3

2.6

1.9

1.2

Graph in an Array of Points

The preceding examples are one-dimensional arrays. A two-dimensional

array requires two indices to locate an elementa column index and a
row index, both of which are zero-based. In this case, we speak of an N
column by M row array, which contains N times M elements, as shown
in the following illustration.

column index
1 2 3 4

row
1
index
6 Column by 4 Row
Array of 24 Elements

A simple example is a chess board. There are eight columns and eight
rows for a total of 64 positions, each of which can be empty or have one
chess piece. You can represent a chess board as a two-dimensional array
of strings. Each string has the name of the piece occupying the
corresponding location on the board, or it is an empty string if the
location was empty. Other familiar examples include calendars, train
schedule tables, and even television pictures, which can be represented
as two-dimensional arrays of numbers giving the light intensity at each
point. Familiar to computer users are spreadsheet programs, which have
rows and columns of numbers, formulas, and text.
All of the one-dimensional array examples can be generalized to two
dimensions. A collection of waveforms represented as a
two-dimensional array of numbers is shown in the following

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illustration. The row index selects the waveform and the column index
selects the point on the waveform.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
point index
0
waveform 0 0.4 0.9 1.4 0.8 - 0.1 - 0.7 - 0.3 0.3 0.2
1.6 1.4 0.9 1.1
indices 1 - 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.8
2 1.6 1.4 0.7 0.5 - 0.5 - 0.6 - 0.2 0.3 0.5
Multiple Waveforms in a 2D Array of Numbers

volts

Arrays can have an arbitrary number of dimensions, but one index per
dimension is required to locate an element. The data type of the array
elements can be a cluster containing an assortment of types, including
arrays whose element type is a cluster, and so on. You cannot have an
array of arrays. Instead, use a multidimensional array or an array of
clusters of arrays.
Consider using arrays when you need to work with a collection of
similar data. Arrays are frequently helpful when you need to perform
repetitive computations or I/O functions. Using arrays makes your
application smaller, faster, and easier to develop because of the large
number of array functions and VIs in G.

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Creating Array Controls

You create an array control by first selecting an array from
ControlsArray & Cluster, as shown in the following illustration.

You create an array control or indicator by combining an array shell

from the Array & Cluster palette, as shown in the preceding
illustration, with a valid element, which can be a numeric, Boolean,
string, or cluster. The element cannot be another array or a chart. Also,
if the element is a graph then only the graph data types that contain
clusters instead of arrays at the top level are valid.
Selecting an array from the Array & Cluster palette places an array
shell on the front panel, as shown in the following illustration.
index display

element display

A new array shell has one index display, an empty element display, and
an optional label.

Array and Cluster Controls and Indicators

display appears for each dimension you add. Two methods for resizing
are shown in the following illustrations.

The dimension of an array is a choice you make when you decide how
many identifiers it takes to locate an item of data. For example, to locate
a word in a book you might need to go to the sixth word on the
twenty-eighth line on page 192. You need three indices, 6, 28, and 192
to specify the word, so one possible representation for this book is a
three-dimensional array of words. To locate a book in a library you
indicate the position on the shelf, which shelf, which bookcase, which
aisle, and which floor, so if you represented this as an array it uses five
dimensions. To locate a word in a library then requires eight indices.

Array Index Display

If you think of a two-dimensional array as rows of columns, the top
display is the row index and the bottom display is the column index. The
combined display at the right shows the value at the specified position,
as shown in the illustration that follows.

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row
value at row, column
column

For example, say you have an array of 3 rows and 4 columns, with
values as shown in the following figure.

Rows and columns are zero-based, meaning that the first column is
column 0, the second column is column 1, and so forth. Changing the
index display to row 1, column 2 displays a value of 6, as shown in the
following illustration.

If you try to display something out of range, the value display is

grayed-out to indicate there is no value currently defined for that value.
For example, if you tried to display an element in row 10 of the array
shown previously, the display would be grayed-out as shown in the
following illustration.

Displaying Arrays in Single-Element or Tabular Form

Array Resizing
tool

A new array appears in single-element form. The array displays the

value of a single elementthe one referenced by the index display. You
also can display the array as a table of elements by resizing the array
shell from any of the four corners surrounding the element. The array
Resizing tool is slightly different from the usual Resizing tool when it

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is over the array shell resizing handles, and the cursor changes to the
usual symbol when you begin to resize. An example is shown in the
following illustration.
Usual Resizing
symbol

The following illustration shows how to resize a one-dimensional array

either vertically or horizontally to show more elements simultaneously.

The index display contains the index of the element in the left or upper
left corner of the table. By changing the index, you can display different
sections of a large or multidimensional array. For one-dimensional (1D)
arrays, the index identifies the column of the left-most visible element.
For two-dimensional (2D) or higher arrays, the bottom two indices
identify the coordinates of the upper left visible element. In the left
portion of the following illustration, this element is [3,4].
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If you view a three-dimensional (3D) array as a book of pages that are

composed of lines (rows) of characters (columns), the table displays
part or all of one page. The figure at the right in the following
illustration shows the first four columns of the first two rows of page
three of the array.
element [3,4]

element [0,0] of page 3

page
row
column

If you want to hide the array indices, pop up on the outer frame and turn
off the ShowIndex Display option from the array pop-up menu. The
following illustration shows an example of what a tabular array looks
like without the index display.

If you want to display an array in an orientation different from the

tabular array format, you can display the elements in a cluster on the
front panel and process them in an array. To do this, use the Array To
Cluster and Cluster To Array functions discussed in the Online
ReferenceFunction and VI ReferenceCluster Functions topic.

Operating Arrays
You operate the element of the array exactly as if it were not part of the
array. You operate the index display the same way you operate a digital
control. To set the value of an array control element, bring the element
into view with the index display, then set the value of the element.

Default Sizes and Values of Arrays

You cannot fix the size of a G array. However, when you set the default
values of an array control, you also set the default size. Do not make the
default size larger than necessary. Keep in mind that if you set an array

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to have a large default value, all of the default data is saved along with
the VI, thus increasing the size of your file.
A new array shell without an element is undefined. It has no data type
and no elements and it cannot be used in a program. After you assign an
element to the array, it is an empty array (its length is 0). Although it
also has no defined elements, you still can use it in the VI. The array
control dims all elements, indicating they are undefined.
The following illustrations show an array control in single-element
form that is wired to an array indicator in tabular form with five
elements displayed. The first figure shows that both arrays are empty
(element values are undefined).

If you set the index display of the array control to 9 and set the element
value at index 9 to 5.4, the data in the array expands to 10 elements
(0 to 9). The value of element 9 is the value you set, 5.4 in this example.
G assigns to the other elements the default value of the digital control,
0.00. After running the VI, the indicator displays the same values.

Selecting Reinitialize to Default for an element resets that element

only to its default value.
Now assume you change the default value of a numeric element from
0.0 to 1.0. You can do this by changing the value in the indicator with
the Operating tool and then popping up on the element and selecting
Make Current Value Default. Or, you can choose the Data Range
option from the pop-up menu. Assume you also set the value of element
12 to 7.0. The array now has 13 elements. The values of the first 10
elements do not change, but elements 10 and 11 have the new default

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value of 1.0, and element 12 has the assigned value of 7.0. This example
is shown in the following illustration.

If you now select Reinitialize to Default from either the shell or the
index pop-up menus, the array reverts to the 10-element array shown in
the previous example.
To increase the size of an array from [Ni by Nj by Nk] to [Mi by Mj
by Mk], assign a value to the new last element [Mi 1, Mj 1,
Mk 1]. To decrease the size, first execute the Data
OperationsEmpty Array command from the index array pop-up
menu, then set the array and values to the size you want, or select the
unwanted subset of the array and select the Data OperationsCut Data
option from the pop-up menu, as explained in the following sections.

Array Elements
When in run mode, you can use the <Tab> key either to move the key
focus between front panel controls or between elements within a single
array. Initially, the <Tab> key moves the key focus between front panel
controls. To have it move between the elements within a specific array,
first <Tab> to that array. Then use the <Ctrl> (Windows);
<command> (Macintosh); <meta> (Sun); or <Alt> (HP-UX) key and
the down arrow, which you can use to move between the array elements.
If you want to return to tabbing between controls, use the <Ctrl>
(Windows); <command> (Macintosh); <meta> (Sun); or <Alt>
(HP-UX) key and the up arrow.

Finding the Size of Arrays

To find the size of an array control or indicator, select Data
OperationsShow Last Element from the index array pop-up menu.

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Moving or Resizing Arrays

Always move the array by clicking on the shell border or the index
display and then dragging it. If you drag the element in the array, it
separates from the array, because the shell and elements are not locked
together. If you inadvertently drag the element when you meant to drag
the shell, cancel the operation by dragging the element back into the
shell or past the front panel window border before releasing the mouse
button. You also cancel a resizing operation by dragging the border past
the front panel window before releasing the mouse button. If the array
is part of the current selection, then grabbing an element drags the array.
You can resize the array index vertically from any corner, or
horizontally from the left.

Selecting Array Cells

You can copy data from and paste data to arrays by taking these steps.
1.

To select the data, set the array index to the first element in the data
set you want to copy.

Then, select the Data OperationsStart Selection option from the

array pop-up menu.

Next, set the array index to the last element in the data set you want
to copy.

Finally, select the Data OperationsEnd Selection option from the

array pop-up menu.

When you are in run mode, these options are directly available when
you pop up on an array. The selection process is detailed in the
following example.

An Example of Selecting Array Cells

Begin by selecting Show Selection from the pop-up menu. Show
Selection must be activated for your selected cells to be visibly marked.
A border surrounds selected cells. You can select Add Element Gap
from the pop-up menu. This separates the cells by a thin open space.
Although it is not necessary to add the element gap, this open border
improves the appearance of the array. When you select cells, this open
space is filled by a thick border, denoting the selected cells. If you do
not add the element gap, the selection border appears over the selected
cell edge.

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You define the cells for selection with the array index. The following
example uses a two dimensional array.
Set the array index for 1,1. Choose Start Selection from the pop-up
menu. Set the array index to 3,3. Choose End Selection from the
pop-up menu. The selected cells are surrounded by a blue border (thick
black on a monochrome system).

The selection includes the cells denoted by lower index numbers but not
the cells denoted by the higher index numbers. If you want to include

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the cells from 1,1 to 3,3, you need to set the index to 4,4 before
choosing End Selection.
After you select cells, you can cut or copy the data to paste into other
cells. When you finish, notice that one border line remains highlighted.
This is an insertion point, and remains in the array. To hide this line, you
can deselect the Show Selection option from the pop-up menu. You can
eliminate this line without deselecting Show Selection by emptying the
selection. Set the index to 0 in all dimensions, and then select Start
Selection and End Selection. This makes the selection run from 0 to 0
in all dimensions, which is what the selection is set to when you first
place it on the front panel.

G Arrays and Arrays in Other Systems

Most programming languages have arrays, although few have the
number of built-in array functions that G contains. Other languages
typically stop at the fundamental array operations of extracting an
element or replacing an element, leaving it to the users to build more
complex operations themselves. G has these fundamental operators, so
you can map a program in another language directly to a VI in G, but
you usually can create a simpler and smaller diagram if you start over
in G and use the higher-level array functions of G. The example that
follows shows a fragment of a C program that sums the squares of the
elements of an array, the direct translation to a G block diagram, and
two redesigned versions that are more efficient than the translation.

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. . .
sum = 0
for (i = 0; i < 100; i ++ )
sum += x[i] * x[i];
. . .
C Code Fragment

sum

G Direct Translation

sum
x
G Auto-Indexing Version

sum

x
G Optimal Version

Index Array
function icon

The indexing operation for extracting an element is represented in C by

brackets [ ] following the array name and enclosing the index. In G,
this operation is represented by the Index Array function icon shown at
left. The array is wired to the top left terminal, the index is wired to the

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bottom left terminal, and the array element value is wired to the right
terminal.
The following example shows the fundamental operation of replacing
an array element. The fragment of FORTRAN code generates a
histogram of random numbers (the random number generator produces
values between 0 and 1), and so does the G version. You can disregard
the +1 in the FORTRAN computation of J; the addition is needed
because FORTRAN arrays are one-based.

. . .
DO 10 I = 1, 10000
J = 100.0 * RAND( ) + 1
H(J) = H(J) + 1
10 CONTINUE
. . .

G Direct Translation

Replace Array
Element function

The indexing operation for inserting or replacing an element is

represented in FORTRAN by parentheses( ) on the left side of the
equal sign following the array name, and enclosing the index. In G, this
operation is represented by the Replace Array Element function icon
(shown at left). The array is wired to the top left terminal, the
replacement value is wired to the middle left terminal, the index is
wired to the bottom left terminal, and the updated array is wired from
the right terminal.
Before you can use an array in most programming languages you first
must declare it and, in some cases, initialize it. In G, building an array
control or indicator on the front panel is equivalent to declaring an

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array. Defining a default value for it is equivalent to giving the array an

initial value.
Most languages require you to indicate a maximum size for an array as
part of the declaration. The information about the size of the array is not
treated as an integral part of the array, which means you have to keep
track of the size yourself. In G, you do not have to declare a maximum
size for arrays, because G automatically preserves the size information
for the array. Furthermore, with G, you cannot store a value outside the
bounds of an array. In many conventional programming languages,
there is no such checking, and consequently you inadvertently can
corrupt memory.

Clusters
A G cluster is an ordered collection of one or more elements, similar to
structures in C and other languages. Unlike arrays, clusters can contain
any combination of G data types. Although cluster and array elements
are both ordered, you access cluster elements by unbundling all the
elements at once rather than indexing one element at a time. Clusters are
also different from arrays in that they are of a fixed size. As with an
array, a cluster is either a control or an indicator; a cluster cannot
contain a mixture of controls and indicators.
You can use clusters to group related data elements that appear in
multiple places on the diagram, which reduces wire clutter and the
number of connector terminals subVIs need.
Most clusters on the block diagram have a common wire pattern,
although clusters of numbers (sometimes referred to as points) have a
special wire pattern.
Common Cluster Wire Pattern

Cluster of Numbers Wire Pattern

You can connect terminals only if they have the same type. For clusters,
this means that both clusters must have the same number of elements,
and corresponding elementsdetermined by the cluster ordermust
match in type. G coerces numbers of different representations to the
same type.

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For information on functions that manipulate clusters, see the Online

ReferenceFunction and VI ReferenceCluster Functions topic.

Creating Clusters
You create a cluster control or indicator by installing any combination
of Booleans, strings, charts, graph scalars, arrays, or even other clusters
into a cluster shell. You access the cluster shell from the Controls
palette, as shown in the following illustration.

A new cluster shell has a resizable border and an optional label.

When you pop up in the empty element area, the Controls palette
appears. You can place any element from the Controls palette in a
cluster. You can drag existing objects into the cluster shell or deposit
them directly inside by selecting them from the cluster pop-up menu.
The cluster takes on the data direction (control or indicator) of the first
element you place in the cluster, as do subsequently added objects.
Selecting Change To Control or Change To Indicator from the
pop-up menu of any cluster element changes the cluster and all its
elements from indicators to controls or from controls to indicators.

Operating and Configuring Cluster Elements

With the exception of setting default values and the Change to Control
and Change To Indicator options, you configure controls and
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indicators the same way you configure controls and indicators that are
not in a cluster.

Cluster Elements
When in run mode, you can use the <Tab> key either to move the key
focus between front panel controls, or between elements within a single
cluster. Initially, the <Tab> key moves the key focus between front
panel controls. To have it move between the elements within a specific
cluster, first <Tab> to that cluster. Then use the <Ctrl> (Windows);
<command> (Macintosh); <meta> (Sun); or <Alt> (HP-UX) key and
the down arrow, which you can use you to move between the cluster
elements. If you want to return to tabbing between controls, use the
<Ctrl> (Windows); <command> (Macintosh); <meta> (Sun); or
<Alt> (HP-UX) key and the up arrow.

Cluster Default Values

To set the default value of the entire cluster to the current value of each
individual element, pop up on the frame and select the Data
OperationsMake Current Value Default command from the cluster
pop-up menu. To reset all elements to their individual default
configurations, select the Data OperationsReinitialize To Default
Values command from the cluster pop-up menu.
To change the default value of a single element in a cluster, pop up on
that particular element and select Make Current Value Default.

Cluster Element Order

Cluster elements have a logical order that is unrelated to their positions
within the shell. The first object you insert in the cluster is element 0,
the second is 1, and so on. If you delete an element, the order adjusts
automatically. You can change the current order by selecting the

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Cluster Order option from the cluster pop-up menu. The appearance
of the element changes, as shown in the following illustration.

new place
in order

Enter button

current place
in order

The white boxes on the elements show their current places in the cluster
order. The black boxes show the new position of the element in the
order. Clicking on an element with the cluster order cursor sets the
position of the element in the cluster order to the number displayed
inside the Tools palette. Change this order by typing a new number into
that field. When the order is as you want it, click on the enter button to
set it and exit the cluster order edit mode. Click on the X button to revert
to the old order.

X button

The cluster order determines the order in which the elements appear as
terminals on the Bundle and Unbundle functions in the block diagram.
For more information on these functions, see the Online Reference
Function and VI ReferenceString Functions topic.

Moving or Resizing Clusters

Cluster elements are not permanent components of clusters. That is, you
can move or resize elements independently even when they are in the
shell. To avoid inadvertently dragging them out, click on the shell when
you want to move a cluster, and resize clusters from the shell border. If
you inadvertently drag an element when you meant to drag the whole
cluster, you can cancel the operation by dragging the element back into
the shell or past the front panel window border before releasing the
mouse button. You also cancel a resizing operation by dragging the
border past the front panel window before releasing the mouse button.

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You can shrink clusters to fit their contents by selecting Autosizing

from the pop-up menu, shown in the following illustration.

Cluster Assembly
G has three functions for assembling or building clusters. The Bundle
and Bundle By Name functions assembles a cluster from individual
elements or replaces individual elements with elements of the same

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type. The Array To Cluster function converts an array of elements into

a cluster of elements.

Bundle Function
Bundle function

The Bundle function, which you obtain from the Array & Cluster
palette of the Functions palette, appears on the block diagram with two
element input terminals on the left side. You can resize the icon
vertically to create as many terminals as you need. The element you
wire to the top terminal becomes element 0 in the output cluster, the
element you wire to the second terminal becomes element 1 in the
output cluster, and so on.
As you wire to each input terminal, a symbol representing the data type
of the wired element appears in the formerly empty terminal shown in
the following illustration. You must wire all the inputs that you create.

In addition to input terminals for elements on the left side, the Bundle
function also has an input terminal for clusters in the middle as shown
in the following illustration. You use this terminal to replace one or
more elements of an existing cluster wire without affecting the other
elements.

See the Replacing Cluster Elements section in this chapter for an

example of using this function to replace elements in a cluster.

Bundle By Name Function

Bundle By Name
function

The Bundle By Name function, also in the FunctionsCluster palette,

is similar to the Bundle function. Instead of referencing fields by
position, however, you reference them by name. Unlike the Bundle
function, you can access only the elements that you want to access. For
each element you want to access, you need to add an input to the
function.

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Because the name does not denote a position within the cluster, you
must wire a cluster to the middle terminal as well. You can use the
Bundle By Name function only to replace elements by name, not to
create a new cluster. You might, however, wire a data type cluster to the
middle terminal, and then wire all of the new values as names to
produce this same behavior.
For example, suppose you have a cluster containing a string called
Name and a number called Age. After placing the Bundle By Name
function, you first need to connect an input cluster to the middle
terminal of the Bundle By Name function.
After you have wired the middle terminal, you can select elements you
want to modify by popping up on any of the left terminals of the Bundle
By Name function. You then see a list of the names of the elements in
the source cluster. After you select a name, you can wire a new value to

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that terminal to assign a new value to that element of the cluster. An

example of this is shown in the following illustrations.

You can resize the Bundle By Name function to show as many or as few
elements as you need. This is different from the Bundle function, which
requires you to size it to have the same number of elements as are in the
resulting cluster.

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The Unbundle By Name function, also in the Array & Cluster palette
of the Functions palette, is similar to the Unbundle function. Instead of
referencing fields by position, however, you reference them by name.
Unlike the Unbundle function, you can read only the elements that you
want to read; you do not have to have one output for every cluster
element.
For example, the following is a panel with a cluster of three elements,
weight, height and age.

When connected to an Unbundle By Name function, you can pop up on

an output terminal of the function and select an element that you want
to read from the names of the components of the cluster, as shown in the
following illustration.

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You can resize the function to read other elements, shown in the
following illustration. Keep in that you do not have to read all of the
elements and that you can read them in arbitrary order.

One of the advantages of the Unbundle By Name function over the

Unbundle function is that it is not as closely tied to the data structure of
the cluster. The Bundle function always must have exactly the same
number of terminals as it has elements. If you add or remove an element
from a cluster connected to an Unbundle function, you end up with
broken wires. With the Unbundle By Name function, you can add
elements to and remove elements from the cluster without breaking the
VI, as long as the elements were not referenced on the diagram.

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Creating Waveform and XY Graphs

You can obtain a waveform graph and XY graph from the Controls
Graph palette. Examples of these graphs are shown in the following
illustration.

The waveform graph plots only single-valued functions with points that
are evenly distributed with respect to the x-axis, such as acquired
time-varying waveforms. The XY graph is a general-purpose, Cartesian
graphing object you can use to plot multivalued functions such as
circular shapes or waveforms with a varying timebase. Both graphs can
display any number of plots.
Each of these graphs can accept several data types. This minimizes the
extent to which you need to manipulate your data before displaying it.
These data types are described in the next section.
Following the section on graph data types are sections describing some
of the more advanced options of the graph. These include customizing
the appearance of the graph, displaying and manipulating cursors, and
displaying a legend for the graph.

Plotting Single-Plot Graphs

Waveform Graph Data Types
For single-plot graphs, the waveform graph accepts two data types.
These data types are described in the following paragraphs.
The first data type that the waveform graph accepts is a single array of
values. The graph interprets the data as points and increments them by

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one, starting at x = 0. The following diagram illustrates how you can

create this kind of data.

The second data type is a cluster of an initial x value, a x value, and an

array of y data. The following diagram illustrates how you can create
this kind of data.

XY Graph Data Types

The XY graph accepts two data types for a single-plot graph. These data
types are described in the following paragraphs.

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The first data type that the XY graph accepts is a cluster containing an
x array and a y array. The following diagram illustrates how you can
create this kind of data.

The second data type is an array of points, where a point is a cluster of

an x value and a y value. The following diagram illustrates how you can
create this kind of data.

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Plotting Multiplot Graphs

You can display multiple plots on a single waveform or XY graph. For
the most part, you use arrays of the data types described in the previous
section to describe multiple plots for display in a single graph. Because
G does not accept arrays of arrays, in a case where creating an array of
a single plot data type produces an array of arrays, you can use either
2D arrays or arrays of clusters of arrays.

Waveform Graph Data Types

The multiplot waveform graph accepts five data types, which are
described in the following paragraphs.
The first data type that a multiplot graph waveform accepts is a
two-dimensional array of values, where each row of the data is a single
plot. The graph interprets this data as points, with the points starting at
x = 0 and incremented by one.

If you select the Transpose Array option from the graph pop-up menu,
each column of data is handled as a plot. This is particularly useful
when sampling multiple channels from a data acquisition board,
because that data is returned as 2D arrays, with each channel stored as
a separate column.
The following example shows how you use a graph to display two
signals, where each signal is a separate row of a two-dimensional array.

The second data type is a cluster of an x value, a x value, and a

two-dimensional array of y data. The y data is interpreted as described
for the previous data type. This data type is useful for displaying
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and increment for the x-axis of each plot. The following diagram
illustrates how you can create this kind of data.

XY Graph Data Types

The XY graph accepts two multiplot data types, as described in the
following paragraphs. Both of these data types are arrays of clusters of
the single plot data types described previously.
The first data type is an array of clusters of plots, where a plot is an
array of points. A point is defined as a cluster containing an x and y
value. The following diagram illustrates how you can create this kind of
data.

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The second data type is an array of plots, where a plot is a cluster of an

x array and a y array. The following diagram illustrates how you can
create this kind of data.

Setting Custom Options on a Graph

Both graphs have optional parts that can be shown or hidden using the
Show submenu of the graph pop-up menu. These options include a
legend, from which you can define the color and style for a particular
plot; a palette that you use to change scaling and format options while
the VI is running; and a Cursor palette that you use to display multiple
cursors. Following is a picture of a graph showing all of these optional
components except for the Cursor palette, which is illustrated in the
Graph Cursors section.

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label

major grids

minor grids

legend

y-scale

x-scale

palette

Graphs have many options you can use to customize your data display.
The graph pop-up menu is shown in the following illustration.
Transpose Array is available with the waveform graph only.

Scale Options
Graphs automatically adjust their horizontal and vertical scales to
reflect the array of points you wire to them. You can turn this

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ordering are assumed based on the settings in the Preferences dialog

box. If you enter only two digits for the year, the following is assumed:
any number less than 38 is in the twenty-first century, otherwise the
number is in the twentieth century.
Although absolute time is displayed as a time and date string, it is
represented internally as the number of seconds since 12:00 a.m.
January 1, 1904, Universal Time.
Note:

When a scale is in absolute time format, you always have the option to enter
time, date, or time and date. If you do not want G to assume a date, use
relative time.
Notice the examples at the top right of the dialog box, which change as
you make selections.
The valid range for time and date differs across computer platforms as
follows:

(Windows) 12:00 a.m. Jan. 2, 1970 12:00 a.m. Feb. 4, 2106

(Windows NT) 12:00 a.m. Jan. 1, 1970 12:00 a.m. Jan. 3, 2040

(Macintosh) 12:00 a.m. Jan. 2, 1904 12:00 a.m. Jan. 2, 2040

(UNIX) 12:00 a.m. Dec. 15, 1901 12:00 a.m. Jan. 17, 2038

These ranges might be up to a few days wider depending on your time

zone and if daylight saving time is in effect.

Autoscale
Use AutoScale (X or Y) to turn the autoscaling option on or off.

Loose Fit
Normally, G rounds the end markers of the scale to whole numbers. If
you want the scales to be set to exactly the range of the data, turn off the
Loose Fit option in the graph pop-up menu. With a loose fit, the
numbers are rounded to a multiple of the increment used for the scale.
For example, if the markers increment by five, the minimum and
maximum values are set to a multiple of five.

Panning and Zooming Options

The Graph palette is included with any graph you drop onto the front
panel. This palette has controls for panning (scrolling the display area

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of a graph) and for zooming in and out of sections of the graph. A graph
with its accompanying Graph palette is shown in the following
illustration.

If you press the x autoscale button, shown at the left, the graph
autoscales the X data. If you press the y autoscale button, shown at the
left, the graph autoscales the Y data. If you want the graph to autoscale
either of the scales continuously, click on the lock switch, shown at the
left, to lock autoscaling on.
By using the scale format buttons, shown left, you can maintain
run-time control over the format of the X and Y scale markers
respectively.
You use the remaining three buttons to control the operation mode for
the graph.
Normally, you are in standard operate mode, indicated by the plus or
crosshatch. In operate mode, you can click in the graph to move cursors
around.
If you press the Panning tool, shown to the left, you switch to a mode
in which you can scroll the visible data by clicking on and dragging
sections of the graph.
If you press the Zoom tool, shown at the left, you can zoom in on a
section of the graph by dragging a selection rectangle around that
section. If you click on the Zoom tool, you see a pop-up menu you can

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use to choose some other methods of zooming. This menu is shown in

the following illustration.

A description of each of these options follows.

Zoom by rectangle.
Zoom by rectangle, with zooming restricted to x data (the y scale
remains unchanged).
Zoom by rectangle, with zooming restricted to y data (the z scale
remains unchanged).
Undo last zoom. Resets the graph to its previous setting.

Zoom in about a point. If you hold down the mouse on a specific point,
the graph continuously zooms in until you release the mouse button.
Zoom out about a point. If you hold down the mouse on a specific point,
the graph continuously zooms out until you release the mouse button.
Note:

For the last two modes, zoom in and zoom out about a point,
<Shift>-clicking on zooms in the other direction.

Legend Options
The graph uses a default style for each new plot unless you have created
a custom plot style for it. If you want a multiplot graph to use certain
characteristics for specific plots (for instance, to make the third plot
blue), you can set these characteristics using the legend, which can be
shown or hidden using the Show submenu of the graph pop-up menu.
You also can indicate a name for each plot using the legend.

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When you select Legend, only one plot appears. You can create more
plots by dragging down a corner of the legend with the Resizing tool.
After you set plot characteristics, the graph assigns those characteristics
to the plot, regardless of if the legend is visible. If the graph receives
more plots than are defined in the legend, the graph draws them in
default style.
When you move the graph body, the legend moves with it. You can
change the position of the legend relative to the graph by dragging the
legend to a new location. Resize the legend on the left to make more
room on the labels, or on the right to make more room on the plot
samples.
By default, each plot is labeled with a number, beginning with zero.
You can modify this label the same way you modify other labels. To the
right of the plot label is the plot sample. Each plot sample has its own
pop-up menu to change the plot, line, color, and point styles of the plot.
The array of points you wire to the graph are displayed with the
characteristics you assign it in the graph legend.
The plot sample pop-up menu is shown in the following illustration.

The Common Plots option helps you configure a plot for any of six
popular plot styles, including a scatter plot, a bar plot, and a fill to zero

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plot. Options in this subpalette are preconfigured for the point, line, and
file styles in one step.
The Point Style, Line Style, and Line Width options display styles you
can use to distinguish a plot. The line width subpalette contains widths
thicker than the default 1 pixel, as well as the hairline option. The latter
option has no effect on the screen display, but prints a very thin line if
the printer and print mode support hairline printing.

Note:

In Windows, wide pens can be only in the solid style.

The Bar Plots option has a selection of vertical bars, horizontal bars, or
no bars at all.
The Fill Baseline option sets what the baseline fills to. Zero fills from
your plot to a baseline generated at 0. Infinity fills from your plot to the
positive edge of the graph. Infinity fills from your plot to the negative
edge of the graph. By using the bottom portion of this menu, you can
select a specific plot of this graph to fill to.
The Interpolation option brings up the palette shown in the following
illustration, in which you choose how the graph draws lines between
plotted points. The first option does not draw a line, making it suitable
for a scatter plot. The option at the bottom left draws a straight line
between plotted points. The two stepped options, which link points with
a right-angled elbow, are useful for creating histogram-like plots. The

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option at the top right plots the y-axis first, although the option at the
bottom right plots the x-axis first.

The Color option displays the palette for selecting the plot color. You
also can color the plots on the legend with the Color tool, and you can
change the plot colors while running the VI.
To change the properties of highlighted text, use the Font ring in the
toolbar.

Waveform Charts
The waveform chart is a special type of numeric indicator that displays
one or more plots. Charts are different from graphs in that charts retain
previous data, up to a maximum which you can define. New data is
appended to the old data, letting you see the current value in context
with previous data.
For an example of a waveform chart, see
general\examples\general\graphs\charts.llb.

Waveform Chart Data Types

You can pass charts either a single value or multiple values at a time.
As with the waveform graph, each value is handled as part of a
uniformly-spaced waveform, with each point spaced one point from the
previous one along the x-axis.
You can pass either a single scalar value or an array of multiple values
to the chart. The chart handles these inputs as new data for a single plot.

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Graph and Chart Controls and Indicators

The strip chart mode has a scrolling display similar to a paper tape strip
chart recorder. As each new value is received, it is plotted at the right
margin, and old values shift to the left.

The scope chart mode has a retracing display similar to an oscilloscope.

As each new value is received, it is plotted to the right of the last value.
When the plot reaches the right border of the plotting area, the plot is
erased and plotting begins again from the left border. The scope chart is
significantly faster than the strip chart because it is free of the
processing overhead involved in scrolling.

The sweep chart mode acts much like the scope chart, but it does not
blank when the data hits the right border. Instead, a moving vertical line
marks the beginning of new data and moves across the display as new
data is added.

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Stacked Versus Overlaid Plots

By default, the chart displays multiple plots by overlaying one on top of
the other, like graphs drawn on the same grid. An example of overlaid
plots is shown in the following illustration.

You can display multiple plots alternatively by stacking one above the
other, with a different Y scale for each plot, by selecting the Stack Plots
option from the chart pop-up menu. If you do this, the Y scale for each

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chart can have a different range. An example of stacked plots is shown

in the following illustration.

When you input data to the chart as a cluster, the chart automatically
stacks the correct number of plot displays. When you input data as a 2-D
array, you must create the correct number of plot displays using the
Legend, available in the Show submenu of the pop-up menu. As you
enlarge the Legend display to increase the number of plots, the number
of stacked plot displays increases to match.

Intensity Graphs
The intensity graph is essentially the same as the intensity chart, except
it does not retain previous data. Each time it is passed new data, the new
data replaces old data as it arrives.
For an example of an intensity graph, see
general\examples\graphs\ intgraph.llb.

Intensity Graph Data Type

The intensity graph accepts two-dimensional arrays of numbers, where
each number is mapped by the chart to a color.
Rows of the data you pass in are displayed as new columns on the chart.
If you want rows to appear as rows, use the Transpose Array option
from the chart pop-up menu.

Chapter 15

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Each cursor for a graph has the following parts.

A label

X and Y coordinates, and Z coordinate, if applicable

A button that marks the plot for movement with the plot cursor pad

A button that controls the look of the cursor

A button that determines if the cursor is locked to a plot or can be

moved freely

These parts are shown in the following illustration.

Cursor movement control

Select button for

cursor movement
Cursor name

Y position

X position

Z position

Cursor display
control
Lock
control

The Cursor palette behaves like an array. You can stretch it to display
multiple cursors, and you can use the index control to view other
cursors in the palette. Use the Show options on the pop-up menu to
display the index control.

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To delete a cursor, you must select it using the Start Selection and End
Selection options on the Data Operations pop-up menu, and then cut
the cursor with the Cut option on the same menu. See the Selecting
Array Cells section of Chapter 14, Array and Cluster Controls and
Indicators, for more information.
You can move a cursor on a graph or chart by dragging it with the
Operating tool, or by using the cursor movement control. Clicking the
arrows on the cursor movement control causes all cursors selected to
move in the specified direction. You select cursors either by moving
them on the graph with the Operating tool, or by clicking on the select
button for a particular cursor. In the following example, the top two
cursors can be moved vertically downwards.

cursor display
control

Clicking on the cursor display control with the Operating tool displays
a pop-up menu that you can use to control the look of the cursor and the
visibility of the cursor name on the plot. This pop-up menu is shown in
the following illustration.

From this menu you can select the style of the cross hairs. The cross
hairs can consist of a vertical and/or horizontal line extending to
infinity, a smaller vertical and/or horizontal line centered about the
cursor location, or no cross hairs, as shown in the following illustration.

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The Allow Drag option determines if you can move the cursor with the
mouse. If Allow Drag is selected, you can move, or drag the cursor. If
Allow Drag is deselected, you cannot move the cursor around on the
plot. If you have Allow Drag selected, the options below the dotted line
of the menu determine how you can move the cursor with the mouse.
Select Free if you want to place or move the cursor anywhere on the
graph. Select Snap to Point if you want the cursor to always attach itself
to the nearest point on any plot. Select Lock to Plot to attach the cursor
to a specific point. The first time you select Lock to Plot, the cursor
attaches itself to the first point on the plot. After freeing the locked
cursor and moving it to any new position, selecting Lock to Plot moves
the cursor to the last location of the locked cursor.
Below the second dotted line of this menu is a list of the plots you can
lock to (for example, Plot 0, Plot 1, Plot 2, and so on).
A large number of options are available for creating, controlling, and
reading cursors or markers programmatically using the Attribute Node
for a graph. See Chapter 20, Attribute Nodes, for further information.

Intensity Charts
The intensity chart is a way of displaying three dimensions of data on a
two-dimensional plot by placing blocks of color on a Cartesian plane.
The intensity chart accepts a two-dimensional array of numbers. Each
number in the array represents a specific color. The indices of an
element in the two-dimensional array set the plot location for this color.

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The following illustration shows the concept of the intensity chart

operation.
Input Array

Color Map Definition

Column = y

Row = x

Array
Element
=z

Color

5
6

blue
purple

lt red

dk red

orange

yellow

green

Resulting Plot
3
dk red

lt red

blue

yellow

green

dk red

lt red

orange

purple

You can define the colors for the intensity chart interactively, by using
the color scale, or you can define them programmatically through the
chart Attribute Node. The Color Mapping section later in this chapter
explains the procedure for assigning a color to a number.
The array indices correspond to the lower left vertex of the block of
color. The block has a unit area, as defined by the array indices. The
intensity chart can display up to 256 discrete colors.
After a block of data has been plotted, the origin of the Cartesian plane
is shifted to the right of the last data block. When new data is sent to the

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intensity chart, the new data appears to the right of the old data, as
shown in the following illustration.

New Input Array

Column = y

Row = x

Resulting Plot
3
dk red

lt red

blue

green

yellow

green

dk red

orange

blue

lt red

orange

purple

green

orange

3
(0)

4
(1)

5
(2)

When the chart display is full, the oldest data scrolls off the left side of
the chart.
See examples of intensity charts in
general\examples\general\graphs\intgraph.llb.

Intensity Chart Options

The intensity chart shares many of the optional parts of the other charts,
most of which can be shown or hidden from the Show submenu of the
graph pop-up menu. These options include a palette you use to change
scaling and format options while the VI is running. In addition, because
the intensity chart has a third dimension (color), a scale similar to a

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color ramp control is used to define the range and mappings of values
to colors.
Following is a picture of a graph showing all of these optional
components except for the Cursor palette, which is discussed in the
Graph Cursors section of this chapter.
z scale color scale
y scale

x and y grids

scale

x scale
palette

scrollbar

Intensity charts have many options you can use to customize your data
display. The intensity chart pop-up menu is shown below in the
following illustration.

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Most of these options are identical to the options for the waveform
chart. With the Show menu, you can show and hide the color scale for
the z scale. The X Scale and Y Scale menus are identical to the
corresponding menus for the waveform chart.
The intensity chart maintains a history of data from previous updates.
You can configure this buffer by selecting Chart History Length
from the chart pop-up menu. The default size for an intensity chart is
128 points. Notice that the intensity chart display can be very memory
intensive. For example, to display a single precision chart with a history
of 512 points and 128 y values requires 512 * 128 * 4 bytes (size of a
single), or 256 kilobytes. If you want to display large quantities of data
on an intensity chart, make sure enough memory is available to G.
The intensity chart supports the standard chart update modes of strip
chart, sweep chart, and scope chart. As with the waveform chart, you
select the update mode from the Data Operations menu.

Color Mapping
You can set the color mapping interactively in the same way that you
define the colors for a color ramp numeric control. See the description
of the color ramp control in Chapter 9, Numeric Controls and
Indicators, for more details.
You can set the colors used for display programmatically using the
Attribute Node in two ways. First, you can specify the value-to-color
mappings to the Attribute Node in the same way you do it with the color
scale. For this method, you specify the Z Scale Info: Color Array
attribute. This attribute consists of an array of clusters, in which each
cluster contains a numeric limit value, along with the corresponding
color to display for that value. When you specify the color table in this
manner, you can specify an upper out-of-range color using the Z Scale
Info: High Color attribute, and a lower out-of-range color using the Z
Scale Info: Low Color. The total number of colors is limited to 254
colors, with the lower and upper out of range colors bringing the total
to 256 colors. If you specify more colors, then the 254 color table is
created by interpolating between the specified colors.
Another way to set the colors programmatically is to specify a color
table using the Color Table attribute. With this method you can specify
an array of up to 256 colors. Data passed to the chart is mapped to
indices in this color table based upon the color scale. If the color scale
ranges from zero to 100, a value of zero in the data is mapped to index

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one, and a value of 100 is mapped to index 254, with interior values
interpolated between one and 254. Anything below zero is mapped to
the out of range below color (index zero), and anything above 100 is
mapped to the out of range above color (index 255).
Note:

The colors you want your intensity chart (or graph) to display are limited
to the exact colors and number of colors that your video card has. You are
also limited by the number of colors that G allocates for your display.

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Chapter

Introduction to the
Block Diagram

This chapter describes terminals and nodestwo of the three elements

you use to build a block diagram (the third consists of wires).

Terminals and Nodes

You create block diagrams with terminals, nodes, and wires.
Terminals are ports through which data passes between the block
diagram and front panel, as well as between nodes on the block diagram.
Terminals underlie the icons of functions and VIs. The following
illustration shows an example of a terminal pattern on the left and its
corresponding icon on the right. To display the terminals for a function
or VI, pop up on the icon and select ShowTerminals.

Nodes are program execution elements. They are analogous to

statements, operators, functions, and subroutines in conventional
programming languages.
Wires are the data paths between input and output terminals.

Terminals
G has many types of terminals. In general, a terminal is any point to
which you can attach a wire. G has control and indicator terminals, node
terminals, constants, and specialized terminals on structures.
Terminals that supply data, such as front panel control terminals, node
output terminals, and constants, also are called source terminals. Node
input terminals and front panel indicator terminals also are called
destination or sink terminals because they receive the data.

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Control and Indicator Terminals

You enter values into front panel controls and, when a VI executes, the
control terminals pass these values to the block diagram. When the VI
finishes executing, the output data passes from the block diagram to the
front panel indicators through the indicator terminals.
The symbols for some of the G control and indicator terminals are
shown in Table 16-1, G Control and Indicator Terminal Symbols. Each
symbol encloses a picture that suggests the data type of the control or
indicator and, in the case of numerics, the representation as well.
Control terminals have a thicker border than indicator terminals.
Because a terminal belongs to its corresponding control or indicator,
you cannot delete a terminal; if you want to delete a control, do it from
the front panel.
An array terminal encloses one of the data types shown in square
brackets, and takes on the color of the data type of the array.
Table 16-1.

Control

G Control and Indicator Terminal Symbols

Indicator

Description
Extended-precision
floating-point

Orange

Double-precision
floating-point

Orange

Single-precision
floating-point

Orange

Complex
extended-precision
floating-point

Orange

Complex double-precision
floating-point

Orange

Complex single-precision
floating-point

Orange

Unsigned 32-bit integer

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Color

Blue

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Table 16-1.

Control

Introduction to the Block Diagram

G Control and Indicator Terminal Symbols (Continued)

Indicator

Description

Color

Unsigned 16-bit integer

Blue

Unsigned 8-bit integer

Blue

32-bit integer (long word)

Blue

16-bit integer (word)

Blue

8-bit integer

Blue

Cluster

Brown or Pink

Array

Varied

Path

Aqua

Refnum

Aqua

Boolean

Green

String

Pink

Constants
Constants are terminals on a block diagram that supply data values
directly to the block diagram. User-defined constants are defined prior
to program execution, and you cannot change their values during
execution. Universal constants have fixed values.

User-Defined Constants
The easiest way to create a constant is to pop up on an input or output
and select Create Constant. These constants are also available from
various palettes in the Functions palette, depending on their type. Most
are located at the bottom or top of the relevant palette, such as the
numeric, enumerated, and ring constants in the bottom row or the
Numeric palette. Three constantsthe color box, listbox symbol ring,
and error ring constantsare located in the NumericAdditional

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Numerics subpalette. The path constant is in the File I/OFile

Introduction to the Block Diagram

You can use the path constant to create a constant path value on the
block diagram.
The path, string, and color box constants are resizable, yet the Boolean,
numeric, ring, and enumeration constants are not. The default
representation of the numeric constant is a double-precision
floating-point number if you enter a floating-point number, a long
integer if you enter an integer, or a double-precision complex number if
you enter a complex number. For example, the representation is long
integer if you enter '123' and a double-precision floating-point number
if you enter '123.'. You can change the representation with the
Representation option from the constant pop-up menu.

Universal Constants
Universal constants are of two types: universal numeric constants and
universal string constants.

Universal numeric constantsSet of high-precision and commonly

used mathematical and physical values, such as pi and the speed of
light.

Universal string constantsSet of commonly used nondisplayable

string characters, such as line feed and carriage return.

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For more information on these constants, see Online Reference

Function and VI Reference.

Nodes
Nodes are the execution elements of a block diagram. The six types of
nodes are functions, subVIs, structures, Code Interface Nodes (CINs),
Formula Nodes, and Attribute Nodes. Functions and subVI nodes have
similar appearances and roles in a block diagram, but they have
substantial differences. They are explained in the following sections.
CINs are interfaces between the block diagram and code you write in
conventional programming languages, such as C or Pascal. If you are a
LabVIEW user, refer to the LabVIEW Code Interface Reference Manual
for more information.
Structures, which supplement the G dataflow programming model to
control execution order, are discussed briefly in the Structures section
of this chapter; for in-depth information, see Chapter 18, Structures.
Formula Nodes, which supplement G functions by using formulas on
the block diagram, are discussed in Chapter 19, Formula Nodes.
Attribute Nodes, which change control attributes programmatically, are
discussed in Chapter 20, Attribute Nodes.

Functions
Functions are elementary nodes built into G. They perform elementary
operations like adding numbers, file I/O, and string formatting.
G functions do not have front panels or block diagrams. When
compiled, they generate inline machine code. See Online
ReferenceFunction and VI Reference for detailed descriptions of
individual functions.
You select functions from the Functions palette, as shown in the
following illustration.

Introduction to the Block Diagram

wired, although the Add command adds a terminal immediately after it.
The full names of these commands vary with the function.

Structures
When you are programming, you sometimes need to repeat sections of
code a set number of times or while a certain condition is true. In other
situations, you need to execute different sections of code when different
conditions exist or execute code in a specific order. G contains four
special nodes, called structures. They help you to control code
execution, which otherwise is not possible within the G dataflow
framework.
Each structure has a distinctive, resizable border that you use to enclose
the code that executes under the structure's special rules. For this
reason, the diagram inside the structure border is called a subdiagram.
You can nest subdiagrams.
G uses the following structures to execute code.

For LoopRepeats execution a set number of times.

While LoopRepeats the execution of its subdiagram while a

condition is TRUE.

Case StructureContains multiple subdiagrams, only one of which

executes depending on the value passed to its selector terminal.

Sequence StructureExecutes code in the numeric order of its

subdiagrams.

Chapter

Wiring the Block Diagram

This chapter explains how to connect terminals on the block diagram by

wiring them together.

Wiring Techniques
You use the Wiring tool to connect terminals. The cursor point or hot
spot of the tool is the tip of the unwound wire segment, as shown in the
following illustration.

wiring cursor hot spot

The symbol to the left represents the mouse. In the wiring illustrations
in this chapter, the arrow at the end of this mouse symbol shows what
area to click on, and the number printed on the mouse button indicates
how many times to click on it.

To wire from one terminal to another, click the Wiring tool on the first
terminal, move the tool to the second terminal, and then click on the
second terminal as shown in the preceding illustration. It does not
matter which terminal you click on first. The terminal area blinks when
the hot spot of the Wiring tool is correctly positioned on the terminal.
Clicking on that terminal connects a wire to it. When you have made the
first connection, the spool icon draws a wire as you move the cursor

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Wiring the Block Diagram

You also might want to take advantage of the Help window feature that
highlights each connector pane terminal. With this feature, you can see
exactly where wires need to connect. The three connections of the Add
function are shown as a simple example in the following illustration.
Block Diagram

Note:

Help Window

The feature just illustrated does not work for expanding functions, like the
Array Bundle function for example.

Wire Stretching
You can move wired objects individually or in groups by dragging the
selected objects to the new location using the Positioning tool. The

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Wiring the Block Diagram

You can scroll the diagram automatically while you are wiring by
dragging the Wiring tool slightly past the edge of the block diagram
window.

Solving Wiring Problems

Bad Wires
When you make a wiring mistake, a broken wire, which is indicated by
a dashed line, appears instead of the wire pattern. Sometimes you have
a faulty wiring connection that is not visible because the broken wire
segment is very small or is hidden behind an object. If the Run button
shows a broken arrow (as shown at the left) but you cannot see any
problems in the block diagram, select EditRemove Bad Wires in case
there are hidden, broken wire segments. If the Run button returns to its
unbroken state (shown at the left), you corrected the problem. If not,
click on the Broken Run button to see a list of errors.
If you do not know why a particular wire is broken, pop up on the
broken wire and choose List Errors from the pop-up menu, shown
below. The Error List dialog box appears and lists the errors. Click on
one of the errors. Doing this selects the erroneous wire, which you then
can delete or repair.

For more information, see the Debugging Broken VIs and Debugging
Executable VIs sections in Chapter 4, Executing and Debugging VIs
and SubVIs.

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The following figure shows a list of some possible wire errors. They
cannot all occur simultaneously for a single wire.

For information on wiring Structures, see the Structure Wiring

Problems section, in Chapter 18, Structures, in this manual.

Wire Type, Dimension, Unit, or Element Conflict

A type mismatch occurs when you wire two objects of different data
types together, such as a numeric and a Boolean as shown in the
following illustration.

A file refnum conflict results when you wire refnums for two datalog
files of different record types.
The dimension conflict and element conflict errors occur in similar
situationswhen you wire two arrays together whose elements match
but whose dimensions do not, and when you wire two clusters whose
elements have type differences, respectively. The unit conflict occurs
when you wire together two objects that do not have commensurable
units.
These problems typically arise when you inadvertently connect a wire
to the wrong terminal of a function or subVI. Select and remove the
wire and rewire to the correct terminal. You can use the Help window
to avoid this type of error. In other situations, you might have to change
the type of one of the terminals.

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Multiple Wire Sources

You can wire a single data source to multiple destinations, but you
cannot wire multiple data sources to a single destination. In the example
that follows you must disconnect one source.

During front panel construction, you might have dropped a control

Wires connect only those objects that you click on. Dragging a terminal
or icon on top of a wire makes it appear as if a connection exists when
it does not, as shown at the left of the illustration that follows
(1, 2, 3 on the left).

Dragging a wire through an icon or terminal also appears to make a

connection, but the wire is actually behind the icon, as shown at the
right of the illustration (1, 2, 3 on the right). Avoid these situations
because they are confusing visually.
See the Understanding Warnings section in Chapter 4, Executing and
Debugging VIs and SubVIs, for more information on this problem.

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Chapter

Structures

This chapter describes how to use the For Loop, While Loop, Case
Structure, and Sequence Structure. These structures are in the
FunctionsStructures palette, as shown in the following illustration.

See general\structs.llb for examples of how to use these

structures.
Structures are nodes that supplement the flow of execution in a block
diagram, just as control structures do in a conventional programming

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language. The icon for each G structure is a resizeable box with a

distinctive border, as shown in the following illustration.
Sequence Structures

For Loop

While Loop
Case Structures

Boolean
Case Structure

Multiframe Numeric
Case Structure

Single Frame
Sequence Structure

Multiframe
Sequence Structure

Structures behave like other nodes in that they execute automatically

when their input data is available, and they supply data to their output
wires only when execution completes. However, each structure
executes its subdiagram according to the rules described in the
following sections.
A subdiagram is the collection of nodes, wires, terminals, and space that
resides within the structure border. The For Loop and While Loop each
have one subdiagram. The Case and Sequence structures, however, can
have multiple subdiagrams stacked like cards in a deck with only one
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Structures

visible at a time. You construct subdiagrams the same way that you
construct the top-level block diagram; subdiagrams can contain block
diagram terminals, nodes (including other structures), and wires.
You create terminals for passing data into and out of a structure
automatically where wires connecting outside nodes and inside nodes
cross the structure boundary. These boundary terminals are called
tunnels. Tunnels always have one edge exposed to the inside of the
structure and one edge exposed to the outside. A tunnel always resides
on the border of the structure, but you can move it anywhere along that
border by dragging it with the Positioning tool. You can think of tunnels
as way stations for data flowing into or out of a structure. Depending
upon the type of structure, the data can be transformed by the tunnels.
Structures also have other terminals that are particular to each type of
structure. These terminals are described with the appropriate structures
in the following sections.

For Loop and While Loop Structures

You use the For Loop and While Loop to control repetitive operations,
either until a specified number of iterations has completed (For Loop)
or until a specified condition is no longer true (While Loop).

For Loop

count terminal

A For Loop executes its subdiagram count times, where the count
equals the value contained in the count terminal. You can set the count
explicitly by wiring a value from outside the loop to the left or top side
of the count terminal, or you can set the count implicitly with
auto-indexing (see the Auto-Indexing section in this chapter for more
information). The other edges of the count terminal are exposed to the
inside of the loop so you can access the count internally.

The iteration terminal contains the current number of completed

iterations; 0 during the first iteration, 1 during the second, and so on up
to N 1. Both the count and iteration terminals are signed, long
integers with a range of 0 through 231 1. If you wire a floating-point
number to the count terminal, G rounds it off, if necessary, and coerces
it to within the range. If you wire 0 to the count terminal, the loop does
not execute.
iteration terminal

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The For Loop is equivalent to the following pseudocode:

for i = 0 to N 1
Execute subdiagram

While Loop
A While Loop executes its subdiagram until a Boolean value you wire
to the conditional terminal is FALSE. G checks the conditional terminal
value at the end of each iteration, and if the value is TRUE, another
iteration occurs, so the loop always executes at least once. The default
value of the conditional terminal is FALSE, so if it is unwired, the loop
iterates only once.
The iteration terminal behaves exactly as it does in the For Loop.
conditional terminal

The While Loop is equivalent to the following pseudocode:

Do
Execute subdiagram (which sets condition)

iteration terminal

While condition is TRUE

Both loop structures can have terminals called shift registers that you
use for passing data from the current iteration to the next iteration. See
the Shift Registers section of this chapter for more information.

Placing Objects inside Structures

You can place an object inside a structure by dragging it inside, or by
building the structure around the object.
You cannot put an object inside a structure by dragging the structure
over the object. If you move a structure and it overlaps another object,
your application displays the object it considers to be in front. If you put
the structure completely over another object, and your application
makes it the frontmost object, it displays a thick shadow to warn you
that the object is below, not inside the structure. Otherwise, the
structure is hidden completely by the object. (For information on which
objects your application selects as frontmost, see the section
Positioning Objects in Chapter 2, Building VIs.) Both situations are
shown in the following illustration.

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The following illustration shows the appearance of tunnels on the loop

structure borders with and without auto-indexing. The wire becomes
thicker as it changes dimensions at the loop border.
1

You often use For Loops to process arrays sequentially. For this reason,
array tunnels have auto-indexing enabled by default when you wire an
array into or out of a For Loop. While Loops are not commonly used for
that purpose, so they are not enabled for auto-indexing by default. To
enable or disable auto-indexing on a tunnel on the loop border, you must
pop up on the tunnel at the loop border and choose Enable Indexing or
Disable Indexing.

Auto-Indexing for Setting the For Loop Count

When you begin auto-indexing on an array entering a For Loop, it
automatically sets the count to the size of the array, thus eliminating the
need for you to wire to the count terminal explicitly. If you start
auto-indexing for more than one tunnel, or if you do set the count
explicitly, the count becomes the smallest of the choices. So if two
auto-indexed arrays enter the loop, with 10 and 20 components
respectively, and if you wire a value of 15 to the count terminal, the
count is 10, and the loop indexes only the first 10 components of the
second array.
Auto-indexing output arrays receive a new output element from every
iteration of the loop. Therefore, auto-indexed output arrays are always
equal in size to the number of iterations (10 in the previous example).
If auto-indexing is disabled, only the value from the last iteration of the
loop is passed.

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Auto-Indexing with While Loops

When you begin auto-indexing for an array entering a While Loop, the
While Loop indexes the array the same way as a For Loop does.
However, the number of iterations a While Loop executes is not limited
by the size of the array, because the While Loop iterates as long as a
certain condition is TRUE. When a While Loop indexes past the end of
the array, the default value for the array element type passes into the
loop. Auto-indexing output arrays receive an output element from each
iteration of the While Loop. They continue to grow in size as long as the
While Loop executes.
Note:

Auto-indexing with a While Loop that iterates too many times can cause
you to run out of memory. If you are a LabVIEW user, see Chapter 4,
Arrays, Clusters, and Graphs, of the LabVIEW Tutorial Manual for further
information about building arrays with While Loops to prevent this
problem.

Executing a For Loop Zero Times

When you set the count to zero, a For Loop does not execute its
subdiagram at all. The value of all scalar data leaving the For Loop
conforms to the following rules.

An output array created by auto-indexing at an output tunnel is

empty.

The output from an initialized shift register is the initial value. See
the Shift Registers section of this chapter for more information.

An array passed through a non-indexing output tunnel is also

empty.

All scalars passed through non-indexing output tunnels are

undefined, and you cannot rely on their value.

The loop count is set to zero or defaults to zero in two ways. You can
auto-index an empty input array, or you can wire a zero or a negative
number to the count terminal explicitly. You must wire to the count
terminal unless you auto-index an input array.
When you auto-index input arrays or set the loop count with a variable,
analyze the diagram to determine whether a zero count can occur, and
if so, what the effects would be.

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Shift Registers
Shift registers, which are available in For Loops and While Loops, are
local variables that feed back or transfer values from the completion of
one iteration to the beginning of the next. By selecting Add Shift
Register from the loop border pop-up menu, you can create a register
anywhere along the vertical boundary, as shown in the following
illustration. This menu item is not available from the top or bottom edge
of the structure. You can reposition a shift register along the vertical
boundary by dragging it.

A shift register has a pair of terminals directly opposite each other on

the vertical sides of the loop border. The right terminal, the rectangle
with the up arrow, stores the data at the completion of an iteration. G
shifts that data at the end of the iteration, and it appears in the left
terminal, the rectangle with the down arrow, in time for the next
iteration. You can use shift registers for any type of data, but the data
you wire to the terminals of each registers must be of the same type.
You can create multiple shift registers on a particular structure.
To initialize a shift register, wire a value from outside the loop to the
left terminal. If you do not initialize the register, the loop uses as the
initial value the last value inserted in the register when the loop last
executed, or the default value for its data type if the loop has never
before executed. Use initialized shift registers to ensure consistent
behavior. LabVIEW users should see Chapter 3, Loops and Charts, of
the LabVIEW Tutorial Manual for further information on using

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uninitialized shift registers. BridgeVIEW users can refer to Chapter 10,

Loops and Charts, of the BridgeVIEW User Manual.
When the loop finishes executing, the last value stored in the shift
register remains at the right terminal. If the right terminal is wired
outside of the loop, this last value passes out when the loop completes.
This property is shown in the following illustration.

Resizing cursor

To add or remove terminals to a particular shift register, use the

Resizing cursor to resize the left terminals. Alternatively, you can use
the Add Element command from the shift register pop-up menu to add
more left terminals to the shift register. Added terminals appear directly
below the one on which you pop up. Use the Remove Element
command to remove the terminal on which you pop up. The following
illustration shows both methods. The only way to remove extra wired

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terminals is to choose Remove Element from the shift register pop-up

menu. Selecting Remove All deletes the shift register.

The left, topmost terminal holds the value from the previous iteration,
i 1. The terminal immediately under the uppermost terminal contains
the value from iteration i 2, and so on, with each successive terminal.
If you initialize one left terminal of a shift register, you must initialize
all of them.
The following pseudocode shows a three-value running average routine
equivalent to the G block diagram.
a = b = 0
for i = 0 to N 1
avg = (x[i] + a + b)/3
b = a
a = x[i]

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For an example of how a shift register is set up, see

general\structs.llb\Random Average.vi.

Case and Sequence Structures

Both Case and Sequence structures can have multiple subdiagrams,
configured like a deck of cards, of which only one is visible at a time.
At the top of each structure border is the subdiagram display window,
which contains a diagram identifier in the center and decrement and
increment buttons at each side. The diagram identifier indicates which
subdiagram is currently displayed. If the diagram identifier is numeric,
it is followed by a diagram identifier range, which shows the minimum
and maximum values for which the structure contains a subdiagram.

Boolean
Case Structure

Multiframe Numeric
Case Structure
Case Structures

Single frame
Sequence Structure

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Clicking on the decrement (left) or increment (right) button displays the

previous or next subdiagram, respectively. Decrementing from the first
subdiagram displays the last, and incrementing from the last
subdiagram displays the first subdiagram. Other uses of the display
window are explained in the Case Structures and Sequence Structures
sections of this chapter.
See general\structs.llb\SquareRoot.vi for an example of a
Case Structure.

Case Structures

selector

The Case Structure has one or more subdiagrams, or cases, exactly one
of which executes when the structure executes. This depends on the
value of the Boolean or numeric scalar you wire to the external side of
the selection terminal or selector. If a Boolean is wired to the selector,
the structure must have two cases, True and False. If a numeric is wired
to the selector, the structure can have from 0 to 215 1 cases. If you wire
an enumeration to the selector, there must be one subdiagram for each
enumeration item. The case identifiers are the same as the enumeration
item names. If the structure does not have the appropriate number of
cases, the VI in which it appears is broken.
To add more cases, follow the procedure outlined in the Adding
Subdiagrams section of this chapter. (If you wire a floating-point
number to the selector, G rounds it to the nearest integer value. G
coerces negative numbers to zero and values higher than the
highest-numbered case to the last case.)

Note:

Case statements in other programming languages generally do not execute

any case if a case value is out of range. If you do not want out-of-range
values to activate the highest or lowest cases, you either must pretest the
selector data for out-of-range numbers, or include a trap case that does
nothing for out-of-range values.
You can position the selector anywhere along the left border, but you
must wire the selector. The selector automatically adjusts to the data
type. If you change the value wired to the selector from a numeric to a
Boolean, cases 0 and 1 change to FALSE and TRUE. If other cases exist
(2 through n), G does not discard them, in case the change in data types
is accidental. However, you must delete these extra cases before the
structure can execute.

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The same principle applies if you wire an enumeration to the selector

and there are more cases than items in the enumeration. The diagram
identifier for such cases is displayed as a grayed-out numeric identifier
to indicate that these cases must be deleted before the structure can
execute.
The data at all input terminals (tunnels and selection terminal) is
available to all cases. Cases are not required to use input data or to
supply output data, but if any case supplies output data, all must do so.
If you do not wire data to an output tunnel from every case, the tunnel
turns white, as in the top example in the following illustration, and the
run button shows a broken arrow.
When all cases supply data to the tunnel, it turns black, as in the bottom
example in the following illustration, and the run button appears
unbroken.

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the sequence local, and it appears as a dimmed rectangle. The following

illustrations show the sequence local terminal.

Sequence local
cannot be used.

Sequence local
is sink of data.

Sequence local is
source of data.

Cannot wire an
input value to a
sequence local
that is a source.

Editing Case and Sequence Structures

Because editing and manipulating the Case and Sequence structures
involves similar techniques, the following examples show only the Case
Structure and its pop-up menus. For Sequence Structures, replace the
word case with the word frame. A new Case Structure has two cases,
but can be edited to have one case as well. A new Sequence Structure
has one frame.

Moving between Subdiagrams

The fastest way to view the next lower or higher subdiagram is to click
on the decrement or increment button in the display window. If you
want to jump over several subdiagrams, click on the subdiagram
identifier and select the destination subdiagram from the pop-up menu,
as shown in the following illustration. You also can use the Show Case
command from the border pop-up menu.

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Adding Subdiagrams
You can add subdiagrams several ways.
If you select the Add Case After command from the structure border
pop-up menu, as shown in the illustration that follows, G inserts an
empty subdiagram after the currently visible one. For example, an
empty subdiagram at position 3 is created from subdiagram 2 using Add
Case After. A complementary command, Add Case Before, appears in
the same pop-up menu. These commands also appear in the diagram
identifier pop-up menu.

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If you select Duplicate Case from either the structure border pop-up
menu or the diagram identifier pop-up menu, as shown below, a copy of
the visible subdiagram is inserted after itself.

When you add or remove subdiagrams, the editor automatically adjusts

the diagram identifiers to accommodate the inserted or deleted
subdiagrams.

Deleting Subdiagrams
To delete the visible subdiagram, choose Remove Case from the
structure border pop-up menu, shown below. The values of higher
numbered subdiagrams adjust automatically. This command is not
available if only one subdiagram exists.

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Reordering Subdiagrams
To move a subdiagram to another location, select Make This Case from
the structure border pop-up menu, as shown below, and choose a new
value from the hierarchical menu that appears. The editor automatically
adjusts the diagram identifiers of other subdiagrams.

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It is difficult to tell which tunnel is on top. You can make mistakes if

you try to wire to one of them while they overlap, although you always
remove the bad wires and try again.

If you need to wire from an object inside a structure to an object outside

when one such wire already exists, do not wire through the structure
again as shown in the above illustration. Instead, begin the second wire
at the tunnel. In this example, two overlapping tunnels do not cause a
problem. But if this was a Case Structure, two overlapping bad tunnels
might have appeared to be wired in each case. You always can remove
all the wires from a tunnel to make it vanish and then rewire correctly.
If your VI has tunnels that are completely overlapping, a warning
appears in the Error List window if you have selected Show Warnings.
See the Understanding Warnings section in Chapter 4, Executing and
Debugging VIs and SubVIs, for more information on these problems.

Wiring from Multiple Frames of a Sequence

Structure
This next illustration shows another variation of the multiple sources
error. Two Sequence Structure frames attempt to assign values to the
same tunnel. The tunnel turns white to signal this error.

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Wiring underneath Rather than through a Structure

To wire through a structure you must click either in the interior or on
the border of the structure, as shown below.
If you do not click in the interior or on the border of the structure, the
wire passes underneath the structure, as shown below.

When the Wiring tool crosses the left border of the structure, a
highlighted tunnel appears to indicate that the editor will create a tunnel
at that location as soon as you click on the mouse button. If you
continue to drag the tool through the structure without clicking on the
mouse until the tool touches the right border of the structure, a second
highlighted tunnel appears on the right border. If you continue to drag
the Wiring tool past the right border of the structure without clicking on
it, both tunnels disappear, and the wire passes underneath the structure
rather than through it.

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Formula Nodes

Output variables are distinguished by a thicker border.

There is no limit to the number of variables or formulas in a Formula
Node. No two inputs and no two outputs can have the same name.
However, an output can have the same name as an input.
Every variable used in the Formula Node for a calculation must be
declared as either an input or an output. Intermediate values, that is,
outcomes of operations calculated after input(s) to the node but before
the final output from the node, must be declared as outputs. However,
intermediate values do not need to be wired to nodes external to the

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Formula Node. For example, in the following illustration the y variable

and the z variable must both be declared as outputs.

You can change an input to an output by selecting Change to Output

from the pop-up menu, as shown in the following illustration.

You can change an output to an input by selecting Change to Input

from the pop-up menu, as shown below.

All variables are floating-point numeric scalars, whose precision

depends on the configuration of your computer. Variables cannot have
units. All input variables that appear in the formulas must be wired. All
output variables that are wired must be assigned in at least one
statement; that is, they must be on the left side of an equal sign. An
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output variable might appear in an expression on the right side of an

equal sign, but G does not veify if it has been assigned in a previous
statement. When an assignment occurs as a subexpression, the value of
the subexpression is the value assigned; for example
x = sin (y = pi/3)

assigns --- to y, and then assigns sin --- to x.

3
3
If a syntax error occurs, you can click on the Broken Run button to see
the error listing. In the listing, the Formula Node displays a portion of
the formula with a # symbol marking the point at which the formula box
detected the error.

Formula Node Functions and Operators

All function names must be lowercase. Table 19-1 shows the names of
the Formula Node functions.
Table 19-1.

Function

Formula Node Functions

Corresponding G
Function Name

Description

abs(x)

Absolute Value

Returns the absolute value of x.

acos(x)

Inverse Cosine

Computes the inverse cosine of x

in radians.

acosh(x)

Inverse Hyperbolic
Cosine

Computes the inverse hyperbolic

cosine of x in radians.

asin(x)

Inverse Sine

Computes the inverse sine of x

in radians.

asinh(x)

Inverse Hyperbolic
Sine

Computes the inverse hyperbolic

sine of x in radians.

atan(x)

Inverse Tangent

Computes the inverse tangent

of x in radians.

atanh(x)

Inverse Hyperbolic
Tangent

Computes the inverse hyperbolic

tangent of x in radians.

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Table 19-1.

Function

Formula Node Functions (Continued)

Corresponding G
Function Name

Description

ceil(x)

Round to +Infinity

Rounds x to the next higher

integer (smallest int is greater
than or equal to x).

cos(x)

Cosine

Computes the cosine of x

in radians.

cosh(x)

Hyperbolic Cosine

Computes the hyperbolic cosine

of x in radians.

cot(x)

Cotangent

Computes the cotangent of x

in radians (1/tan(x)).

csc(x)

Cosecant

Computes the cosecant of x

in radians (1/sin(x)).

exp(x)

Exponential

Computes the value of e raised

to the x power.

expm1(x)

Exponential (Arg) 1

Computes the value of e raised

to the x power minus one (ex 1).

floor(x)

Round to Infinity

Truncates x to the next lower

integer (largest int is smaller than
or equal to x).

getexp(x)

Mantissa & Exponent

Returns the exponent of x.

getman(x)

Mantissa & Exponent

Returns the mantissa of x.

int(x)

Round To Nearest
integer

Rounds its argument to the

nearest even integer.

intrz(x)

Round Toward 0

Rounds x to the nearest integer

between x and zero.

ln(x)

Natural Logarithm

Computes the natural logarithm

of x (to the base e).

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Table 19-1.

Function

Formula Nodes

Formula Node Functions (Continued)

Corresponding G
Function Name

Description

lnp1(x)

Natural Logarithm
(Arg + 1)

Computes the natural logarithm

of (x + 1).

log(x)

Logarithm Base 10

Computes the logarithm of x

(to the base of 10).

log2(x)

Logarithm Base 2

Computes the logarithm of x

(to the base 2).

max(x,y)

Max & Min

Compares x and y and returns the

larger value.

min(x,y)

Max & Min

Compares x and y and returns the

smaller value.

mod(x,y)

Quotient & Remainder

Computes the remainder of x/y,

when the quotient is rounded
toward Infinity.

rand( )

Random Number
(01)

Produces a floating-point number

between 0 and 1 exclusively.

rem(x,y)

Remainder

Computes the remainder of x/y,

when the quotient is rounded
to the nearest integer.

sec(x)

Secant

Computes the secant of x radians

(1/cos(x)).

sign(x)

Sign

Returns 1 if x is greater than 0,

returns 0 if x is equal to 0, and
returns 1 if x is less than 0.

sin(x)

Sine

Computes the sine of x radians.

sinc(x)

Sinc

Computes the sine of x divided

by x radians (sin(x)/x).

sinh(x)

Hyperbolic Sine

Computes the hyperbolic sine

of x in radians.

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Table 19-1.

Function

Formula Node Functions (Continued)

Corresponding G
Function Name

Description

sqrt(x)

Square Root

Computes the square root of x.

tan(x)

Tangent

Computes the tangent of x

in radians.

tanh(x)

Hyperbolic Tangent

Computes the hyperbolic tangent

of x in radians.

x^y

Computes the value of x raised

to the y power.

Formula Node Syntax

The Formula Node syntax is summarized below using BackusNaur
Form (BNF) notation. Square brackets enclose optional items.
<assignlst> = <outputvar> = <aexpr> ;
[ <assignlst> ]
<aexpr>:=<expr> | <outputvar> = <aexpr>
<expr>:=<expr> <binaryoperator> <expr>
|<unaryoperator> <expr>
|<expr> ? <expr> : <expr>
|( <expr>)
|<inputvar>
|<outputvar>
|<const>
|<function> ( <arglist> )
<binaryoperator>:= + | - | * | / | ^ | != | ==
| > | < | >= | <= | && | ||
<unaryoperator>:=+ | - | !
<arglist>:=<aexpr>[ , <arglist> ]
<const>:=pi | <number>

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The precedence of operators is as follows, from lowest to highest.

assignment

? :

conditional

logical or

logical and

!= ==

inequality, equality

< > <= >=

other relational: less than, greater than,

less than or equal, greater than or equal

+ -

addition, subtraction

* /

multiplication, division

+ - !

unary: positive, negative, logical not

exponentiation

Exponentiation and the assignment operator are right-associative

(groups right to left). All other binary operators are left-associative. The
numeric value of TRUE is 1 and FALSE is 0 (for output). The logical
value of 0 is FALSE, and any nonzero number is TRUE. The logical
value of the conditional expression
<lexpr> ? <texpr>: <fexpr>

is <texpr> if the logical value of <lexpr> is TRUE and <fexpr>

otherwise.

Formula Node Errors

Table 19-2 lists errors detected by the Formula Node.
Table 19-2.

Error Message

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Formula Node Errors

Error Message Meaning

syntax error

Misused operator, and so on.

bad token

Unrecognized character.

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Table 19-2.

Error Message

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Formula Node Errors (Continued)

Error Message Meaning

output variable required

Cannot assign to an input variable.

missing output variable

Attempt to assign to a nonexistent

output variable.

missing variable

References a nonexistent input or

output variable.

too few arguments

Not enough arguments to a function.

too many arguments

Too many arguments to a function.

unterminated argument list

Formula ended before argument list

close parenthesis seen.

missing left parenthesis

Function name not followed

by argument list.

missing right parenthesis

Formula ended before all matching

close parentheses seen.

missing colon

Improper use of conditional ternary

operator.

missing semicolon

Formula statement not terminated

by a semicolon.

missing equals sign

Formula statement is not a proper

assignment.

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Chapter

Attribute Nodes

This chapter describes how to use Attribute Nodes to set and read
attributes of front panel controls programmatically. Some useful
attributes include display colors, control visibility, menu strings for a
ring control, graph or chart plot colors, and graph cursors.

Creating Attribute Nodes

You create an Attribute Node by selecting the CreateAttribute Node
option from the pop-up menu of a front panel control or from the
terminal of the control.

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Selecting this option creates a new node on the diagram located near the
terminal for the control, as shown in the following illustration. If the
control has a label associated with it, the label for the control is used for
the initial label of the Attribute Node. You can change the label after
the node has been created.

If you pop up on an attribute terminal, and then choose Select Item, you
see a menu of attributes that you can set for or read from the control, as
shown in the following illustration. You can use a shortcut to the list of
attributes by clicking on the Attribute Node with the Operating tool.

You choose to read or to set attributes by selecting either the Change

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attribute(s). The Format & Precision option on a numeric control is

shown in the following illustration as an example.

After you create an Attribute Node, the Find Control and Find
Terminal options of the terminal and control pop-up menus change to
submenus that help you find Attribute Nodes. In the same way, the
Attribute Node has options to find the control and the terminal it is
associated with.
See general\attribute.llb for an example of how to use an
Attribute Node.

Using Attribute Node Help

The Help Window and Online Reference (Help menu) are invaluable
tools for implementing Attribute Nodes. You can use them to find
descriptions, data types, and acceptable values for attributes. For more
information, refer to the Attribute Node Help section in Chapter 1,
Introduction to G Programming.

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Base Attributes
There are many attributes available for modifying the various front
panel objects in your application. This section discusses Visible,
Disable, Key Focus, Blinking, Position, and Bounds attributes, which
are common to nearly all front panel objects.

Visible Attribute
You can set or read the visibility of a front panel object with the Visible
Attribute. The associated object is visible when TRUE, hidden when
FALSE.
In the following illustration, the digital control is set to an invisible
state. A Boolean TRUE value makes the control visible again, as shown.
Block Diagram

Front Panel
Visible = TRUE

Visible = FALSE

Disabled Attribute
You can control whether a user has access to an object, by
implementing the Disabled Attribute. A value of zero enables an object
so that the user can operate it. A value of one disables the object,
preventing operation. A value of two disables and grays out the object.
You can disable user access to a digital control. The control does not
change appearance when disabled in the first example. In the second

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example, the user access to the digital control is disabled and is grayed
out.

Key Focus Attribute

With the Key Focus Attribute, you can make a control be the key focus
or check to see if it currently has the focus. A control that has key focus
behaves as though you tabbed over to that control to make it active. On
most controls, you can enter values into the control by typing them with
the keyboard. You also can set the key focus on the front panel by
pressing the < Tab> key while in run mode or by pressing the hot key
associated with the control (assigned by using the Key Navigation
option).
You can make a digital control the key focus. Then you can enter a new
value in the control without selecting it with the mouse.

Blinking Attribute
By using the Blinking Attribute, you can read or set the blink status of
an object. If you set this attribute to TRUE, a front panel object blinks.
The blink rate and colors are set in the Preferences dialog box. When
you set this attribute to FALSE, the object stops blinking.
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In the following illustration, the front panel indicator is set to blinking.

Block Diagram

Front Panel: Normal

Front Panel: Blinking

Position Attribute
You can set or read the position of the upper left corner of an object on
the front panel with the Position Attribute. The position is determined
in units of pixels relative to the origin of the Panel window, which is
initially the top left corner of the window but may be somewhere else if
you have scrolled the window. This attribute consists of a cluster of two
unsigned long integers. The first item in the cluster (Left) is the location
of the left edge of the control relative to the origin of the Panel window,
and the second item in the cluster (Top) is the location of the top edge
of the control relative to the top edge of the Panel window.
By activating the Position Attribute Node, the digital control changes
its location on the front panel in the following illustration.

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Bounds Attribute (Read Only)

The Bounds Attribute reads the boundary of an object on the front panel
in units of pixels. The value includes the control and all of its parts,
including the label, legend, scale, and so on. This attribute consists of a
cluster of two unsigned long integers. The first item in the cluster
(Width) is the width of objects in pixels, and the second item in the
cluster (Height) is the height of the object in pixels.
The Bounds Attribute is a read-only attribute. It does not resize a
control or indicator on the front panel. Most objects have other
attributes for resizing, such as the Plot Area Size attribute for Graphs
and Charts. This attribute is useful when you need to read the overall
size of a control, including all optional parts, so that you can position
other controls in relation to the control with which you are working.
You can determine the bounds of the digital control, as shown in the
following illustration.

Examples of Attributes Specific to Controls or Indicators

In the following sections, you can learn about common applications of
Attribute Nodes. See the general directory to explore other uses of
the Attribute Node.

Changing Plot Color on a Chart

The attributes shown at left set or read the active plot (the trace for
which subsequent trace-specific attributes are set or read) and the plot
color for the active plot. Active Plot is an integer corresponding to the
plot you want and Plot Color is an integer representing a color. You can
access the Plot Color by selecting Plot InfoPlot Color from the
attribute list.
This Attribute Node changes the plot color of the plot specified by the
Active Plot attribute. In the following example, the color of the random

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number plot changes color when the values go above a limit set by the
user. Notice that the active plot is specified before the plot color is
changed.

Setting the Strings of a Boolean Attribute

This Boolean attribute sets or reads the labels on a Boolean control. The
input is an array of four strings that correspond to the False, True, True
Tracking, and False Tracking states.

True and False: On and Off states of the Boolean.

True and False Tracking: Temporary transition levels between the

Boolean states. True Tracking is the transition when the Boolean is
changed from True to False. False Tracking is the transition from
False to True when the Boolean attribute is changed.The tracking
applies only to Booleans with Switched When Released and
Latch When Released mechanical action. These mechanical
actions have a transitional state until you release the mouse. The
text strings True Tracking and False Tracking are displayed
during the transitional state.

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You can set the display strings for the Switch controls to the string
choices Stop, Run, and Stop? and Run? The following illustration
shows how to set the display strings.
Block Diagram

Front Panel

Setting the Strings of Ring Controls

The ring control is a pop-up menu control that holds the numeric value
of the currently selected item. You can use it to present the user with a
list of options. If the options cannot be determined until run time, you
can use the Attribute Node to set the options. See Chapter 13, List and
Ring Controls and Indicators, for more information about ring controls.
In the following example, the user is presented with a panel that has a
ring control which displays a list of tests. The user selects a test and then
presses the Execute Test button to continue.

The block diagram shown in the illustration that follows reads a list of
valid tests from a file and passes the list, represented as an array of
strings, to an Attribute Node for the ring control. The diagram then

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loops, waiting for the user to click on the Execute Test button. This
gives the user a chance to select a test from the ring control, or to fill in
information for other controls. When the user selects a test, the string
corresponding to the numeric value of the ring control is read and then
passed to a VI that executes the test.

Using a Double-Clicked Listbox Item

The Double-Click attribute is a read-only attribute specific to listboxes.
This attribute indicates the item on the front panel on which you
double-clicked. The value of the Double-Click attribute is set when you
double-click on an item or type < Enter> (Windows or UNIX) or
<Return> (Macintosh and Sun) after you select an item. The
double-click value is 1 if nothing has been double-clicked. It is reset
to 1 after it is read using the Attribute Node. It also is reset to 1 if the
you select a different item, or if you set any of the other attributes.

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The following illustration is an example of how to use the Double-Click

Attribute Node to determine what test to execute.

The False Case is executed when double-click is 1 and the True Case
is executed when the user has double-clicked on a test number in the
listbox.

Selectively Presenting Users with Options

As users make selections, you might want to present them with other
options. There are three possibilities.
1.

One option is to use pop-up subVIs. You can create subVIs that
have the options you want to present to the user. By using the Show
Front Panel when Called and Close Afterwards if Originally
Closed options of VI SetupExecution Options when you create
your subVI, you can have one of these subVIs open when called.

Another method for presenting options is to use the Visible option

of Attribute Nodes to selectively show and hide controls.

The third method for presenting options is to use the Disabled

option of Attribute Nodes to disable controls selectively. When a
control is disabled, the user cannot change the value.

Reading Graph Cursors Programmatically

You can use attributes to access information from one plot on a
multi-plot graph, or one thumb on a multi-thumb slide, but you must
indicate which item is being operated on. The multiple cursors on a
graph are a good example of an attribute that must be activated before
it can be accessed from the diagram.
The following block diagram shows a VI that displays data in a graph
and programmatically reads the position of graph cursors.
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Working through a While Loop, the VI first activates the Min Value
cursor, and reads its numerical value. Next, the VI activates and reads
the Max Value Cursor. Then the VI calculates and displays information
about the cursor selection on the front panel. When you press the
Confirm button, the VI exits the loop and confirms the cursor positions.
See the examples in general\graphs\zoom.llb for an application
of programmatically reading graph cursors.

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Chapter

Global and Local Variables

This chapter describes how to define and use global and local variables.
You can use global variables to access a particular set of values easily.
Local variables serve a similar purpose within a single VI.
Global and local variables are advanced G concepts. Be sure to study
this chapter carefully before using them.
For examples of how to use global and local variables, see
general\globals.llb and general\locals.llb.

Global Variables
A global variable is a built-in G object. You define a global variable by
creating a special kind of VI, with front panel controls that define the
data type of the global variable.
There are two ways to create multiple global variables. You can create
several VIs, each with one item, or you can create one multiple global
VI by defining multiple data types on the one global variable front
panel. The multiple global VI approach is more efficient, because you
can group related variables together.
You can create a global variable by selecting the global variable from
the FunctionsStructures palette.

global node

A node for the global variable appears on the block diagram.

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You must make sure that the label you choose for your local variable is
associated with a front panel object. If your local variable is not associated
with a front panel object, it will not work.

local variable
icon

The easiest way to create a local variable is to pop up on the front panel
control or terminal and select CreateLocal. A local is created
automatically on the block diagram. Another way to create a local is to
select the local variable from FunctionsStructures, shown below.

local variable
node

If there are no controls on the front panel of your VI, a node that looks
similar to a global variable appears. If you already have placed controls
on the front panel, the local variable node appears with the name of one
of your controls showing.
You can pop up on the node, or click on it with the Operating tool to
select the control you want to read or set from a list of the top-level front
panel controls, as shown in the following illustration. You also can
determine whether you want to write to or read from the control by
selecting either the Change to Write Local or the Change to Read
Local options.

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The following is an illustration showing how you can have multiple

local variables accessing the same control, with each having a different
sense, either read or write. You use the age variable twice in the
diagram, once to write to, and another time to read from.

Be careful to sequence the access to local variables or global variables

so you can produce the results you want, as in the preceding example.
There is no guarantee that the Write to age will occur before the
Read from age if you do not create the proper sequencing
yourself.

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Custom Controls and

Type Definitions

Chapter

This chapter introduces custom controls and type definitions.

You can customize a front panel control or indicator to make it better
suited for your application. For example, you might want to make a
Boolean switch that shows a closed valve when the switch is off and an
open valve when the switch is on, a slide control with its scale on the
right side instead of on the left, or a ring control with predefined text or
picture items.
You can save a control or indicator that you have customized in a
directory or VI library, just as you do with VIs. Then, you can use this
control on other front panels. You also can create an icon for your
custom control, and have the name and icon of the control appear in the
Controls palette.
If you need the same control in many places in your VIs, you can create
a master copy of that control, called a type definition. When you make
a change to the type definition, you automatically update all the VIs that
use it.
The following sections explain how to make these and other custom
alterations to controls.

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increment arrow

name label

digital display
scale
slider
housing
unit label

decrement arrow
A Slide Control

When you switch to customize mode in the Control Editor, the parts of
your control become independent. You can make changes to each part
without affecting any other part. For example, when you click and drag
on the scale of the slide with the Positioning tool, only the scale moves.
You can select parts and align or distribute them using the Alignment
or Distribution rings from the toolbar; or change their layering order by
selecting Move Forward or Move Backward from the Edit menu.
Customize mode shows all parts of the control, including any that were
hidden in edit mode, such as a name label or the radix on a digital
control.
Because the parts of a control are detached from each other, you cannot
operate or change the value of the control while in customize mode.
Notice that the Operating tool is disabled. The Wiring tool is always
disabled in a Control Editor because you are not using the block
diagram when you are in Customize mode.

Control Editor Parts Window

To help you size and position control parts, select WindowsShow
Parts Window. The floating window that appears identifies the parts of
the control, and shows you the exact position and size of each part. The

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Current Part display in the Parts window displays a picture and the
name of the part currently selected in your Control Editor window. You
can see a menu of all the parts by clicking on the current part display.
You also can scroll through the parts of the control by clicking on the
current part display increment or decrement arrow. When you change
the part shown in the current part display, that part is selected on the
control in the Control Editor window. When you select, change, or pop
up on another part of the control in the Control Editor window, the part
showing in the current part display also changes.
The illustration that follows shows the Control Editor window on the
left overlaid by the Control Parts window on the right. The name label
of the slide is the current part, and is selected in the Control Editor
window. The Control Parts window shows the menu of parts that you
see when you click on the current part display. This example shows that
the name label is the current part, but that you are about to change to the
scale part.

The Control Parts window shows you the exact position and size of the
current part. These values are pixel values. When you move or resize a
part in the Control Editor, the position and size in the Parts window are
updated. You also can enter the position and size values directly in the
Control Parts window to move or resize the part in the Control Editor.
This is useful when you need to make two parts exactly the same size,
or align one part with another. In the preceding illustration, the Parts
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window displays the position and size of name label of the slidethe
upper left corner of the label is at the pixel coordinates (74, 84), and the
label is 20 pixels high by 45 pixels wide.
The Control Parts window disappears if you switch to some other
window. The Control Parts window reappears when you return to the
Control Editor.

Customize Mode Pop-Up Menus for Different Parts

In customize mode, the pop-up menu for the control as a whole is
replaced by a pop-up menu for each part. When you pop up on a part,
you see a menu with some options available in edit mode, and some
options available only in customize mode. Different parts have different
pop-up menus. There are three basic types of parts you can customize.

Cosmetic parts, such as the slide housing, slider, and the increment
and decrement arrows, are the most common. Cosmetic parts
display a picture.

Text parts, such as the name label of the slide. Text parts consist of
a picture for the background (usually just a rectangle) and some
text.

Controls as parts, such as the slide, which uses a numeric control

for a digital display. Knobs, meters, and charts also use a numeric
control for a digital display. Some controls are even more
complicated than that; for example, the graph uses an array of
clusters for its cursor display part.

The following sections describe the different parts and their pop-up
options in more detail.

Cosmetic Parts
A cosmetic part is a par that has no dynamic user interaction or
indication. The following illustration shows a pop-up menu for a
cosmetic part, such as a slide housing. To pop up on a cosmetic part, you

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must be in customize mode. You must pop up on the part itself, not on
the picture of the part in the Control Parts window.

The following list describes the options available from the pop-up
menu.

Copy to ClipboardPlaces a copy of the picture of the part on the

Clipboard. If you select Copy to Clipboard for the slide housing,
the Clipboard contains a picture of a tall, narrow inset rectangle.
This Clipboard picture can be pasted onto any front panel or
imported as the picture for another part using Import Picture.
These pictures are just like the Decorations in the Controls palette.
When you need simple shapes like the housing rectangle for other
parts, there are several advantages to using pictures copied from
other parts, instead of making them in a paint program. Pictures
taken from existing parts or decorations look better than pictures
made in a paint program when you change their size. For example,
a rectangle drawn in a paint program can only grow uniformly,
enlarging its area but also making its border thicker. A rectangle
copied from a part like the slide housing keeps the same thin border
when resized.
Another advantage is that built-in parts appear basically the same
on both color and black-and-white monitors.
In addition, you can color pictures taken from parts or decorations
with the Color tool. Pictures imported from another source keep the
colors they had when they were imported, because those colors are
a part of the definition of that picture.

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Import PictureReplaces the current picture of a cosmetic part

with the picture that is currently on the Clipboard. Use this option
to individually customize the appearance of your controls. For
example, you could import pictures of an open and closed valve for
a Boolean switch. If there is not a current picture on the Clipboard,
Import Picture is disabled.

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There is a shortcut in the Control Editor for importing pictures into

a Boolean control. When you are in edit mode (you do not have to
be in customize mode), you can select Import PictureTrue or
Import PictureFalse from the pop-up menu of a Boolean. Doing
this imports the picture into both the normal state and the
corresponding transition state.
You also can import different pictures for the transition states in
customize mode. To do this, first pop up on the button and use
Picture Item to change the third picture. With the TrueFalse
picture on the Clipboard, pop up again and select Import Picture.
Repeat these steps for the fourth (FalseTrue) picture.

Import at Same SizeReplaces the current picture, but keeps the

original size of the part, shrinking or enlarging the Clipboard
picture to fit. If there is not a current picture on the Clipboard,
Import at Same Size is disabled.

RevertRestores the part to its original appearance. Revert does

not change the position of the part. If you opened the Control Editor
window by selecting Edit Control from a front panel, the editor
reverts the part to the way it looks on that front panel. If you opened
the Control Editor window by selecting FileOpen, Revert is
disabled.

Original SizeSets the picture of a part to its original size. This is

useful for pictures that you imported from other applications, and
then resized. Some of these pictures do not look as good as the
original when resized, and you might want to restore their original
size to fix them. If you have not imported a picture, Original Size
is disabled.

Cosmetic Parts with More than One Picture

Some cosmetic parts have more than one picture, which they display at
different times. These different pictures are all the same size and use the
same colors. For example, the increment arrow of the slide is a picture
of a triangle, normally raised slightly from the background. It also has
another picture, a recessed triangle, that appears while you are clicking
on it with the Operating tool to increment the value of the slide. The

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illustration that follows shows the two pictures of an increment arrow

in action.

A cosmetic part with more than one picture has the Picture Item option
on its pop-up menu, as shown in the following illustration.

Picture Item displays all the pictures belonging to a cosmetic part. The
picture item that is currently displayed has a dark border around it.
When you import a picture, you change only the current picture item.
To import a picture for one of the other picture items, first select that
picture item and then import the new picture.

Cosmetic Parts with Independent Pictures

A cosmetic part with more than one picture can have pictures of
different sizes, which each use different colors. The slide, for example,
uses two pictures of different sizes to show which slider is active on a
multi-value slide. The slide in the following example uses a bigger
triangle to show that the middle slider is the active one.

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A Boolean switch also has more than one picture. Each picture can be a
different size and have different colors. A Boolean switch has four
different picturesthe first shows the false state; the second shows the
true state. You use the third and fourth pictures when you set the
mechanical action of a Boolean control to either Switch When Released
or Latch When Released.
Until you release the mouse button, the value of the Boolean does not
change with these two mechanical actions. Between the time you click
on the button and the time you release the click, the Boolean shows the
third or fourth picture as an intermediate state. The third picture is for
the true to false transition state, and the fourth is for the false to true
state. In the following illustration of a toggle switch, the third and
fourth pictures are the same, but this is not always the case.

1: False

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When a cosmetic part can have different sized pictures, the part has the
Independent Sizes option on its pop-up menu, as shown in the
following illustration.

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The following illustration shows a custom graph that has some

decoration parts, including the Title of Graph label, the Legend: label,
and the box around the legend parts.

When you use a custom control on other front panels, you can change
the size of any decoration parts that you added, but you cannot move
them.

Custom Control Caveats

There are some things you need to be aware of when you make custom
controls.

Pictures created on one platform look slightly different when

loaded on another platform (this applies to pictures imported into a
Pict Ring or used as background on any front panel as well). For
example, a picture with an irregular shape or a transparent
background might have a solid white background on another
platform. See the Picture Differences section in Chapter 27,
Portability Issues.

Control Editor can change only the appearance of a control; it

cannot change the behavior of a control. This has two implications.

You cannot change the way a control displays its data.

You cannot change the way a control behaves when you edit it,
especially when you resize it.
For example, when you make a ring control taller, the
increment and decrement arrows also increase in height. If you
move the increment and decrement arrows so they are side by
side at the bottom of the ring, the ring continues to make them
become taller when it increases, and you produce some strange
results.

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Custom controls often look correct, but occasionally behave oddly.

If you like the control the way you have made it but are not pleased
with its irregular editing behavior, read about strict type definitions
in the next section, Type Definitions, to learn how editing can be
restricted.

Type Definitions
A type definition is a master copy of a control. You use the Control
Editor to create the master copy, or type definition. Type definitions are
useful when you use the same kind of control in many VIs. You can save
the control as a type definition, and use that type definition in all your
VIs. Then, if you need to change that control, you can update the single
type definition file instead of updating the control in every VI that
uses it.

General Type Definition: Matching Data Types

A type definition forces the control data type to be the same everywhere
it is used. Use a type definition when you want to use a control of the
same data type in many places and when you might want to change that
data type automatically everywhere it is used. For example, suppose
you make a type definition from a double-precision digital control, and
that you subsequently use that type definition in many different VIs.
Later, you change the type definition to a 16-bit integer digital control.
When you change the type definition, you can update every VI that uses
that type definition automatically, or if you prefer, you can check if the
type definition in a VI needs to be updated.
You also can make a type definition that is a cluster, such as a cluster
of two integers and a string. If you change that type definition to a
cluster of two integers and two strings, you can update the type
definition everywhere it is used.
As long as the data type matches the master copy, a type definition can
have a different name, description, default value, size, color, or even a
different style of control (for example, a knob instead of a slide).

Strict Type Definition: Everything Must Match

A type definition also can force almost everything about the control to
be identical everywhere it is used, not just its data type but also its size,
color, and appearance. This is called a strict type definition.

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The only aspects of a control that can be different from the master copy
of a strict type definition is the name, description, and default value. As
an example, suppose you make a strict type definition that is a
double-precision digital control with a red frame. Like the general type
definition, if you change the strict type definition to an integer, you
automatically update every VI that uses it, or you can check to make
sure if they need to be updated. Unlike the general type definition,
however, other changes to the strict type definition, such as changing
the red frame color to blue, also requires VIs using the strict type
definition to be updated.
Note:

Many Attribute Nodes are not available for strict type definitions. However,
the attributes that are available for strict type definitions are those that
affect the appearance of the control, such as Visible, Disabled, Key Focus,
Position and Bounds.

Creating Type Definitions

You make a type definition by setting the ring on the toolbar in a
Control Editor window, as shown in the following illustration. Set up
the control the way you want it, and choose FileSave in the Control
Editor window.

You can open any type definition you have saved by selecting
FileOpen. A type definition always opens in a Control Editor window.
Any changes you make to a type definition affect all VIs that are using
it.

Using Type Definitions

Place general type definitions and strict type definitions on the front
panel of a VI as you would any custom control. You can edit and
operate a type definition on your front panel as you would any other
control.
Note:

You cannot edit a strict type definition on your front panel except to change
its name, description, or default value.

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You can tell that a control is a type definition when you see the type
definition options in its pop-up menu, as shown in the following
illustration. You can recognize a strict type definition on your front
panel because you cannot edit it, and most of its pop-up menu options
are missing.

For each type definition that you use on a front panel, the VI keeps a
connection to the file or VI library in which it is saved. You can see this
connection in action if you place a type definition on a front panel and
then select it and choose EditEdit Control. The Control Editor that
opens is the type definition you saved, with the name you gave it,
instead of the generic Control N.

Updating Type Definitions

Your G development environment ensures that the data type is the same
everywhere a type definition is used and that everything about a strict
type definition is the same everywhere it is used. You can update any
general type definitions or strict type definitions on your front panel
that are incorrect automatically, replacing the one on your front panel
with an exact copy of the one saved in the file or VI library.
If you have edited an instance of a type definition on your front panel
extensively, such as coloring and resizing it, you might not want this
automatic update feature. You can pop up on the type definition on your
front panel and turn off the Auto-Update from Type Def. option.
Instead of automatically updating this type definition when necessary,
the VI has a broken run arrow and the type definition on the front panel
is disabled. You cannot run the VI until you fix the type definition,
either by selecting the option Update from Type Def. from the pop-up
menu, or by changing the data type to match the type definition.
When you use a type definition, you can assign a different default value
to it. However, if the data type of the type definition changes, all default
data is updated from the master copy. If the data type does not change,
the individual default values can be preserved.

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Searching for Type Definitions

Because G must keep a connection to the type definition, the file or VI
library containing the type definition must be available to run a VI using
it. If you open a VI, and if a type definition that the VI needs is not
found, the type definition control on the front panel is disabled and the
run arrow is broken. To fix this problem, you must either find and open
the correct type definition, or pop up on the disabled control and select
Disconnect From Type Def. Disconnecting from the type definition
removes the restrictions on the data type of the control and appearance,
making it into an ordinary control. You cannot re-establish that
connection unless you find the type definition and replace the control
with it.

Cluster Type Definitions

If you use a type definition or strict type definition that is a cluster, it is
a good idea to use the Bundle By Name and Unbundle By Name
functions on the block diagram to access the elements of the cluster,
instead of the Bundle and Unbundle functions. These functions
reference elements of the cluster by name instead of by cluster order,
and are not affected when you reorder the elements or add new elements
to the cluster type definition. If you delete an element that you are
referencing in Bundle by Name or Unbundle By Name, you have to
change your block diagram. Refer to the description of these functions
in Chapter 14, Array and Cluster Controls and Indicators, for more
information.

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Calling Code from Other

Languages

Chapter

This chapter explains various methods of calling code written in other

languages. These methods include using platform-specific protocols;
creating a Code Interface Node to call code written specifically to link
to VIs, and using a Call Library Function node to call Dynamic Link
Libraries (DLLs) in Windows, Code Fragments on the Macintosh, and
Shared Libraries on UNIX. An additional method is using the
LabWindows/CVI Function Panel converter to convert an instrument
driver written in LabWindows/CVI.

Executing Other Applications from within Your VIs

You can execute other applications from within your VIs. The methods
are different on Windows and UNIX than on the Macintosh.
(Windows, UNIX) You use System Exec to execute other applications from

within your VIs. You can use the simple System Exec VI from the
FunctionsCommunication palette to execute a command line from
your VI. The command line can include any parameters supported by
the application you plan to launch.
If you can access the application through TCP/IP (or DDE in Windows),
you might be able to pass data or commands to the application. See the
reference material for the application you plan to use to see the extent
of its communication capability. If you are a LabVIEW user, you also
can refer to Chapter 1, Communication Applications in LabVIEW, of the
LabVIEW Communications VI Reference Manual, for more information
on techniques for using networking VIs to transfer information to other
applications.
(Macintosh) You use Apple Event VIs to execute other applications from
within your VIs. Apple Events are a Macintosh-specific protocol
through which applications can communicate with each other. They can
be used to send commands between applications. You also can use them
to launch other applications. If you are a LabVIEW user, see Chapter 1,
Communication Applications, of the LabVIEW Communications VI

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Reference Manual for details of different methods for using Apple Event
VIs in G to launch and control other applications.

Using the Call Library Function

You can call most standard shared libraries (in Windows these are
Dynamic Link Libraries or DLLs, on the Macintosh they are Code
Fragments, and on UNIX they are Shared Libraries) using the Call
Library Function node. The Call Library Function node includes a large
number of data types and calling conventions. You can use it to call
functions from most standard and custom-made libraries.
The Call Library Function node is most appropriate when you have
existing code that you want to call, or if you are familiar with the
process of creating a DLL in Windows, Code Fragments on the
Macintosh, or Shared Libraries on UNIX. Because a library uses a
format that is standard among several development environments, you
should be able to use almost any development environment to create a
library that G can call. Check the documentation for the compiler you
are using to see if it can be used to create standard shared libraries.
See the section Call Library Function later in this chapter for a detailed
description of this node.

Using Code Interface Nodes

For applications in which you need the highest performance, or you
want to pass arbitrary data structures to C code, you can create a Code
Interface Node (CIN). By using CINs, you can call code written
specifically to link to G VIs.
The CIN is a very general method for calling C code from G. You can
pass arbitrarily complex data structures to and from a CIN. In some
cases, you might have a higher performance using CINs because data
structures are passed to the CIN in the same format they are in when
stored in G.
To have this level of performance, however, you must learn how to
create a CIN. This requires that you be a good C developer and take
sufficient time to create the CIN you need. Also, because CINs are more
tightly coupled with G, there are restrictions on which compilers you
can use.

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If you are a LabVIEW user, you can refer to the LabVIEW Code
Interface Reference Manual for information on how to create Code
Interface Nodes.

Call Library Function

(Windows, UNIX) Using the Call Library function directly, you can call a

Windows 3.1, 16-bit DLL, a Windows 95/NT, 32-bit DLL, a Macintosh

Code Fragment, or a UNIX Shared Library function directly.
(Macintosh) The Call Library function uses the Macintosh Code
Fragment Manager (CFM). This is standard on all PowerMac machines.
680x0 Macintosh computers need the CFM extension. Additionally, the
Call Library Node on 680x0 Macintosh computers cannot call variable
argument functions. Shared libraries on the Macintosh operate
differently than on other platforms. A file might contain more than one
code fragment, each of which has a name.

The Call Library Function, shown at left, is available from

FunctionsAdvanced.
If you double-click on the Call Library Function or select Configure
from its node pop-up menu, G displays a dialog box you can use to
specify from the library, function, parameters, and return value for the
node as well as calling conventions in Windows. When you click the
OK button, the node automatically adds the correct number of
terminals, and sets the terminals to the correct data types.
The return value for the function returns to the right terminal of the top
pair of terminals of the node. If there is no return value, this pair of
terminals is unused. Each additional pair of terminals corresponds to a
parameter in the functions parameter list. You pass a value to the
function by wiring to the left terminal of a terminal pair. You read the
value of a parameter after the function call by wiring from the right
terminal of a terminal pair.

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The Call Library Function dialog box is shown in the following

illustration.

As you select options in the dialog box, an indicator at the bottom,

called Function Prototype, displays the C prototype for the selected
function.
Note:

In Windows 3.1, an upper limit of 29, 4-byte arguments can be passed

using the Call Library Function. Double-precision floating-point
parameters passed by value are 8-byte quantities and therefore count as
two arguments. Thus, you are limited to 14 double-precision, floating-point
parameters passed by value.

Note:

In Windows 3.1, DLLs must be 16-bit. In Windows 95/NT, DLLs must be

32-bit. If you have a 16-bit DLL that you want to call from
Windows 95/NT, you either must recompile it as a 32-bit DLL or create a
thunking DLL. Refer to Microsoft documentation for information on
thunking DLLs.

Calling Conventions (Windows)

Use the calling conventions of the ring to select the calling conventions
for the function. The default calling convention for Windows 3.1 is
Pascal, and Standard C for Windows 95/NT. This default corresponds
to the calling convention that is used by most DLLs. The alternative
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option is to use C calling conventions. Refer to the documentation for

the DLL you are trying to call to determine which calling conventions
you should use. In Windows 3.1, almost all DLLs use Pascal calling
conventions. In Windows 95/NT, almost all DLLs use standard C
calling conventions.

Parameter Lists
Initially, the Call Library Function has no parameters, and has a return
value of void. You can click on the Add a Parameter Before and Add
a Parameter After buttons to add parameters to the function. You can
click on the Delete this Parameter button to remove a parameter.
You can use the parameter ring to select different parameters or the
return value. When selected, you can change the parameter name to
something more descriptive. The parameter name does not affect the
call, but it is propagated to output wires. Descriptive names make it
easier to switch between parameters.
Indicate the type of each parameter using the type ring. The return type
is limited to either Void, meaning the function does not return a value,
or Numeric, shown in the following illustration.

For parameters, you can select Numeric, String, or Array data types, as
shown in the following illustration.

When you select an option from the type ring, you see more options you
can use to indicate details about the data type and how to pass the data
to the library function. The Call Library Node has a number of different
options for data types, because of the variety of data types required by
different libraries. Refer to the documentation for the library you call to
determine which data types to use.

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VoidThe type void is only accepted for the return value. This
option is not available for parameters. Use it for the return value if
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NumericsFor numeric data types, you must indicate the exact

numeric type using the data type ring. Options include the
following:

Signed and unsigned versions of 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit

integers

Four-byte, single-precision numbers

Eight-byte, double-precision numbers

You cannot use extended-precision numbers and complex numbers

because they are not generally used in standard libraries.
You also need to use the format ring to indicate if you want to pass the
value or a pointer to the value.
In Windows 3.1, you cannot use either single-precision or
double-precision data types as the return type. This is because there is
no standard method for DLLs to return single-precision and
double-precision numbers, so this sort of return is implemented
differently by each compiler that does it. If you need to return a
single-precision or a double-precision number, pass the data back as a
parameter instead of as the return value.

Note:

ArraysYou can indicate the data type of arrays (using the same
options as for numeric data types), the number of dimensions, and
the format to use in passing the array. Use the Format option to
select if you want to pass a pointer to the array data, or pass a
pointer to a G array, which includes a four-byte value for each
dimension followed by the data. If you select Array Data Pointer,
you probably need to pass the array dimension as separate
parameter(s).

In Windows 3.1, the Call Library Node uses only the array data pointer
format for arrays. Additionally, in Windows 3.1 you can indicate that the
data should be passed using a Huge pointer. You can use a Huge pointer if
you need to pass more than 64 K. You should only turn this option on if the
DLL you are calling expects a Huge pointer of data. If you try to pass a
Huge pointer to a function that expects a normal pointer, the application
might crash.
If the library function that you are calling is written specifically for G,
you should use the G array format, because it explicitly includes the size
information. For most conventional libraries, however, use the array
data pointer, and pass the size of the array as a separate parameter(s).

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Calling Code from Other Languages

Do not attempt to resize an array with system functions, such as realloc.

Doing so might cause your system to crash.
In Windows 3.1, you cannot use the String Handle format.

StringsYou can specify the string format for strings. The options
for string format are C, Pascal, or G.
Base your selection of the string format on the type of string that
the library function expects. Most standard libraries expect either a
C string (string followed by a character) or a Pascal string (string
preceded by a length byte). If the library function that you are
calling is written specifically for G, then you might want to use the
string format, which consists of four bytes for length information,
followed by string data.

Caution:

Do not attempt to resize a string with system functions, such as realloc.

Doing so can cause your system to crash.

Calling Functions that Expect Other Data Types

In some cases, you might encounter a function that expects a data type
G does not use. For example, you cannot use the Call Library Function
to pass an arbitrary cluster, or an array of non-numeric data.
Depending on the data type, you might be able to pass the data by
creating a string or array of bytes that contains a binary image of the
data that you want to send. You can create binary data by typecasting
data elements to strings and concatenating them.
Another option is to write a library function that accepts data types
G does use, and parameters to build the data structures that the library
function expects, then calls the library function.
Finally, you can write a code interface node instead. Code interface
nodes can accept arbitrary data structures, but take some time to master
because you have to understand data formats and storage in G.

LabWindows/CVI Function Panel Converter

Note:

This feature is not available on the Macintosh.

The LabWindows/CVI Function Panel converter automates the process
of converting instrument drivers written in LabWindows/CVI so they

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can be used in G. A LabWindows/CVI instrument driver consists of a C

source and header files, a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) (Windows) or
shared library (UNIX) containing the compiled code, and a
LabWindows/CVI-specific file called a Function Panel (FP) file.
Function Panel files are used in LabWindows/CVI so that users can
specify arguments and return values when editing a C function call
statement by filling in values in a pop-up window.
The LabWindows/CVI Function Panel converter converts each function
into a VI, using the information in the CVI FP file to determine the type,
data representation, and placement of controls on the VI front panels.
Each generated VI uses a Call Library Function node on its block
diagram to call the appropriate C routine in the appropriate driver
library.
Although many instrument drivers are written completely on the
diagram without calling library functions, the LabWindows/CVI
Function Panel converter has advantages in some cases. For instruments
where a G driver is not available, this tool makes it relatively easy to
take advantage of a CVI driver if one exists. Given the option, however,
a true G driver consisting of G diagrams is preferable because it is easy
for customers to view and modify, and because it multitasks well within
the G environment. Library calls are synchronous, so any VIs running
in parallel pause for the duration of the call.

Conversion Process
If you select FileConvert CVI FP File, a dialog box appears asking
you to select a LabWindows/CVI Function Panel file. When you have
selected an FP file, you see the following dialog box, in which you can
indicate where to save new VIs and what driver functions to convert.

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You specify the destination directory or VI library in the topmost text

box. The suggested destination is shown, and you can change the path
to place the new VIs that G creates anywhere you want. You can use the
Browse button to specify the destination using a file dialog box in the
usual way.
The Instrument Prefix text box shows the instrument prefix as shown
by the function panel file. This prefix is prepended by CVI to all C
function names in the Function Panel tree. The converter likewise
prepends this prefix to the names of VIs it generates. The suggested
prefix is shown, based on the DLL, but you can change or delete this
string as you want.
The remainder of the dialog box is devoted to the selection of function
panels items to convert. A list box lists all items in the function panel
tree, indented hierarchically by class, as in LabWindows/CVI. The class
names are listed as well, but are grayed-out and not selectable. Initially,
all nodes found in the Function Panel file are selected. Selected items
are indicated by a checkmark symbol (), non-selected items by no
symbol, and class names by a rectangle.

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Double-clicking on an item toggles selection. The Select All and

Deselect All buttons can be used for convenience. You also can click on
an item once to move the highlighted bar to that item and click on
Rename. This pops up the following simple dialog box for renaming an
FP item.

The Options button brings up the following dialog box.

The conversion options are as follows:

Leave VI Front Panels OpenCauses the converter to leave VIs in
memory with their front panels open when conversion is complete
rather than disposing of each VI after it is saved to disk. (Off by
default.)
Create Library Call on Block DiagramCauses the converter to
place a Call Library Function node on the block diagram of each VI

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Chapter

Understanding the G
Execution System

This chapter explains VI multitasking and execution.

With the execution system, you can run multiple VIs simultaneously. In
addition, within a given VI you might have several parallel branches,
each of which can also execute simultaneously.
In normal use, you do not need to be concerned with the details of how
multitasking takes place. You can think of portions of a diagram as
executing in parallel, and multiple VIs as running in parallel. With the
execution system multitasking capability, you can edit a VI while others
run, or you can single-step through a VI while others run at full speed.
Also, if you inadvertently build a VI with an infinite loop, it should not
lock up the computer or prevent other VIs from executing.
In some applications, such as process control applications, you might
need a better understanding of how the multitasking system works. The
following section covers this topic.

Multitasking
Most computers have only one processor, meaning only one task can
execute at any given time. Multitasking is achieved by running one task
for a short amount of time and then having other tasks run. As long as
the amount of time that each task has is small enough, you have the
appearance of having multiple tasks running simultaneously.
There are two kinds of multitaskingpreemptive and cooperative.
With a preemptive multitasking system, each task is given a limited
amount of time to execute. When the time is up for a given task, one task
is forced to pause while another starts execution. Preemptive
multitasking is not currently available on all operating systems and is
not used currently by the execution system.
Cooperative multitasking, which is more common in current, small
computer operating systems, relies on each task being written to share
time. Each task is responsible for deciding when it should relinquish

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time to other tasks. If any task fails to share time, that task ends up
locking out other tasks until it is ready to share time.
The execution system is a cooperative multitasking system, which
means it can execute multiple tasks in parallel. Because it is
cooperative, you have no assurances that a given task executes within a
specific amount of time. Some nodes in G are synchronous, meaning
they do not multitask (a complete list of these nodes is given in the
Synchronous Nodes section later in this chapter). If any synchronous
nodes execute a lengthy process, other tasks temporarily might be
locked out of execution. In practice, this rarely causes problems
because the number of synchronous nodes is relatively limited, and the
actions they execute generally take only a small amount of time.

Cooperation
When the compiler compiles a diagram into machine code, the code is
generated so that it periodically checks to see whether there are any
other pending tasks and if it is time to have other tasks execute.
The execution system maintains a queue of active tasks. Assuming all
tasks have the same priority, the first task executes for a certain amount
of time. Then, that task is put at the end of the queue, and the next task
executes for a time. When a task completes execution, the execution
system removes it from the queue.
The execution system executes the first element of the queue by calling
the generated code of the VI. At some point, the generated code of that
VI checks with the execution system to see if it should assign another
task to execute. If not, the code for the VI continues to execute.

Task Switching
The currently executing task surrenders execution to other tasks in a
number of situations described in the following list.
1.

The code of a VI occasionally checks to see how long it has been

executing. If the VI has not had a complete amount of time (roughly
110 msecs), then it continues to execute. Otherwise, it surrenders
to the scheduler.

If the VI encounters a Wait, Wait for Occurrence Dialog Box

Function, or Device I/O function (which are used by the GPIB and
Serial Port VIs), the VI surrenders to the scheduler.

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When a VI surrenders to the scheduler, the scheduler selects the

highest priority VI on its queue to run next. This can be the same
VI that was running previously. The scheduler also can assign
mouse and key events to the user interface code before rerunning a
VI.

If there is nothing of equal or higher priority, the VI continues to

execute.

When a VI wait completes, or the I/O finishes, the VI is put back on the
queue in order of its priority.

Synchronous Nodes
As mentioned previously, a few nodes are synchronous, meaning they
do not multitask with other nodes. Code Interface Nodes (CINs) and all
computation functions execute synchronously. Most analysis VIs
contain CINs and therefore execute synchronously. For example, an
FFT executes to completion without assigning other tasks to execute in
parallel, regardless of how long the FFT executes.
Almost all other nodes are asynchronous. Structures, I/O functions,
timing functions, and subVIs that you build all execute asynchronously.

Prioritizing Tasks of the Same Priority Level

There are two methods for prioritizing parallel tasks. One is to change
a VI's priority using the priority setting of VI Setup. The other is to
make strategic use of Wait functions.
In most cases, you probably should not change the priority of a VI from
the default priority. Using priorities to control execution order might
not produce the results you expect. If used incorrectly, using priorities
to control execution order can result in completely pushing aside the
lower priority tasks.

Wait Functions for Prioritizing Tasks

Instead of using the priority setting in VI Setup, you can use the Wait
function to make less important tasks execute less frequently. For
example, if you have several loops in parallel and you want some to
execute more frequently, put the Wait functions in the lower priority
tasks. This causes them to execute less frequently, relinquishing more
time to other tasks.

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In many cases, doing this is sufficient. You probably do not need to

change the priorities using the VI Setup options.

VI Setup Priority Setting

If you decide to use priorities, and you do not want high priority VIs to
push aside lower priority VIs, make sure to put Wait functions in lower
priority sections of the high priority VIs.
You change the priority of a VI using the Priority option in the VI Setup
dialog box. There are five levels of priority: 0, 1, 2, 3, and subroutine,
with 0 the lowest and subroutine the highest priority.
Higher priority VIs execute before lower priority VIs. That is, if the
execution queue contains two VIs of each priority level, the level 3 VIs
share execution time exclusively until both of them finish. Then, the
level 2 VIs share execution time exclusively until both of them finish,
and so on.
The exception to this occurs if the higher priority VIs call a Wait
function or a Device I/O function (which are used by GPIB and Serial
Port VIs). In this case, the higher priority VIs are taken off the queue
until the Wait or I/O is complete, assigning other tasks (possibly with
lower priority) to execute. Notice that as soon as the wait or I/O is
complete, the execution system reinserts the pending task on the queue
in front of lower priority tasks.

Subroutine Priority Level

The previous discussion explains how multitasking works with priority
levels 0 through 3. If you set a VI to subroutine priority (the highest
level), the behavior is slightly different. When a VI runs at subroutine
priority, no other VI can run until the subroutine priority VI finishes
executing, even if the other VI is also marked as a subroutine. With
subroutine VIs, the execution system does not multitask execution of
VIs. In addition, subroutine VI execution is streamlined so that front
panel controls and indicators are not updated when the subroutine is
called. Watching a subroutine VI front panel reveals nothing about its
execution.
A subroutine VI might call other subroutine VIs, but it might not call a
VI with any other priority. Use subroutine VIs in situations in which
you want to put a simple computation having no interactive elements
into a reusable subVI, where the call overhead for the subVI is
minimized.
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Reentrant Execution
Under normal circumstances, the execution system cannot execute
multiple calls to the same subVI simultaneously. If you try to call a
non-reentrant subVI from more than one place, one call executes and
the other call waits for the first to finish before executing. If you make
a VI reentrant (using VI Setup), each instance of the call maintains its
own state of information. Then, the execution system runs the same
subVI simultaneously from multiple places. Reentrant execution is
useful in the following situations.

When a VI waits for a specified length of time or until a timeout

occurs.

When a VI contains data that is not to be shared between multiple

instances of the same VI, as opposed to a global variable, which is
a VI whose data you want to share.

You begin reentrant execution through the Execution Options of the

VI Setup dialog box. If you select reentrancy, several other options
become unavailable, including the following.

Opening a front panel when loaded

Opening a front panel when called

Execution highlighting

Single-stepping

These options are disabled because the subVI must switch between
different copies of the data and different execution states with each call,
making it impossible to display its current state continuously.

Examples in which You Should Use Reentrancy

Using a VI That Waits
The following reentrant example discusses a VI, called Snooze, which
takes hours and minutes as input and waits until that time arrives. If you
want to use this simultaneously in more than one location, the VI needs
to be reentrant.

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The Get Time In Seconds function reads the current time in seconds and
the Seconds to Date/Time and converts this value to a cluster of time
values (year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and day of week). A
Bundle function replaces the current hour and minute with values
representing a later time on the same day in the front panel Time To
Wake Me cluster control. The adjusted record then is converted back to
seconds, and the difference between the current time in seconds and the
future time is multiplied by 1,000 to obtain milliseconds. The result
passes to a Wait function.
Lunch and Break are two VIs that use Snooze as a subVI. The Lunch
VI, whose front panel and block diagram are shown in the following
illustration, waits until noon and pops up a front panel reminding the
operator to go to lunch. The Break VI pops up a panel reminding the
operator to go on break at 10:00 a.m. The Break VI is identical to the
Lunch VI, except that the pop-up subVIs are different.

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For Lunch and Break to execute in parallel, Snooze must be reentrant.

Otherwise, if you started Lunch first, Break would have to wait until
Snooze woke up at noon, which would be two hours late.

Using a Storage VI Not Meant to Share Its Data

Another situation that requires reentrancy is when you make multiple
calls to a subVI that stores data. Suppose you create a subVI, ExpAvg,
which calculates a running exponential average of four data points. To
remember the past values, ExpAvg uses an uninitialized shift register
with three left terminals. If you are a LabVIEW user, see Chapter 3,
Loops and Charts, of your LabVIEW Tutorial Manual for more
information on uninitialized shift registers.

VIs without diagrams cannot be converted to future versions of the

application or to other platforms. During conversion, you need to
recompile your VIs. Without a block diagram, a VI cannot be recompiled.
You also should consider what environment users need to use to run
your VIs. Do you want end users to have a development system or a
run-time application?
A run-time application is appropriate when you do not expect your users
to make modifications to your VIs. A run-time application contains
simplified menus, and users cannot edit VIs or view block diagrams.

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Run-time applications are built using the LabVIEW Application

Builder libraries. When you build a run-time application with these
libraries, you must answer these three questions.

Do I want to embed a VI library in the application?

Do I want the application to have an Open menu item?

Do I want the application to have a Quit menu item?

If you choose to embed a VI library in the application, the library is

combined with a run-time engine into a single file. When this file is
launched, it automatically opens all top-level VIs in the library. If you
do not embed a VI library, the application can be used to open any VI
when it is launched, assuming the VI was saved with a development
system for that platform.
If you enable the Open menu item, you can use the application to open
and run any VI in the file system, regardless of whether the application
has an embedded VI library. By embedding a VI library, you can create
a completely stand-alone application, one that prevents the user, or
customer, from accessing the source VIs even if the user has the
development system.
If you plan to ship multiple VI suites to the same customer, the single
run-time application with the Open menu item enabled proves more
efficient than separate embedded applications. This is true because each
embedded application contains a copy of the run-time code, which is
roughly 2 to 3 MB.
To create a run-time application, you need the Application Builder
libraries, which are sold separately. If you are a LabVIEW user, see the
LabVIEW Release Notes included with the Application Builder software
for details on how to build an application.
Note:

Because the BridgeVIEW execution system consists of several separate

pieces, the Application Builder does not work for building BridgeVIEW
run-time applications.

Save with Options Dialog Box

The Save with Options dialog box makes it simple for you to save an
entire hierarchy of VIs for distribution. You can use this dialog box to
selectively save an entire hierarchy, without the VIs in vi.lib, and
save all external subroutines that are referenced by VIs in your

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hierarchy. The Save with Options dialog box is shown in the following
illustration.

By selecting from the options on the left of the Save with Options dialog
box, you can select from a set of predefined save options. As you select
options, the area at the right shows the behavior of your current
selection. You can customize the behavior by selecting specific options
from the right section of the dialog box.

Changed VIsSaves any changes to the front-most VI and its

subVIs. This option is useful as a quick way to save changes.

Development DistributionSaves all non-vi.lib VIs, controls,

and external subroutines to a single location (either a directory or
library). This option is an easy way to save a hierarchy that is to be
transported to another G development system, because the other
development system has its own vi.lib.

Application DistributionSaves all VIs, controls, and external

subroutines, including the ones in vi.lib to a single location and
removes the diagrams from all of the VIs. If you want to create a
run-time application that has an embedded library, you can use this
option to create the library to embed. To actually create a run-time
application, you need the Application Builder libraries, which are
sold separately.

Custom SaveSelects the specific options you want from the

Selected Options area of the dialog box, if none of the predefined
options fit your needs.

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Managing Your Applications

Designing Applications with Multiple Developers

If you have multiple developers working on the same project, you need
to spend some design time defining responsibilities to ensure that the
project works well.
Start by considering the top-level design of your application and create
an outline. You should create stub VIs for the major components of your
application. A stub VI is a prototype of a subVI. It has inputs and
outputs, but is incomplete. It serves as a place holder for future VI
development at which time you add functionality. Creating stub VIs for
LabVIEW users is described in Chapter 10, Program Design, in your
LabVIEW Tutorial Manual. BridgeVIEW users should refer to
Chapter 15, Program Design of your BridgeVIEW User Manual.
Once you have verified that the stub VIs provide the functionality you
expect, you can determine which components individual developers
should work on. To simplify matters, you might place the major stub
VIs in separate directories or VI libraries which can then be managed
by different developers.

Keeping Master Copies

You should probably keep the master copies of your project VIs on a
single computer. You can institute a check-in/check-out policy to
ensure control over what changes in your VIs. With this policy, a
developer could check out a copy of the VIs, like checking a book out
of the library. During that time, nobody should touch the files that the
developer has checked out. The developer would then check in the
finished VIs after making any changes.
There are several applications that can help control access to files and
maintain different revisions of files. There is currently no way of
performing a comparison between VIs, other than a visual comparison,
so you need to be meticulous with your check-in/check-out policy to
avoid multiple developers working on the same VIs at the same time.

VI History Window
In addition to its front panel and block diagram, a VI has a History
window that displays the development history of the VI, including
revision numbers. Each user who changes a VI can record any changes
made in the history. This feature should help users keep track of
changes to a VI as they are made. However, the VI history does not

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The number displayed in the History window or VI window is the next

revision number; that is, the number that is saved on disk if you save the
VI. It is the current revision number plus one. When you add a comment
to the history, the next revision number is included in the header of the
comment. For example, if you were to click on the Add button in the
example, your comment would be added to the history with the revision
number 4. Then if you save the VI, the current revision number would
be 4, and the comment that applies to the changes you just made would
be labeled with the same number.
Note:

The revision number is not incremented when you save the VI if the only
changes you made were changes to the VI History.
In many cases, there are gaps in revision numbers between comments
because you saved the VI without entering a comment. This is not a
problem. In fact, the revision number is useful because it is
independent. Suppose you receive a copy of a VI from another user.
Later, you want to know if the other user updated the VI since you
received your copy. You can easily tell by looking at the revision
numbers, even if the other user made a change without adding
comments.
If the revision number only changed when you added a comment, it
would be a comment number, not a revision number. The revision
number is even more effective when combined with the history. If users
have been adding comments to the history, you can tell what changes
were made since you last received a copy.

Resetting History Information

Under the comment box there is a button labeled Reset. Pressing Reset
erases the history and optionally resets the revision number to zero.
This is useful when you copy a VI and want to start the new VI with a
clean slate (no history).
Because the history is strictly a developer tool, the history is removed
automatically when you remove the block diagram of a VI. The History
window is not available in the run-time version, but the revision number
is available in the VI Information dialog box even for VIs that have had
their block diagrams removed. You can remove the revision number
using the Reset button to reset the history of your VI before you remove
the block diagram.

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Printing History Information

When you print a VI, you can include the history and revision number
by selecting Complete Documentation from the Print Documentation
dialog box. If you want to change the format of the printout to include
only the history information, you can use the Custom Print Settings
button to indicate exactly what you want to print. Additionally, you can
export the history information to a file by selecting Save Text Info from
the Print Documentation dialog box.

Setting Related VI Setup & Preference Dialog Box

Options
The VI Setup and the Preferences dialog boxes both have options you
can use to indicate how VI history should behave.
You can use the VI Setup options to indicate for a given VI if and when
history information is automatically recorded. See the Documentation
Options section of Chapter 6, Setting up VIs and SubVIs, for
information on these settings.
You can use the Preferences dialog box options to indicate what the
default history settings are for new VIs. You can also use this dialog box
to indicate a user name entered in history information. See the History
Preferences section of Chapter 7, Customizing Your G Environment, for
information on these settings.

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This chapter is divided into three sections. The first section discusses
the Performance Profiler, a feature that shows you data about execution
time of your VIs. The second section discusses factors that affect
run-time speed. The third section discusses factors that affect memory
usage.

Performance Profiling
The VI Performance Profiler is a powerful tool for determining where
your application is spending its time, as well as how it is using memory.
This information is invaluable in finding the hot spots of your
application so that you can make the best use of the VIs that take up the
most time. It has an interactive tabular display of time and memory
usage for each VI in your system. Each row of the table contains
information for a specific VI. The time spent by each VI is broken down
into several categories as well as summarized in a few statistics. The
Profile window calculates the minimum, maximum, and average time
spent per run of a VI.
You can use the interactive tabular display to view all or parts of this
information, sort it by different categories, and look at the performance
data of subVIs when called from a specific VI.

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Select ProjectShow Profile Window to access the Profile window.

The following illustration shows an example of the window already
in use.

There are several things to notice about the window. First, the collection
of memory usage information is optional. This is because the collection
process can add a significant amount of overhead to the running time of
your VIs. You must choose whether to collect this data before starting
the Profiler by checking the Profile Memory Usage checkbox
appropriately. This checkbox cannot be changed once a profiling
session is in progress. The following buttons are available on the Profile
window.

StartEnables the collection of performance data. It is best to start

a profiling session while your application is not running. This way,
you can ensure that you measure only complete runs of VIs, and not
partial runs.

SnapshotViews the data that is currently available. This gathers

data from all the VIs in memory and displays it in the tabular
display.

SaveSaves the currently displayed data to disk as a tab-delimited

text spreadsheet file. This data can then be viewed in a spreadsheet
program or by VIs.

ResetErases all the current Profiler information from the table so

that you can start a new profiling session.

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Viewing the Results

You can choose to display only parts of the information in the table.
Some basic data is always visible, but you can choose to display the
statistics, details, and (if enabled) memory usage by checking or
unchecking the appropriate checkboxes in the Profile window.
Performance information also is displayed for Global VIs. However,
this information sometimes requires a slightly different interpretation,
as described in the category-specific sections below.
Performance data for subVIs when called from a specific VI can be
viewed by double-clicking on the name of a VI in the tabular display.
When you do this, new rows appear directly below the name of the VI
containing performance data for each of its subVIs. When you
double-click on the name of a Global VI, new rows appear for each of
the individual controls on its front panel.
You can sort the rows of data in the tabular display by clicking in the
desired column header. The current sort column is indicated by a bold
header title.
Timings of VIs do not necessarily correspond to the amount of elapsed
time that it takes for a VI to complete. This is because multi-threaded
execution system can interleave the execution of two or more VIs. Also,
there is a certain amount of overhead taken up that is not attributed to
any VI, such as the amount of time taken by a user to respond to a dialog
box, or time spent in a Wait function on a block diagram, or time spent
to check for mouse clicks.
The basic information that is always visible in the first three columns of
the performance data consists of the following items:

VI TimeTotal time spent actually executing the code of this VI

and displaying its data, as well as time spent by the user interacting
with its front panel controls (if any). This summary is broken down
into sub-categories in the Timing Details described below. For
Global VIs, this time is the total amount of time spent copying data
to or from all of its controls. To see timing information on
individual controls in a Global VI, you can double-click on the
name of the Global VI.

SubVIs TimeTotal time spent by all subVIs of this VI. This is

the sum of the VI time (described above) for all callees of this VI,
as well as their callees, etc.

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Total TimeSum of the above two categories, calculating the total

amount of time.

Timing Information
When the Timing Statistics checkbox is checked, the following
columns become visible in the tabular display:

# RunsNumber of times that this VI completed a run. For Global

VIs, this time is the total number of times all of its controls were
accessed.

AverageAverage amount of time spent by this VI per run. This is

simply the VI time divided by the number of runs.

ShortestMinimum amount of time the VI spent in a run.

LongestMaximum amount of time the VI spent in a run.

When the Timing Details checkbox is checked, you can view a

breakdown of several timing categories that sum up to the time spent by
the VI. For VIs that have a lot of user interface, these categories can
help you see what operations are taking the most time.

DiagramTime spent only executing the code that was generated

for the diagram of this VI.

DisplayTime spent updating front panel controls of this VI with

new values from the diagram.

DrawTime spent drawing the front panel of this VI. Draw time
includes the following:

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The time it takes simply to draw a front panel when its window
just has been opened, or when it is being revealed after being
obscured by another window.

The time that is conceptually Display time, because it is caused

by new values coming in from the diagram but occurs because
the control is transparent and/or overlapped. These controls
must invalidate their area of the screen when they receive new
data from the diagram so everything in that area can redraw in
the correct order. Other controls can draw immediately on the
front panel when they receive new data from the diagram.
More overhead is involved in invalidating and redrawing
most (but not all) of which shows up in the Draw timings.

TrackingTime spent tracking the mouse while the user was

interacting with the front panel of this VI. This can be significant
for some kinds of operations, such as zooming in or out of a graph,

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selecting items from a pop-up menu, or selecting and typing text in

a control.

LocalsTime spent copying data to or from local variables on the

diagram. Experience with users has shown that this time can
sometimes be significant, especially when it involves large,
complex data.

Memory Information
When the Memory Usage checkbox is checked (remember that this is
only available if the Profile Memory Usage checkbox was selected
before you began the profiling session), you can view information about
how your VIs are using memory. These values are a measure of the
memory used by the data space for the VI and do not include the support
data structures necessary for all VIs. The data space for the VI contains
not just the data explicitly being used by front panel controls, but also
temporary buffers that are implicitly created by the compiler.
The memory sizes are measured at the conclusion of the run of a VI and
might not exactly reflect its total usage. For instance, if a VI creates
large arrays during its run but reduces their size before the VI finishes,
the sizes displayed do not reflect the intermediate larger sizes.
Two sets of data are displayed in this sectiondata related to the
number of bytes used, and data related to the number of blocks used.
The execution system uses independent blocks of memory for arrays,
strings, paths, and pictures (from the Picture Control Kit). Large
numbers of blocks in the memory heap of your application can cause an
overall degradation of performance (not just execution).
The categories of Memory Usage are the following:

Average BytesAverage number of bytes used by the data space

of this VI per run.

Min BytesMinimum number of bytes used by the data space of

this VI for an individual run.

Max BytesMaximum number of bytes used by the data space of

this VI for an individual run.

Average BlocksAverage number of blocks used by the data space

of this VI per run.

Min BlocksMinimum number of blocks used by the data space of

this VI for an individual run.

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Max BlocksMaximum number of blocks used by the data space

of this VI for an individual run.

Speeding Up Your VIs

The compiler compiles your VIs and produces code that generally
executes very quickly. When working on time critical applications, you
might want to do all you can to obtain the best performance out of your
VIs. This section discusses factors that affect execution speed and
suggests some programming techniques to help you obtain the best
performance possible.
You should examine the following items to determine the causes of
slow performance.

Input/Output (files, GPIB, data acquisition, networking)

Screen Display (large controls, overlapping controls, too many

displays)

Memory Management (inefficient usage of arrays and strings,

inefficient data structures)

Other factors, such as execution overhead and subVI call overhead can
have an effect, but these are usually minimal and not the most critical
source of slow execution.

Input/Output
Input/Output calls generally incur a lot of overhead. They often take an
order of magnitude more time than the time it takes to perform a
computational operation. For example, a simple serial port read
operation might have an associated overhead of several milliseconds.
This amount of overhead is true for any application that uses serial
ports. The reason for this overhead is that an I/O call involves
transferring information through several layers of an operating system.
The best method for addressing too much overhead is to minimize the
number of I/O calls you make. Your performance improves if you can
structure your application so that you transfer a lot of data with each
call, instead of making multiple I/O calls using smaller amounts of data.
For example, if you are creating a data acquisition (NI-DAQ) VI, you
have a couple of options for reading data. You can use a single-point
data transfer function such as the AI Sample Channel VI or you can use
a multi-point data transfer function such as the AI Acquire Waveform
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For example, examine the following diagram.

For applications, it does not matter if your memory is real RAM or

virtual memory. The operating system hides the fact that the memory is
virtual. The main difference is speed. With virtual memory, you
occasionally might notice more sluggish performance, when memory is
swapped to and from the disk by the operating system. Virtual memory
can help run larger applications, but it is probably not appropriate for
applications that have critical time constraints.

Macintosh Memory
When you launch an application on the Macintosh, the system allocates
a single block of memory for it, from which all memory is allocated.
When you load VIs, components of those are loaded into that memory.
Similarly, when you run a VI, all the memory that it manipulates is
allocated out of that single block of memory.
You configure the amount of memory that the system allocates at
launch time using the FileGet Info command from the Finder. Keep in
mind that if your application runs out of memory, it cannot increase the
size of this memory pool. Therefore, you should set up this parameter
to be as large as is practical. If you have a 16 MB machine, consider the
applications that you want to run in parallel. If you do not plan to run
any other applications, set the memory preference to be as large as
possible.

VI Component Memory Management

A VI has four major components.

Front panel

Block diagram

Code (diagram compiled to machine code)

Data (control and indicator values, default data, diagram constant

data, and so on.)

When you load a VI, the front panel, the code (if it matches the
platform), and the data for the VI are loaded into memory. If the VI
needs to be recompiled because of a change in platform or a change in
the interface to a subVI, then the diagram is loaded into memory as
well.
You also can load the code and data space of subVIs into memory.
Under certain circumstances, you can load the front panel of some
subVIs into memory as well. This can occur, for example, if the subVI

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uses Attribute Nodes, because Attribute Nodes manipulate state

information for front panel controls. More information on subVIs and
their panels is discussed later in this chapter.
An important point in the organization of VI components is that you
generally do not use too much memory when you convert a section of
your VI into a subVI. If you create a single, huge VI with no subVIs,
you end up with the front panel, code, and data for that top-level VI in
memory. However, if you break the VI into subVIs, the code for the
top-level VI is smaller, and the code and data of the subVIs reside in
memory. In some cases, you actually might see lower run-time memory
usage. This idea is discussed later in this chapter in the section,
Monitoring Memory Usage.
You also might find that massive VIs take longer to edit. You do not see
this problem as much if you break your VI into subVIs, because the
editor can handle smaller VIs more efficiently. This is in addition to the
fact that a more hierarchical organization to your VIs is generally easier
to maintain and read.
Note:

If the front panel or block diagram of a given VI is much larger than a

screen, you might want to break it into subVIs to make it more accessible.

Dataflow Programming and Data Buffers

In dataflow programming, you do not generally use variables. Dataflow
models usually describe nodes as consuming data inputs and producing
data outputs. A literal implementation of this model would produce
applications that can use very large amounts of memory and have
sluggish performance. Every function would produce a copy of data for
every destination to which an output is passed. The compiler improves
on this implementation by attempting to determine when memory can
be reused, and by looking at the destinations of an output to determine
whether it is necessary to make copies for each individual terminal.
For example, in a more traditional approach to the compiler, the
following diagram would use two blocks of data memory, one for the
input and one for the output.

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The input array and the output array contain the same number of
elements, and the data type for both arrays is the same. Think of the
incoming array as a buffer of data. Instead of creating a new buffer for
the output, the compiler reuses the input buffer. This saves memory, and
also results in faster execution, because no memory allocation needs to
take place at run time.
The compiler cannot reuse memory buffers in all cases, however, as
shown in the following illustration.

A single source of data is being passed to multiple destinations. The

destinations want to modify the data to produce resulting arrays. In this
case, the compiler creates new data buffers for two of the functions and
copies the array data into the buffers. Thus, one of the functions is
reused by the input array, and the others are not. This diagram uses
about 12 KB (4 KB for the original array and 4 KB for each of the extra
two data buffers).

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Now, examine the following diagram.

As before, the input branches to three functions are the same. However,
in this case none of them need to modify the data. If you pass data to
multiple locations, all of which read the data without modifying it, G
does not need to make a copy of the data. This diagram uses up about
4 KB of data.
Finally, consider the following diagram.

In this case, the input branches to two functions, one of which wants to
modify the data. There is no dependency between the two functions.
Therefore, you can predict that at least one copy needs to be made so
the replace array element function safely modifies the data. In this case,
the compiler schedules the execution of the functions in such a way that
the function that wants to read the data executes first, and the function
that wants to modify the data executes last. This way, the Replace Array
Element function reuses the incoming array buffer without generating a
duplicate array. If the ordering of the nodes is important, you should

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make the ordering explicit by using either a sequence or an output of

one node for the input of another.
In practice, the analysis of diagrams by the compiler is not perfect. In
some cases, the compiler might not be able to determine the optimal
method for reusing diagram memory.

Monitoring Memory Usage

There are a couple of methods for determining memory usage.
If you select HelpAbout LabVIEW (if you are a LabVIEW user) or
HelpAbout BridgeVIEW (if you are a BridgeVIEW user), you see
statistics that summarize the total amount of memory used by your
application. This memory includes memory for VIs as well as memory
that the application uses. You can check this amount before and after
execution of a set of VIs to obtain a rough idea of how much memory
the VIs are using.
You can obtain a view of the dynamic usage of memory by your VIs
with the Performance Profiler. It keeps statistics on the minimum,
maximum, and average number of byes and blocks used by each VI per
run. See the Performance Profiling section, at the beginning of this
chapter, for more details.
As shown in the following illustration, you can use WindowsShow VI
Info to have a breakdown of the memory usage for a given VI. The
left column of this information summarizes disk usage, and the right
column summarizes how much RAM currently is being used for various
components of the VI. Notice that these statistics do not include
memory usage of subVIs.

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A fourth method for determining memory usage is to use a VI called the

Memory Monitor VI (in memmon.llb inside of the general
directory). This VI uses CINs to determine memory usage for all VIs in
memory.

Rules for Better Memory Usage

The main point of the previous discussion is that the compiler attempts
to reuse memory intelligently. The rules for when the compiler can
reuse memory and when it cannot are fairly complex, and are discussed
at the end of this chapter. In practice, the following rules can help you
to create VIs that use memory efficiently.

Breaking a VI into subVIs generally does not hurt your memory

usage. In fact, in many cases, memory usage improves, because the
execution system can reclaim subVI data memory when the subVI
is not executing.

Do not worry too much about copies of scalar values; it takes a lot
of scalars to make a dent in memory usage.

Do not overuse global and local variables when working with

arrays or strings; reading a global or local variable causes a copy of
the data of the variable to be generated.

On open front panels, do not display large arrays and strings unless
it is necessary. Indicators on open front panels retain a copy of the
data that they display.

If the front panel of a subVI is not going to be displayed, do not

leave unused Attribute Nodes on the subVI. Attribute Nodes cause
the front panel of a subVI to remain in memory, which can cause
unnecessary memory usage.

Do not use suspend data range on time/memory critical VIs. The

front panel for the subVI needs to be loaded to check range
checking, and extra copies of data are made for the subVIs controls
and indicators.

In designing diagrams, watch for places where the size of an input

is different from the size of an output. For example, if you see
places where you are increasing the size of an array or string
frequently using the Build Array or Concatenate Strings functions,
you are generating copies of data.

Use consistent data types for arrays and watch for coercion dots
when passing data to subVIs and functions; when you change data
types, the output is a new buffer.

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Do not use complicated, hierarchical data types (for example,

arrays of clusters containing large arrays or strings, or clusters
containing large arrays or strings). You might end up using more
memory, and performance suffers. See the section on Developing
Efficient Data Structures later in this chapter for more details and
suggestions for tactics in designing your data types.

Memory Issues in Front Panels

When a front panel is open, controls and indicators keep their own,
private copy of the data that they display.
The following illustration shows the increment function, with the
addition of front panel controls and indicators.

When you run the VI, the data of the front panel control is passed to the
diagram. The increment function reuses the input buffer. The indicator
then makes a copy of the data for display purposes. Thus, there are three
copies of the buffer.
This data protection of the front panel control prevents the case in
which you enter some data into a control, run the associated VI, and see
the data change in the control as it is passed in-place to subsequent
nodes. Likewise, data is protected in the case of indicators so that they
can reliably display the previous contents until they receive new data.
With subVIs, you can use controls and indicators as inputs and outputs.
The execution system makes a copy of the control and indicator data of
the subVI in the following conditions.

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The front panel is in memorythis can occur for any of the

following reasons.

The front panel is open.

The VI has been changed, but has not been saved (all
components of the VI remain in memory until the VI has been
saved).

The panel uses data printing.

The diagram uses Attribute Nodes.

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The VI uses local variables.

The panel uses data logging.

A control uses suspend data range checking.

A few of these reasons are not intuitive and need further explanation.
One reason concerns attributes such as chart history. For an Attribute
Node to be able to read the chart history in subVIs that are not open, the
control or indicator needs to go through the motions of displaying the
data that is passed to controls and indicators. Because there are
numerous other attributes like this, the execution system keeps subVI
panels in memory if the subVI uses Attribute Nodes.
If a front panel uses front panel datalogging or data printing, then
controls and indicators maintain copies of their data. In addition, panels
are kept in memory for data printing so that the panel can be printed out.
If a VI uses Suspend data range checking, data is copied to and from all
front panel controls and indicators. The front panel values are retained
so that the front panel can be displayed if any data goes out of range. Do
not use Suspend range checking if memory and speed are a major
concern.
Remember, if you have set a subVI to display its front panel when
called using VI Setup or SubVI Setup, the panel is loaded into memory
when the subVI is called. If you have set the Close if Originally Closed
option, the panel is removed from memory when the subVI finishes
execution.

SubVIs Can Reuse Data Memory

In general, a subVI can use data buffers from its caller as easily as if the
diagrams of the subVI were duplicated at the top level. For most
subVIs, you do not use more memory if you convert a section of your
diagram into a subVI. For VIs with special display requirements, as
described in the previous section, there might be some additional
memory usage for front panels and controls.

Local Variables Cannot Reuse Data Memory

When you create subVIs, you create a connector pane that describes
how data is passed to and from the subVI. The data buffers that come
from terminals that are connected to a connector pane can reuse data
buffers from calling VIs. Local variables cannot do this. Instead, when
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you read from a local variable, you create a new buffer for the data from
its associated control.
If you use local variables to transfer large amounts of data from one
place on the diagram to another, you generally use more memory, and
consequently have slower execution speed than if you can transfer data
using an alternative wire path.

Global Variables Always Keep Copies of Their Data

When you read from a global variable, you create a copy of the data that
is stored in that global variable.
When manipulating large arrays and strings, the time and memory
needed to manipulate global variables can be considerable. This is
especially inefficient when dealing with arrays if you only want to
modify a single array element, then store the entire array. If you read
from the global variable in several places in your diagram, you might
end up creating several buffers of memory.
One technique for minimizing memory usage in this case is to use an
uninitialized shift register in a subVI. This technique can combine the
compactness of a global variable with the efficiency of a shift register.

Understanding When Memory Is Deallocated

Consider the following diagram.

After the Mean VI has executed, the array of data is no longer needed.
Because determining when data is no longer needed can become very
complicated in larger diagrams, the execution does not deallocate the
data buffers of a particular VI during its execution.

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If you want to add a value to the array with every iteration of the loop,
you can see the best performance by using auto-indexing on the edge of
a loop. With For Loops, the VI can predetermine the size of the array
(based on the value wired to N), and resize the buffer only once.

With While Loops, auto-indexing cannot be quite as efficient, because

the end size of the array is not known. However, While Loop
auto-indexing avoids resizing the output array every iteration by
increasing the output array size in large increments. When the loop is
finished, the output array is resized to the correct size. The performance

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of While Loop auto-indexing is nearly identical to For Loop

auto-indexing.

Auto-indexing assumes that you are going to add a value to the resulting
array with each iteration of the loop. If you need to conditionally add
values to an array, but you can determine an upper limit on the array
size, you might consider preallocating the array and then using Replace
Array Element to fill up the array.
When you are finished filling up the array values, you can resize the
array to the correct size. The array is created only once, and Replace
Array Element can reuse the input buffer for the output buffer. The
performance for this is very similar to the performance of loops using
auto-indexing. If you use this technique, you need to be careful that the
array in which you are replacing values is large enough to hold the
resulting data, because Replace Array Element does not resize arrays
for you.
An example of this process is shown in the following illustration.

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Example 2: Searching through Strings

You can use the Match Pattern function to search a string for a pattern.
Depending on how you use it, you might slow down performance by
unnecessarily creating string data buffers. The following illustration
shows the Help window for Match Pattern.

Assuming you want to match an integer in a string, you can use

[09]+ as the regular expression input to this function. To create an
array of all integers in a string, you need to use a loop and call Match
Pattern repeatedly until the offset value returned is 1.
The following diagram is one method for scanning for all occurrences
of integers in a string. It initially creates an empty array, and then each
time through the loop, searches the remaining string for the numeric
pattern. If the pattern is found (offset is not 1), this diagram uses Build
Array to add the number to a resulting array of numbers. When there are
no values left in the string, Match Pattern returns 1 and this diagram
completes execution.

One problem with this diagram is that it uses Build Array in the loop to
concatenate the new value to the previous value. Instead, you can use
auto-indexing to accumulate values on the edge of the loop. Notice that
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you end up seeing an extra, unwanted value in the array from the last
iteration of the loop where Match Pattern fails to find a match. A
solution is to use array subset to remove the extra unwanted value. This
is shown in the following illustration.

The other problem with this diagram is that you create an unnecessary
copy of the remaining string every time through the loop. Match Pattern
has an input you can use to indicate where to start searching. If you
remember the offset from the previous iteration, you can use this
number to indicate where to start searching on the next iteration. This
technique is shown in the following illustration.

Developing Efficient Data Structures

One of the points made in the previous section is that hierarchical data
structures such as arrays of clusters containing large arrays or strings,
or clusters containing large arrays or strings, cannot be manipulated
efficiently. This section explains why this is so and describes strategies
for choosing more efficient data types.

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The issue with complicated data structures is that it is difficult to access

and change elements within a data structure without causing copies of
the elements you are accessing to be generated. If these elements are
large, as in the case where the element itself is an array or string, these
extra copies use more memory and the time that it takes to copy the
memory.
You can generally manipulate scalar data types very efficiently.
Likewise, you can efficiently manipulate small strings and arrays where
the element is a scalar. In the case of an array of scalars, the following
code shows what you would have to do to increment a value in an array.

This is quite efficient because no extra copies of the overall array need
to be generated. Also, the element produced by the Index Array function
is a scalar, which can be created and manipulated efficiently.
The same is true of an array of clusters, assuming the cluster contains
only scalars. In the following diagram, manipulation of elements
becomes a little more complicated, because you now have to use
Unbundle and Bundle. However, because the cluster is probably small
(scalars use very little memory), there is no significant overhead
involved in accessing the cluster elements and replacing the elements
back into the original cluster.

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If you have an array of clusters where each cluster contains large

sub-arrays or strings, indexing and changing the values of elements in
the cluster can be more expensive in terms of memory and speed.
When you index an element in the overall array, a copy of that element
is made. Thus, a copy of the cluster and its corresponding large subarray
or string is made. Because strings and arrays are of variable size, the
copy process can involve memory allocation calls to make a string or
subarray of the appropriate size, in addition to the overhead to actually
copy the data of a string or subarray. This might not be significant if you
only plan to do it a few times. However, if your application centers
around accessing this data structure frequently, the memory and
execution overhead might add up quickly.
The solution is to look at alternative representations for your data. The
following three case studies present three different applications, along
with suggestions for the best data structures in each case.

Case Study 1: Avoiding Complicated Data Types

Consider an application in which you want to record the results of
several tests. In the results, you want a string describing the test and an
array of the test results. One data type you might consider using to store
this information is shown in the following illustration.

To change an element in the array, you have to index an element of the

overall array. Now, for that cluster you have to unbundle the elements
to reach the array. You then replace an element of the array, and store
the resulting array in the cluster. Finally, you store the resulting cluster

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into the original array. An example of this is shown in the following

illustration.

Each level of unbundling/indexing might result in a copy of that data

being generated. Notice that a copy is not necessarily generated. The
rules for when a copy is made are complex, and are discussed in
LabVIEW Technical Note 020, Minimizing the Number of Data Buffers.
Copying data is costly in terms of both time and memory. The solution
is to try to make the data structures as flat as possible. For example, in
this case study you could break the data structure into two arrays. The
first array would be the array of strings. The second array would be a
2D array, where each row is the results of a given test. This result is
shown in the following illustration.

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Given this data structure, you can replace an array element directly
using the Replace Array Element function, as shown in the following
illustration.

Case Study 2: Global Table of Mixed Data Types

Here is another application in which you want to maintain a table of
information. In this application, you decide you want the data to be
globally accessible. This table might contain settings for an instrument,
including gain, lower and upper voltage limits, and a name used to refer
to the channel.
To make the data accessible throughout your application, you might
consider creating a set of subVIs to access the data in the table, such as
the following subVIs, the Change Channel Info VI and the Remove
Channel Info VI.

The following section presents three different implementations for

these VIs.
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The previous example looked at an application in which the table
contained mixed data types, and the table might change frequently. In
many applications, you have a table of information that is fairly static
once created. The table might be read from a spreadsheet file. Once read
into memory, you mainly use it to look up information.

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In this case, your implementation might consist of the following two

functions, Initialize Table From File and Get Record From Table.

One way to implement the table would be to use a two-dimensional

array of strings. Notice that the compiler stores each string in an array
of strings in a separate block of memory. If there are a large number of
strings (for example, more than 5,000 strings), you might put a load on
the memory manager. This load can cause a noticeable loss in
performance as the number of individual objects increases.
An alternative method for storing a large table is to read the table in as
a single string. Then, build a separate array containing the offsets of
each record in the string. This changes the organization so that instead
of having potentially thousands of relatively small blocks of memory,
you have instead one large block of memory (the string) and a separate
smaller block of memory (the array of offsets).
This method might be more complicated to implement, but it can be
much faster for large tables.

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Chapter

Portability Issues

This chapter discusses issues related to transporting VIs between

platforms.

Portable and Nonportable VIs

VIs are portable among all the platforms that your application runs on,
as long as the versions of the application are the same. VIs containing
CINs or platform-specific features such as DDE are not portable, In this
case, a VI ports, but it is broken.
G uses the same file format on all platforms. You can transfer VIs from
one system to another system, either by disk or over a network.
After the file is on the new system, you can open the VI. Your
application detects that the VI is from another platform and recompiles
the VI to use the correct instructions for the current processor. If you
transfer VIs on a disk formatted for a different platform, you might need
to use a utility program, such as Apple File Exchange on the Macintosh,
to read the disk.
You cannot port the following VIs:

VIs distributed in the vi.lib directory. Each distribution contains

its own vi.lib, so do not move VIs in vi.lib across platforms.

VIs containing CINs. You see an object code not found error
if the CIN is from a different platform. If you write your CIN source
code in a platform independent manner, you can recompile it on
another platform and relink it to the ported VI.

VIs containing the Call Library function. The VI can port, but is
broken unless it can find a library of the same name.

Platform-specific communication VIs such as AppleEvents on the

Macintosh and DDE on Windows.

In Port and Out Port Utility VIs for Windows and the Peek and Poke
Utility VIs for Macintosh.

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Porting between Platforms

There are several things you can do to ease porting between platforms.
Portability issues include differences in filenames, separator characters,
resolutions and fonts, possible overlapping of labels, and differences in
picture formats.
One consideration is the filename. Filenames are limited to eight
characters plus an optional three-character extension, typically .vi in
DOS/Windows 3.x and in FAT volumes in Windows NT. Macintosh
filenames can have 31 characters. Windows 95/NT and UNIX
filenames can have 255 characters, including the .vi extension.
To avoid complications, either save VIs with short names, or save them
into a VI library. A VI library is a single file that can contain multiple
VIs. A library name must conform to platform limits, but VIs in
libraries can have names up to 255 characters, regardless of platform.
Thus, VI libraries are the most convenient format for transferring VIs,
because libraries eliminate most file system dependencies. See the
Saving VIs section in Chapter 2, Building VIs, for more information on
creating VI libraries.

Separator Character Differences

If you are developing a VI for use on multiple platforms, do not use any
of the platform-specific path separator characters [( \ ), ( / ), and ( : )]
in your filenames. Avoid any special characters in your filenames
because these can be interpreted differently by different file systems.
For example, hidden files in UNIX begin with a period.

Resolution and Font Differences

Another portability issue concerns differences in screen resolution and
fonts. Fonts can vary from platform to platform, so after porting a VI,
you might have to choose new fonts to obtain an appealing display.
When designing VIs, keep in mind that there are three fonts which best
map between platformsthe Application font, the System font, and the
Dialog font.
These predefined fonts and the real fonts they map to are as follows:

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The Application font is the default font. It is used in the Controls

palette, the Functions palette, and for new controls.

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(Windows) The U.S. version of Windows usually uses the Arial

font. The size depends on the settings of the video driver,
because you frequently can set up higher resolution video
drivers to use Large Fonts or Small Fonts. In the Japanese
version of Windows, the application uses the font that
Windows uses for file names in the program manager.

(Macintosh) The application uses the same font used in the

Finder for file names for the Application font. For example, on
the U.S. Macintosh system, the application uses Geneva,
although on the Japanese Macintosh system, the application
uses Osaka.

(UNIX) The application uses Helvetica by default.

The System font is the font used for menus.

(Windows) The application uses Helvetica, with the size

dependent upon the video driver.

(Macintosh) The application normally uses Chicago in the U.S.

system software, Osaka in the Japanese system software, and
so on.

(UNIX) The application normally uses Helvetica for this font.

The Dialog font is the font G uses for text in dialog boxes.

(Windows) In the U.S. version of Windows, this font is a bold

version of the Application font. In the Japanese version of
Windows, this font is the same as the System font.
(Macintosh) The application uses the same font as the System

font.

(UNIX) The application normally uses Helvetica for this font. On

HP-UX, this font is the same as the System font.

When you take a VI that contains one of these fonts to another platform,
your application ensures that the font maps to something similar on that
platform.
If you do not use the predefined fonts, but instead select a specific font
such as Geneva or New York, the font can change size on the new
platform because of the differences in the fonts available and
differences in the resolution of the display. If you select Geneva or New
York on the Macintosh, the application cannot match it on the Sun or
HP-UX, and the application uses the font named fixed. If you take a VI
with unrecognized fonts to Windows, you might not have a good
mapping to a new font.

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If you use a predefined font on a section of text, National Instruments

recommends that you do not change the size of that text. If you change
the font to something other than the default size and then take the VI to
a different platform, the application tries to match the font with the new
size, which might be inappropriate given the resolution of the screen.
For example, an application font with size 10 (one pixel bigger than the
default) looks good on the Macintosh (Geneva 10) but looks very tiny
on Windows with a high-resolution video driver, where it is three pixels
smaller than the default.

Overlapping Labels
When you move a VI to a new platform, controls and labels might
change size, depending on if the fonts are smaller or larger. G tries to
keep labels from overlapping their owners by moving them away from
the owning control. Also, every label and constant has a default
attribute called Size to Text. When you first create a label or constant,
this attribute is set, so the bounds of the object resize as necessary to
display all of the enclosed text.
If you ever manually resize the object, the application turns off this
attribute (the item in the pop-up menu is no longer checked). With Size
to Text turned off, the bounds of the object stay constant, and the
application clips (or crops) the enclosed text as necessary. If you do not
want the application to clip text when you move between systems or
platforms, leave this attribute on for labels and constants.
Most Sun and HP monitors are much larger and have a higher resolution
than PC and Macintosh monitors. If you are a Sun or an HP-UX user,
do not make your front panels very large if you want them to port well.
For best results, avoid overlapping controls and leave extra space. If a
label even partially overlaps another object and the font is enlarged, it
might end up overlapping the control.

Picture Differences
The most basic type of picture contains a bitmap, a series of values
specifying the color of each pixel in the picture. More complex pictures
might contain any number of commands that are executed every time
the picture is drawn. Pictures containing drawing commands are created
by drawing programs or in the draw layer of a graphics application.
Bitmap-based pictures are created by paint programs or in the paint
layer of a graphics application.

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Bitmaps are common storage formats for pictures on all platforms. If

you use pictures that contain bitmaps on your front panels, the pictures
usually look the same when you load your VIs on another platform.
However, pictures containing drawing commands might include some
commands that are not supported on other platforms, for example
clipping and pattern filling. These pictures might look strange on other
platforms. Check how your VIs look on another platform if you expect
them to be used there.
You still can use a drawing program or the draw layer of a graphics
application to create your pictures. But to make them more portable,
paste the final picture into a paint program or into the paint layer of a
graphics application before importing the picture.
(Windows 95/NT and Macintosh,) With some applications on Windows

95/NT and many graphics applications on Macintosh, you can cut or

copy a picture with a non-rectangular shape. In Macintosh, for example,
you can use a Lasso tool like the one shown at the left to select the
outline of a circle, triangle, or a more complicated shape like a musical
note. Other platforms might have to draw these irregular shapes on a
rectangular white background. In Windows 95/NT, look for
applications that support enhanced metafiles if you want pictures with
irregular shapes and pictures that scale well.

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Appendix

Data Storage Formats

This appendix discusses the formats in which you can save data. This
information is most useful to advanced users, such as those using code
interface nodes (CINs) and those reading from or writing to files used
by the file I/O functions. This appendix explains how data is stored in
memory, the relationship of type descriptors to data storage, and the
method by which data is flattened for file storage on disk.

Data Formats for Front Panel Controls and Indicators

Booleans
Booleans are 16-bit integers. The most significant bit contains the
Boolean value. If bit 15 is set to 1, the value of the control is TRUE; if
it is set to 0, the value is FALSE.

Numerics
Extended
When extended-precision numbers are saved to disk, they are stored in
a platform-independent 16-bit format. In memory, the size and
precision varies depending on the platform.
(Windows) Extended-precision floating-point numbers have 80-bit
format (80287 extended-precision format).

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(68K Macintosh) Extended-precision floating-point numbers have 96-bit

format (MC68881-MC68882 extended-precision format).

(Power Macintosh) Extended-precision floating-point numbers are stored

as two double-precision floating-point numbers combined, that is, the
double-double format that Apple has. For more details, see Inside
Macintosh PowerPC Numerics.

head

tail

(Sun) Extended-precision floating-point numbers have 128-bit format.

(HP-UX) Extended-precision floating-point numbers are stored the same

as double-precision floating-point numbers, as shown in the next

illustration.

Double
Double-precision floating-point numbers have 64-bit IEEE
double-precision format (format default).

Single
Single-precision floating-point numbers have 32-bit IEEE
single-precision format.

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Long Integer
Long integer numbers have 32-bit format, signed or unsigned.

Word Integer
Word integer numbers have 16-bit format, signed or unsigned.

Byte Integer
Byte integer numbers have 8-bit format, signed or unsigned.

Arrays
You can store arrays through the size of each dimension of any array in
long integers, followed by the data. Because of alignment constraints of
certain platforms, the dimension size might be followed by a few bytes
of padding so that the first element of the data is correctly aligned. If
you are a LabVIEW user, see the Alignment Considerations section of
Chapter 2, CIN Parameter Passing, of the LabVIEW Code Interface
Reference Manual for further information. The example that follows
shows a one-dimensional array of single-precision floating-point

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numbers. The decimal numbers to the left represent the offsets of

locations in memory from which the array begins.

This illustration shows a four-dimensional array of word integers.

You store Boolean arrays differently from Boolean scalars. An array of

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they include other types. For example, the cluster type contains
additional information about the type of each of its elements.
The first word (16 bits) in any type descriptor is the length, in bytes, of
that type descriptor (including the length word). You can reserve the
high-order byte of the type code for internal use. When comparing two
type descriptors for equality, it is a good idea to ignore this byte; two
descriptors are equal even if the high-order bytes of the type codes are
not.
The type code encodes the actual type information, such as
single-precision or extended-precision floating-point number, as listed
in the following table. These type code values might change in future
versions. The xx in the type descriptor columns represent reserved
values and should be ignored.

Data Types
The following tables list scalar numeric and non-numeric data types, the
type codes, and type descriptors.
Scalar Numeric Data Types

Table A-1.

Data Type

Type Code

Type Descriptor

(numbers in
hexadecimal)

Byte Integer

0004 xx01

Word Integer

0004 xx02

Long Integer

0004 xx03

Unsigned Byte Integer

0004 xx05

Unsigned Word Integer

0004 xx06

Unsigned Long Integer

0004 xx07

Single-Precision
Floating-Point Number

0004 xx09

Double-Precision
Floating-Point Number

0004 xx0A

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Data Storage Formats

Scalar Numeric Data Types (Continued)

Data Type

Type Code

Type Descriptor

(numbers in
hexadecimal)

Extended-Precision
Floating-Point Number

0004 xx0B

Single-Precision Complex
Floating-Point Number

0004 xx0C

Double-Precision Complex
Floating-Point Number

0004 xx0D

Extended-Precision Complex
Floating-Point Number

0004 xx0E

Enumerated Byte Integer

<nn> xx15 <k> <k pstrs>

Enumerated Word Integer

<nn> xx16 <k> <k pstrs>

Enumerated Long Integer

<nn> xx17 <k> <k pstrs>

Single-Precision Physical
Quantity

<nn> xx19 <k> <k base-exp>

Double-Precision Physical
Quantity

<nn> xx1A <k> <k base-exp>

Extended-Precision Physical
Quantity

<nn> xx1B <k> <k base-exp>

Single-Precision Complex
Physical Quantity

<nn> xx1C <k> <k base-exp>

Double-Precision Complex
Physical Quantity

<nn> xx1D <k> <k base-exp>

Extended-Precision Complex
Physical Quantity

<nn> xx1E <k> <k base-exp>

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Table A-2.

Data Type

Non-Numeric Data Types

Type Code

Type Descriptor

Boolean

0004 xx20

String

0004 xx30

Handle

0006 xx31 <kind>

Path

0004 xx32

Pict

0004 xx33

Array

<nn> 0x40 <k> <k dims>

Cluster

0x50

<nn> 0x50 <k>

The minimum value in the size field of a type descriptor is 4 (as shown
in the first table). However, any type descriptor can have a name
appended (a Pascal string) in which case the size is larger by the length
of the name.
Notice that the array and cluster data types each have their own type
code. They also contain additional information about their
dimensionality (for arrays) or number of elements (for clusters), as well
as information about the data types of their elements.
In the following example of an enumerated type for the items am, fm,
fm stereo, each group represents a 16-bit word. The space enclosed
in quotes (" ") represents an ASCII space.
0016 0015 0003 02a m02 fm 09f m" "st er eo

0016 indicates 22 bytes total. 0015 indicates an enumerated byte.

0003 indicates that there are three items.
In the following example of a physical quantity for the double-precision
width units m / s each group represents a 16-bit word.
000E 001A 0002 0002 FFFF 0003 0001

000E indicates 14 bytes total. 0x1A indicates that these are

double-precision width units. 0002 indicates two base-exponent pairs.

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0002 denotes the seconds base index. FFFF is the exponent of seconds.
0003 denotes the meters base index. 0001 is the exponent of meters.
Note:

All physical quantities are stored internally in terms of base units,

regardless of what unit they are displayed as. Table 9-2, Base Units, shows
the nine bases which are represented by indices 0-8 for radians-candela.

Array
The type code for an array is 0x40. Immediately after the type code is a
word containing the number of dimensions of the array. Then, for each
dimension, an unsigned long integer contains the size, in elements, of
that dimension. Finally, after each of the dimension sizes, the type
descriptor for the element appears. The element type might be any type
except an array. The dimension size for any dimension might be
FFFFFFFF (1). This means that the array dimension size is variable.
Currently, all arrays are variable-sized. The actual dimension size is
stored with the data. The dimension size is always greater than or equal
to zero. The following is a type descriptor for a one-dimensional array
of double-precision floating-point numbers:
000E 0040 0001 FFFF FFFF 0004 000A

000E is the length of the entire type descriptor, including the element
type descriptor. The array is variable-sized, so the dimension size is
FFFFFFFF. Notice that the element type descriptor (0004 000A)
appears exactly as it does for a scalar of the same type.
The following is an example of a type descriptor for a two-dimensional
array of Booleans.
0012 0040 0002 FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF 0004 0020

Cluster
The type code for a cluster is 0x50. Immediately after the type code is
a word containing the number of items in the cluster. After this word is
the type descriptor for each element in cluster order. For example,
consider a cluster of two integers: a signed-word integer and an
unsigned long integer:
000E 0050 0002 0004 0002 0004 0007
000E is the length of the type descriptor including the element type
descriptors.

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The following is a type descriptor for a multiplot graph (the numeric

types can vary):
0028
001E
0018
000E
0004

0040 0001 FFFF FFFF1D array of

0050 0001...1 component cluster of
0040 0001 FFFF FFFF...1D array of
0050 0002...2 component cluster of
000A... double-precision

floating-point number
0004 0003... long integer

Flattened Data
Two internal functions convert data from the format in memory to a
form more suitable for writing to or reading from a file.
Because strings and arrays are stored in handle blocks, clusters
containing these types are discontiguous. In general, data is stored in
tree form. For example, a cluster of a double-precision floating-point
number and a string is stored as an 8-byte floating-point number,
followed by a 4-byte handle to the string. The string data is not stored
adjacent in memory to the extended-precision floating-point number.
Therefore, if you want to write the cluster data to disk, you have to get
the data from two different places. Of course, with an arbitrarily
complex data type, the data might be stored in many different places.
When data is saved to a VI file or a datalog file, it flattens the data into
a single string before saving it. This way, even the data from an
arbitrarily complex cluster is made contiguous, instead of being stored
in several pieces. When G loads such a file from disk, it must perform
the reverse operationit must read a single string and unflatten it into
its internal G form.
The flattened data is normalized to a standard form so that the data can
be used unaltered by VIs running on any platform. It stores numeric data
in big endian form (most-significant byte format), and it stores
extended precision floating-point numbers as 16-byte quantities using
the Sun extended-precision format described earlier in this section.
Similar transformations might be necessary when reading data written
by other applications.
Note:

When writing data to a file for use by an application other than G, you
might need to transform your data after flattening it. Other Windows

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applications typically expect numeric data to be in little endian form

(least-significant byte first). Other Windows and Macintosh applications
typically expect extended-precision floating-point numbers to be in the
80-bit and 96-bit formats described previously, respectively.
The Flatten to String and Unflatten from String block diagram functions
(described in the G Function Reference online help) use the internal
flatten and unflatten functions.

Scalars
The flattened form of any numeric type, as well as the Boolean type,
contains only the data in big endian format. For example, a long integer
with value 19 is encoded as FFFF FFED. A double-precision
floating-point number with a value approximately equal to is 0X 40
09 21 FB 54 44 2D 18. A Boolean True is 8xxx, 9xxx, , Exxx,
or Fxxx.
The file form for extended-precision numbers is based on the SPARC
quadruple-precision form, which is a 16-bit biased exponent, followed
by a mantissa which is 112 bits long. The Macintosh and PC have an
explicit bit, the bit left of the binary point. In normalized numbers, this
bit is always a one. It is only a zero when the exponent is zero (very
small, denormalized numbers). On the SPARC, the bit left of the binary
point is an implicit bit (assumed always to be one) which does not
appear in the representation.

Strings, Handles, and Paths

Because strings, handles, and paths have variable sizes, the flattened
form is preceded by a normalized long integer that records their
length in bytes. For paths, this length is preceded by four characters:
PTH0. For instance, a string type with value ABC is flattened to 0000
0003 4142 43.
The flattened format is similar to the format that the string takes in
memory. However, handles and paths do not have a length value
preceding them when they are stored in memory, so this value comes
from the actual size of the data in memory, and prepends it when the
data is flattened.

Arrays
The data for a flattened array is preceded by normalized long integers
that record the size, in elements, of each of the dimensions of the arrays.

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Appendix A

All the graphs (waveform, XY, and intensity) always clear before
writing new data; however, it is a simple procedure to keep track of the
data previously written to the graph and append new data with each
write. The general\arrays.llb\Separate Array Values.vi
demonstrates the technique of using the Build Array function to append
new values to an array. If you are a LabVIEW user, refer to Chapter 4,
Arrays, Clusters, and Graphs, of the LabVIEW Tutorial Manual.

How can I create a bar graph?

See the examples in general\graphs\ bargraph.llb. This VI
library contains an example bar graph and two VIs you can use to create
bar graphs out of an array input. The G Picture Control Toolkit also can
create bar graphs.

How can I create polar plots and Smith charts?

The G Picture Control Toolkit contains examples with routines to create
polar plots and Smith charts. The toolkit is a versatile graphics package
for creating arbitrary front panel displays. The Picture VI Library,
which ships with the toolkit, implements a common set of drawing
commands for building the graphic images.

How can I make a label for the y-axis that is rotated

90 degrees?
BridgeVIEW and LabVIEW do not have the capability to rotate text. To
use rotated text, first create it in an application that has this capability,
such as Windows Paintbrush, and save the graphic in a format that can
be imported (see the Customizing Controls Using Imported Graphics
section of Chapter 8, Introduction to Front Panel Objects, for more
information on importing graphics). You can then import this graphic
and place it on the y-axis of the graph or chart.

How do I place a text label on a cursor?

You must first use the Cursor Name Visible attribute to display the
cursor name. You can then use the Cursor Name attribute to assign a
name to the cursor or edit the name in the cursor display of the graph on
the front panel.

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Common Questions about G

After Ive added a cursor to my graph, how do I remove it?

You must empty the array that contains the clusters holding the
information of each cursor. Select Data OperationsEmpty Array from
the pop-up menu of the cursor display, or write an empty array to the
Cursor List Attribute Node programmatically.

Error Messages and Crashes

How do I print a single control from the front panel

(for example, a graph)?
To print only a graph from the front panel, create a subVI with a graph
on its front panel.
1.

Change the graph from an indicator to a control.

Open the subVI and select OperatePrint at Completion.

Assign the subVI a connector and pass the data from the graph on
the main VI to the graph on the subVI.

Every time your main VI calls the subVI, it automatically prints the
graph.

How can I print a string?

Use the Serial Port Init.vi to initialize the port where the printer
is connected (LPT1, LPT2, and so on, on the PC, or the printer port on
the Mac) and then the Serial Port Write.vi to write the string to
the initialized port. The printer sees the data at the port and prints it.
Doing this generally requires some knowledge of the command
language of your printer, but has worked well for a number of
applications developed by LabVIEW and BridgeVIEW users. If you are
a LabVIEW user, see Appendix C, Serial I/O Common Questions, as well
as Chapter 8, Serial Port VI's of the LabVIEW Instrument I/O VI
Reference Manual for more details.

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Appendix B

Common Questions about G

(Windows and UNIX) Use the System Exec VI to print a file through a

command line function. The VI is located in Functions

CommunicationAppleEvent. For more details see the section Using
Alternative Printing Methods, in Chapter 5, Printing VIs. You also can
use the programmatic print option, as described in the previous
question.
(Macintosh) You can use the AESend Print Document VI to direct the
other application to print a document. The VI is located in
FunctionsCommunicationApple Event. For more details see the
section Using Alternative Printing Methods, in Chapter 5, Printing VIs.
You also can use the programmatic print option as described in the
previous question.

How do I print all the data on a waveform chart?

The Waveform Chart only prints the displayed data when you print the
front panel. To print all the data in a chart, including that in the history
buffer, first autoscale the x-axis of the chart by popping up on the chart,
showing the chart palette and locking the x-axis, or setting the x-axis
programmatically through a chart Attribute Node.

Why does LabvIEW or BridgeVIEW crash when printing?

On Windows, this crash might be related to the video driver.
See the question concerning random crashes on your platform in the
section Error Messages and Crashes for information on how to proceed.

How do I use PostScript printing?

If your printer works with PostScript language, first install and use the
PostScript printer driver for your printer. Go to Edit
PreferencesPrinting and select PostScript printing.
If you have a PostScript printer, you can take advantage of the
following benefits:

PostScript printouts reproduce the image of the screen more

accurately.

PostScript facilitates high-resolution graphs.

PostScript reproduces patterns and line styles more accurately.

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Appendix B

Common Questions about G

When I select PostScript printing, why does my printout yield

a pile up of printed text at the top of the page?
Printing translates the VI print data into PostScript (.PS) format and
sends it to the Windows printer driver as PostScript text. If your printer
driver does not work with PostScript printing, the printout consists of
the actual text of the PostScript file instead of a graphics image. See the
previous PostScript question for more information.

What should I do if the text on labels and front panel controls

is clipped when the VI prints?
This occurs when the size of the font for the printer does not match the
size of the font on the monitor.

If your printer works with PostScript language, use the PostScript

printer driver for your printer to maintain higher quality printouts.
See the question above for more information on PostScript printing.

Enlarge the labels and front panel controls so that, when the text
expands because of a font mismatch, the text still fits in the control
or label boundary.

Find a font which is the same size on both the monitor and the
printer. Many printer drivers have font substitution algorithms to
assist this process.

(Windows) Use bitmap printing, which makes the printout exactly

match what you see on the monitor.

(Windows) How do I select bitmap printing?

Go to EditPreferences and select Printing. The last option on the
screen is Bitmap printing.

Miscellaneous
What is info-LabVIEW and how do I subscribe?
Info-LabVIEW is a user-sponsored and supported network of
LabVIEW and BridgeVIEW users. Users can post information to a
specific e-mail address (see below); the posting is then broadcast to all
users subscribing to the list. Other users then might respond back to the
group or perhaps directly to the individual who wrote the post.

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Several power users, as well as some National Instruments employees,

subscribe to the list and respond to various issues. Overall the Info
LabVIEW group has been received extremely well. Although the group
is not connected with National Instruments, official responses are made
on occasion to the group. Most of the time the conversations take place
strictly between G users.
Users who want to subscribe to the list should send e-mail to this
address:
[email protected]
There are two ways for users to receive the postingsthe standard
format and digest format. Standard format means you receive the
postings as they occur. Digest format means you receive one package at
the end of each day containing all postings for the day. Indicate digest
format in the e-mail messages you send to info-LabVIEW-request
if you want to receive one bulk message daily.
After you have subscribed to the list, you receive postings from other
subscribers. Traffic in the group is fairly active, from 10 to 30 postings
per day. To post information to the list, send e-mail to this address:
[email protected]

How can I load and run VIs dynamically?

When a subVI exists in the block diagram of another VI, the subVI is
loaded into memory as soon as the calling VI is loaded into memory.
For memory considerations, you might want to load and unload VIs
dynamically from memory during the execution of your program. You
can use the VI Control VIs to do this. These are located in the
FunctionsAdvancedVI Control palette. For more information on
these VIs, see the Function and VI Reference located in the Online
Reference.

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Appendix B

Common Questions about G

(Macintosh) In addition to the platform-independent VI Control VIs, you

can use Apple Events on the Macintosh to dynamically load and run
VIs. The VIs are located in the palette
FunctionsCommunicationAppleEvent or its subpalette LabVIEW
Specific Apple Events, and are called:

AESend Finder Open

AESend Open, Run, Close VI

AESend Run VI

AESend Close VI

How do I replace a subVI with another VI that has the same

name?
LabVIEW and BridgeVIEW reference all VIs by name, and thus never
load two VIs with the same name, regardless of the paths to those VIs.
This includes subVIs. When you select Replace on a subVI to replace it
with a VI of the same name, G realizes it already has a copy of the VI
in memory, and replaces the VI with itself.
To load the new copy of the subVI, you must first remove the old copy
from memory. The VIs currently are listed in the Windows menu. The
easiest way to remove the subVI from memory is to close the subVI and
any other VIs that call the subVI. Open the new copy of the subVI into
memory, check FileShow VI Info to confirm that this is the version
you want, and then re-open the main VI. When the VI tries to link to the
subVI, it finds a copy in memory (the new version) and uses it rather
than search for the previous version.
The solution to many of these problems is always to give subVIs unique
names.

Loading two VIs that call two distinct subVIs with the same
name causes problems.
For example, main1.vi and main2.vi both call distinct subVIs which
are both named subVI.vi.
1.

main1.vi is loaded into memory, subVI.vi is loaded in because

it is called by main1.vi.

main2.vi is loaded into memory, linker information signals

LabVIEW or BridgeVIEW to load subVI.vi. The application
recognizes that it already has subVI.vi loaded into memory, tries

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Common Questions about G

to link main2.vi with this subVI.vi. If the connector pane is

exactly the same, it will probably link fine (but the behavior may
be very peculiar). If the connector pane is different, the user
receives a bad linkage error.
Solution: Always give subVIs unique names.

When loading and executing multiple VIs, how is the priority

of execution assigned to the VIs?
You can use the G execution system to execute multiple VIs or
subdiagrams in parallel and to assign priorities to VIs. Priorities range
from 0 (low) to 3 (high), with an additional, highest, level of subroutine.
At any one time only one section of code executes; other sections wait
on an execution queue. If the code does not complete in a given time
period, G puts it back on the queue, and the frontmost queue element
starts running. In this fashion, execution passes round-robin between
VIs or subdiagrams.
You can alter the priority of a VI through the dialog box in VI Setup.
A VI with high priority automatically bumps its subVIs to the same
level of priority. For example, if main.vi has priority 3 (high) and
subVI.vi has priority 1 (not as high), then when main.vi calls
subVI.vi, subVI.vi has priority 3.
With priorities, the G internal execution queue has multiple entry
points. The queue is always ordered via priority, as in this example:
sss322211111

If a new item with priority 3 is placed on the queue, then the queue
would look like the following:
sss3322211111

The new 3 item is placed behind all s items (compiled as subroutines)

and other priority 3 items.
A potential danger in using VI priority is that low priority items never
execute if higher level tasks are always available to run. Also, priority
does not indicate which of two items in parallel is executed first. If
something with high priority is put on the queue, it executes as soon as
the currently executing lower priority node checks the queue.

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Appendix B

Common Questions about G

How can G service interrupts without using polling?

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Appendix

Customer Communication

For your convenience, this appendix contains forms to help you gather the information necessary
to help us solve your technical problems and a form you can use to comment on the product
documentation. When you contact us, we need the information on the Technical Support Form and
the configuration form, if your manual contains one, about your system configuration to answer
your questions as quickly as possible.
National Instruments has technical assistance through electronic, fax, and telephone systems to
quickly provide the information you need. Our electronic services include a bulletin board service,
an FTP site, a FaxBack system, and e-mail support. If you have a hardware or software problem,
first try the electronic support systems. If the information available on these systems does not
answer your questions, we offer fax and telephone support through our technical support centers,
which are staffed by applications engineers.

Electronic Services
Bulletin Board Support
National Instruments has BBS and FTP sites dedicated for 24-hour support with a collection of
files and documents to answer most common customer questions. From these sites, you can also
download the latest instrument drivers, updates, and example programs. For recorded instructions
on how to use the bulletin board and FTP services and for BBS automated information, call
(512) 795-6990. You can access these services at:
United States: (512) 794-5422 or (800) 327-3077
Up to 14,400 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity
United Kingdom: 01635 551422
Up to 9,600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity
France: 01 48 65 15 59
Up to 9,600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity

FTP Support
To access our FTP site, log on to our Internet host, ftp.natinst.com, as anonymous and use
your Internet address, such as [email protected], as your password. The support files and
documents are located in the /support directories.

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FaxBack Support
FaxBack is a 24-hour information retrieval system containing a library of documents on a wide
range of technical information. You can access FaxBack from a touch-tone telephone at
(512) 418-1111.

E-Mail Support (currently U.S. only)

You can submit technical support questions to the appropriate applications engineering team
through e-mail at the Internet addresses listed below. Remember to include your name, address,
and phone number so we can contact you with solutions and suggestions.
BridgeVIEW: [email protected]
DAQ: [email protected]

LabVIEW: [email protected]
Lookout: [email protected]

Fax and Telephone Support

National Instruments has branch offices all over the world. Use the list below to find the technical
support number for your country. If there is no National Instruments office in your country,
contact the source from which you purchased your software to obtain support.

Telephone
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada (Ontario)
Canada (Quebec)
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Israel
Italy
Japan
Korea
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
U.K.

03 9879 5166
0662 45 79 90 0
02 757 00 20
905 785 0085
514 694 8521
45 76 26 00
90 527 2321
01 48 14 24 24
089 741 31 30
2645 3186
03 5734815
02 413091
03 5472 2970
02 596 7456
95 800 010 0793
0348 433466
32 84 84 00
2265886
91 640 0085
08 730 49 70
056 200 51 51
02 377 1200
01635 523545

Fax
03 9879 6277
0662 45 79 90 19
02 757 03 11
905 785 0086
514 694 4399
45 76 26 02
90 502 2930
01 48 14 24 14
089 714 60 35
2686 8505
03 5734816
02 41309215
03 5472 2977
02 596 7455
5 520 3282
0348 430673
32 84 86 00
2265887
91 640 0533
08 730 43 70
056 200 51 55
02 737 4644
01635 523154

Technical Support Form

Photocopy this form and update it each time you make changes to your software or hardware, and
use the completed copy of this form as a reference for your current configuration. Completing this
form accurately before contacting National Instruments for technical support helps our
applications engineers answer your questions more efficiently.
If you are using any National Instruments hardware or software products related to this problem,
include the configuration forms from their user manuals. Include additional pages if necessary.
Name __________________________________________________________________________
Company _______________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Fax (___ )___________________ Phone (___ ) ________________________________________
Computer brand ________________ Model ________________ Processor___________________
Operating system (include version number) ____________________________________________
Clock speed ______MHz RAM _____MB
Mouse ___yes ___no

Display adapter __________________________

Other adapters installed _______________________________________

Hard disk capacity _____MB

Brand _____________________________________________

Instruments used _________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________
National Instruments hardware product model __________ Revision ______________________
Configuration ___________________________________________________________________
National Instruments software product ____________________________ Version ____________
Configuration ___________________________________________________________________
The problem is: __________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
List any error messages: ___________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
The following steps reproduce the problem:____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

Hardware and Software Configuration Form

Record the settings and revisions of your hardware and software on the line to the right of each
item. Complete a new copy of this form each time you revise your software or hardware
configuration, and use this form as a reference for your current configuration. Completing this
form accurately before contacting National Instruments for technical support helps our
applications engineers answer your questions more efficiently.

National Instruments Products

DAQ hardware _______________________________________________________________
Interrupt level of hardware ______________________________________________________
DMA channels of hardware _____________________________________________________
Base I/O address of hardware ____________________________________________________
Programming choice ___________________________________________________________
National Instruments software version(s) ___________________________________________
Other boards in system _________________________________________________________
Base I/O address of other boards _________________________________________________
DMA channels of other boards ___________________________________________________
Interrupt level of other boards ___________________________________________________

Other Products
Computer make and model ______________________________________________________
Microprocessor _______________________________________________________________
Clock frequency or speed _______________________________________________________
Type of video board installed ____________________________________________________
Operating system version _______________________________________________________
Operating system mode ________________________________________________________
Programming language _________________________________________________________
Programming language version __________________________________________________
Other boards in system _________________________________________________________
Base I/O address of other boards _________________________________________________
DMA channels of other boards ___________________________________________________
Interrupt level of other boards ___________________________________________________

Documentation Comment Form

National Instruments encourages you to comment on the documentation supplied with our
products. This information helps us provide quality products to meet your needs.

Title:

G Programming Reference Manual

Edition Date:

October 1996

Part Number:

321296A-01

Please comment on the completeness, clarity, and organization of the manual.

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If you find errors in the manual, please record the page numbers and describe the errors.
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Thank you for your help.
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Phone (___ )__________________________ Fax (___ ) _________________________________

Mail to: Technical Publications

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Fax to:

Technical Publications
National Instruments Corporation
(512) 794-5678

Glossary

Prefix

Meaning

Value

milli-

103

micro-

106

nano-

109

Symbols

Infinity.

Pi.

Delta. Difference. x denotes the value by which x changes from

one index to the next.

A
absolute path

Relative file or directory path that describes the location relative

to the top level of the file system.

active window

Window that is currently set to accept user input, usually the

frontmost window. The titlebar of an active window is
highlighted. Make a window active by clicking on it, or by
selecting it from the Windows menu.

ANSI

American National Standards Institute.

array

Ordered, indexed set of data elements of the same type.

array shell

Front panel object that houses an array. It consists of an index

display, a data object window, and an optional label. It can accept
various data types.

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Glossary

artificial data dependency

Condition in a dataflow programming language in which the

arrival of data, rather than its value, triggers execution of a node.

ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange.

asynchronous execution

Mode in which multiple processes share processor time. For

example, one process executes while others wait for interrupts
during device I/O or while waiting for a clock tick.

ATE

Automatic test equipment.

Attribute Node

Special block diagram nodes you can use to control the

appearance and functionality of controls and indicators.

auto-indexing

Capability of loop structures to disassemble and assemble arrays

at their borders. As an array enters a loop with auto-indexing
enabled, the loop automatically disassembles it with scalars
extracted from one-dimensional arrays, one-dimensional arrays
extracted from two-dimensional arrays, and so on. Loops
assemble data into arrays as they exit the loop according to the
reverse of the same procedure.

autoscaling

Ability of scales to adjust to the range of plotted values. On graph

scales, this feature determines maximum and minimum scale
values, as well.

autosizing

Automatic resizing of labels to accommodate text that you enter.

B
block diagram

Pictorial description or representation of a program or algorithm.

In G, the block diagram, which consists of executable icons called
nodes and wires that carry data between the nodes, is the source
code for the VI. The block diagram resides in the block diagram
window of the VI.

BNF

Backus-Naur Form. A common representation for language

grammars in computer science.

Boolean controls
and indicators

Front panel objects used to manipulate and display or input and

output Boolean (TRUE or FALSE) data. Several styles are
available, such as switches, buttons and LEDs.

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Glossary

breakpoint

A pause in execution. You set a breakpoint by clicking on a VI,

node, or wire with the Breakpoint tool from the Tools palette.

Breakpoint tool

Tool used to set a breakpoint on a VI, node, or wire.

broken VI

VI that cannot be compiled or run; signified by a broken arrow in

the run button.

Bundle node

Function that creates clusters from various types of elements.

byte stream file

File that stores data as a sequence of ASCII characters or bytes.

C
case

One subdiagram of a Case Structure.

Case Structure

Conditional branching control structure, which executes one and

only one of its subdiagrams based on its input. It is the
combination of the IF, THEN, ELSE, and CASE statements in
control flow languages.

cast

To change the type descriptor of a data element without altering

the memory image of the data.

chart

See scope chart, strip chart, and sweep chart.

CIN

See Code Interface Node.

cloning

To make a copy of a control or some other G object by clicking

the mouse button on it while pressing the <Ctrl> (Windows);
<option> (Macintosh); <meta> (Sun); or <Alt> (HP-UX) key
and dragging the copy to its new location.
(UNIX) You also can clone an object by clicking on the object with
the middle mouse button and then dragging the copy to its new
location.

cluster

A set of ordered, unindexed data elements of any data type

including numeric, Boolean, string, array, or cluster. The
elements must be all controls or all indicators.

cluster shell

Front panel object that contains the elements of a cluster.

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Glossary

Code Interface Node (CIN)

Special block diagram node through which you can link

conventional, text-based code to a VI.

coercion

The automatic conversion G performs to change the numeric

representation of a data element.

coercion dot

Glyph on a node or terminal indicating that the numeric

representation of the data element changes at that point.

Color tool

Tool you use to set foreground and background colors.

Color Copy tool

Copies colors for pasting with the Color tool.

compile

Process that converts high-level code to machine-executable

code. VIs are compiled automatically before they run for the first
time after creation or alteration.

conditional terminal

The terminal of a While Loop that contains a Boolean value that

determines whether the VI performs another iteration.

connector

Part of the VI or function node that contains its input and output
terminals, through which data passes to and from the node.

connector pane

Region in the upper right corner of a front panel window that

displays the VI terminal pattern. It underlies the icon pane.

constant

See universal constant and user-defined constant.

continuous run

Execution mode in which a VI is run repeatedly until the operator

stops it. You enable it by clicking on the Continuous Run button.

control

Front panel object for entering data to a VI interactively or to a

subVI programmatically.

control flow

Programming system in which the sequential order of instructions

determines execution order. Most conventional text-based
programming languages, such as C, Pascal, and BASIC, are
control flow languages.

Controls palette

Palette containing front panel controls and indicators.

conversion

Changing the type of a data element.

count terminal

The terminal of a For Loop whose value determines the number

of times the For Loop executes its subdiagram.

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Glossary

CPU

Central Processing Unit.

current VI

VI whose front panel, block diagram, or Icon Editor is the active

window.

custom PICT controls

Controls and indicators whose parts can be replaced by graphics

and indicators you supply.

D
data acquisition

Process of acquiring data, typically from A/D or digital input

plug-in boards.

data dependency

Condition in a dataflow programming language in which a node

cannot execute until it receives data from another node.
See also artificial data dependency.

data flow

Programming system consisting of executable nodes in which

nodes execute only when they have received all required input
data and produce output automatically when they have executed.
G is a dataflow system.

data logging

Generally, to acquire data and simultaneously store it in a disk

file. G file I/O functions can log data.

data storage formats

The arrangement and representation of data stored in memory.

data type descriptor

Code that identifies data types, used in data storage and

representation.

datalog file

File that stores data as a sequence of records of a single, arbitrary

data type that you specify when you create the file. While all the
records in a datalog file must be of a single type, that type can be
complex; for instance, you can specify that each record is a cluster
containing a string, a number, and an array.

Description box

Online documentation for a G object.

destination terminal

See sink terminal.

dialog box

An interactive screen with prompts in which you describe

additional information needed to complete a command.

dimension

Size and structure attribute of an array.

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Glossary

drag

To drag the mouse cursor on the screen to select, move, copy, or

delete objects.

DUT

Device under test.

E
empty array

Array that has zero elements, but has a defined data type. For
example, an array that has a numeric control in its data display
window but has no defined values for any element is an empty
numeric array.

EOF

End-of-File. Character offset of the end of file relative to the

beginning of the file (that is, the EOF is the size of the file).

execution highlighting

Feature that animates VI execution to illustrate the data flow in

the VI.

external routine

See shared external routine.

F
FFT

Fast Fourier transform.

file refnum

An identifier that G associates with a file when you open it. You
use the file refnum to indicate that you want a function or VI to
perform an operation on the open file.

flattened data

Data of any type that has been converted to a string, usually, for
writing it to a file.

For Loop

Iterative loop structure that executes its subdiagram a set number

of times. Equivalent to conventional code:
For i=0 to n-1, do ....

Formula Node

Node that executes formulas that you enter as text. Especially

useful for lengthy formulas that would be cumbersome to build in
block diagram form.

frame

Subdiagram of a Sequence Structure.

free label

Label on the front panel or block diagram that does not belong to
any other object.

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Glossary

front panel

The interactive user interface of a VI. Modeled from the front

panel of physical instruments, it is composed of switches, slides,
meters, graphs, charts, gauges, LEDs, and other controls and
indicators.

function

Built-in execution element, comparable to an operator, function,

or statement in a conventional language.

Functions palette

Palette containing block diagram structures, constants,

communication features, and VIs.

G
G

Graphical programming language.

global variable

Non-reentrant subVI with local memory that uses an uninitialized

shift register to store data from one execution to the next. The
memory of copies of these subVIs is shared and thus can be used
to pass global data between them.

glyph

A small picture or icon.

GPIB

General Purpose Interface Bus is the common name for the

communications interface system defined in ANSI/IEEE Standard
488.1-1987 and ANSI/IEEE Standard 488.2-1987.
Hewlett-Packard, the inventor of the bus, calls it the HP-IB.

graph control

Front panel object that displays data in a Cartesian plane.

H
handle

Pointer to a pointer to a block of memory; handles reference

arrays and strings. An array of strings is a handle to a block of
memory containing handles to strings.

Help window

Special window that displays the names and locations of the

terminals for a function or subVI, the description of controls and
indicators, the values of universal constants, and descriptions and
data types of control attributes. The window also accesses the
Online Reference for G.

hex

Hexadecimal. A base-16 number system.

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Glossary

hierarchical palette

Menu that contains palettes and subpalettes.

Hierarchy window

Window that graphically displays the hierarchy of VIs and

subVIs.

housing

Nonmoving part of front panel controls and indicators that

contains sliders and scales.

Hertz. Cycles per second.

I
icon

Graphical representation of a node on a block diagram.

Icon Editor

Interface similar to that of a paint program for creating VI icons.

icon pane

Region in the upper right corner of the front panel and block
diagram that displays the VI icon.

IEEE

Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

indicator

Front panel object that displays output.

Inf

Digital display value for a floating-point representation of

infinity.

inplace execution

Ability of a function or VI to reuse memory instead of allocating

more.

instrument driver

VI that controls a programmable instrument.

I/O

Input/Output. The transfer of data to or from a computer system

involving communications channels, operator input devices,
and/or data acquisition and control interfaces.

iteration terminal

The terminal of a For Loop or While Loop that contains the

current number of completed iterations.

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Glossary

L
label

Text object used to name or describe other objects or regions on

the front panel or block diagram.

Labeling tool

Tool used to create labels and enter text into text windows.

LED

Light-emitting diode.

legend

Object owned by a chart or graph that display the names and plot
styles of plots on that chart or graph.

M
marquee

A moving, dashed border that surrounds selected objects.

matrix

Two-dimensional array.

Megabytes of memory.

menu bar

Horizontal bar that contains names of main menus.

mnemonic

A string associated with an integer value.

modular programming

Programming that uses interchangeable computer routines.

N
NaN

Digital display value for a floating-point representation of not a

number, typically the result of an undefined operation, such as
log(1).

nodes

Execution elements of a block diagram consisting of functions,

structures, and subVIs.

nondisplayable characters

ASCII characters that cannot be displayed, such as newline, tab,

and so on.

not-a-path

A predefined value for the path control that means the path is
invalid.

not-a-refnum

A predefined value that means the refnum is invalid.

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Glossary

numeric controls
and indicators

Front panel objects used to manipulate and display or input and

output numeric data.

O
object

Generic term for any item on the front panel or block diagram,
including controls, nodes, wires, and imported pictures.

Object pop-up menu tool

Tool used to access the pop-up menu for an object.

one-dimensional

Having one dimension, as in the case of an array that has only

rows.

Operating tool

Tool used to enter data into controls as well as operate them.

Resembles a pointing finger.

P
palette

Menu of pictures that represent possible options.

pixmap

A standard format for storing pictures in which each pixel is

represented by a color value. A bitmap is a black and white
version of a pixmap.

platform

Computer and operating system.

plot

A graphical representation of an array of data shown either on a

graph or a chart.

polymorphism

Ability of a node to automatically adjust to data of different

representation, type, or structure.

pop up

To call up a special menu by clicking on an object with the right

mouse button (on Window, Sun, and HP-UX) or while holding
down the command key (on the Macintosh).

pop-up menus

Menus accessed by popping up, usually on an object. Menu

options pertain to that object specifically.

Positioning tool

Tool used to move, select, and resize objects.

probe

Debugging feature for checking intermediate values in a VI.

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Glossary

Probe tool

Tool used to create probes on wires.

programmatic printing

Automatic printing of a VI front panel after execution.

pseudocode

Simplified language-independent representation of programming

code.

pull-down menus

Menus accessed from a menu bar. Pull-down menu options are

usually general in nature.

R
reentrant execution

Mode in which calls to multiple instances of a subVI can execute

in parallel with distinct and separate data storage.

representation

Subtype of the numeric data type, of which there are signed and
unsigned byte, word, and long integers, as well as
single-precision, double-precision, and extended-precision
floating-point numbers, both real and complex.

resizing handles

Angled handles on the corner of objects that indicate resizing

points.

ring control

Special numeric control that associates 32-bit integers, starting at

0 and increasing sequentially, with a series of text labels or
graphics.

S
scalar

Number capable of being represented by a point on a scale. A

single value as opposed to an array. Scalar Booleans and clusters
are explicitly singular instances of their respective data types.

scale

Part of mechanical-action, chart, and graph controls and

indicators that contains a series of marks or points at known
intervals to denote units of measure.

scope chart

Numeric indicator modeled on the operation of an oscilloscope.

Scroll tool

Tool used to scroll windows.

sequence local

Terminal that passes data between the frames of a Sequence

Structure.

National Instruments Corporation

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G Programming Reference Manual

Glossary

Sequence Structure

Program control structure that executes its subdiagrams in

numeric order. Commonly used to force nodes that are not
data-dependent to execute in a desired order.

shared external routine

Subroutine that can be shared by several CIN code resources.

shift register

Optional mechanism in loop structures used to pass the value of a

variable from one iteration of a loop to a subsequent iteration.

sink terminal

Terminal that absorbs data. Also called a destination terminal.

slider

Moveable part of slide controls and indicators.

source terminal

Terminal that emits data.

string controls and indicators Front panel objects used to manipulate and display or input and
output text.
strip chart

A numeric plotting indicator modeled after a paper strip chart

recorder, which scrolls as it plots data.

structure

Program control element, such as a Sequence, Case, For Loop, or

While Loop.

stub VI

A nonfunctional prototype of a subVI. It has inputs and outputs,

but is incomplete. It is used during early planning stages of a VI
design as a place holder for future VI development.

subdiagram

Block diagram within the border of a structure.

subVI

VI used in the block diagram of another VI; comparable to a

subroutine.

sweep chart

Similar to scope chart; except a line sweeps across the display to

separate old data from new data.

T
table-driven execution

A method of execution in which individual tasks are separate

cases in a Case Structure that is embedded in a While Loop.
Sequences are specified as arrays of case numbers.

terminal

Object or region on a node through which data passes.

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Glossary

Tip strip

Small yellow text banners that identify the terminal name and
make it easier to identify function and node terminals for wiring.

tool

Special cursor you can use to perform specific operations.

toolbar

Bar containing command buttons that you can use to run and
debug VIs.

Tools palette

Palette containing tools you can use to edit and debug front panel
and block diagram objects.

top-level VI

VI at the top of the VI hierarchy. This term distinguishes the VI

from its subVIs.

two-dimensional

Having two dimensions, such an array having both rows and

columns.

tunnel

Data entry or exit terminal on a structure.

type descriptor

See data type descriptor.

U
universal constant

Uneditable block diagram object that emits a particular ASCII

character or standard numeric constant, for example, pi.

user-defined constant

Block diagram object that emits a value you set.

UUT

Unit under test.

V
VI

See virtual instrument.

VI library

Special file that contains a collection of related VIs for a specific

use.

virtual instrument

Program in LabVIEW or BridgeVIEW; so-called because it

models the appearance and function of a physical instrument.

National Instruments Corporation

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Glossary

W
While Loop

Loop structure that repeats a section of code until a condition is

met. Comparable to a Do loop or a Repeat-Until loop in
conventional programming languages.

wire

Data path between nodes.

Wiring tool

Tool used to define data paths between source and sink terminals.

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National Instruments Corporation

Index

Left Edges, 2-12

Right Edges, 2-12
Top Edges, 2-12
Vertical Centers, 2-12
All Elements option, 20-5
Allow Drag option, 15-36
Allow Run-Time Pop-Up Menu option, 6-5
Allow User to Close Window option, 6-5
<Alt> key
bringing subVI block diagram to front, 4-21
changing Icon Editor tools to dropper, 3-4
cloning Attribute Nodes, 20-4
cloning objects, 2-13
creating new scale marker, 9-17 to 9-18
cutting, copying, and pasting icons
(note), 3-4
moving between array elements, 14-13
moving between cluster elements, 14-21
Step Into button shortcut, 4-20
Step Out button shortcut, 4-20
Step Over button shortcut, 4-20
<Alt-b>, removing bad wires, 4-10
<Alt-click>
copying and transferring colors, 2-26
executing Show VI Hierarchy action, 3-21
untacking last tack point (note), 17-3
<Alt-f>, bringing up Find dialog box, 3-24
<Alt-h> (help key), 1-7
<Alt-m>, switching from run mode to edit
mode (note), 6-6
<Alt-Return>, embedding newlines, 7-10
<Alt-Shift>, bringing up temporary Tools
palette, 2-4
Apple Event VIs, executing other applications
from within VIs, 23-1

absolute time and date formatting

digital displays, 9-10 to 9-11
graph indicators, 15-16 to 15-17
Active Plot Attribute, 20-10 to 20-11
Add a Parameter After option, 23-5
Add a Parameter Before option, 23-5
Add an entry every time this VI is saved
option, 6-4
Add Case After option, 13-11, 18-19
Add Case Before option, 18-19
Add command, 16-10 to 16-11
Add Dimension option, 14-7
Add Element Gap option, 14-14
Add Element option, 18-11
Add Input option, 19-3
Add Item After option
enumerated type controls, 13-11
ring pop-up, 13-8
text display pop-up, 9-19
Add Item Before option
enumerated type controls, 13-11
ring pop-up, 13-8
text display pop-up, 9-19
Add Marker option, 9-17
Add Needle option, 9-22
Add Output option, 19-3
Add Sequence Local option, 18-17
Add Shift Register option, 18-10
Add Slider option, 9-20
Advanced palette, 23-3
AESend Print Document VI, 5-1
aligning objects, 2-11 to 2-12
Bottom Edges, 2-12
example, 2-11
Horizontal Centers, 2-12
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G Programming Reference Manual

Index

AppleEvent option, Communications

menu, 5-1
Application Distribution option, 25-4
Application font, 2-18
applications, managing, 25-1 to 25-9. See
also calling code from other languages.
backing up files, 25-2
distributing VIs, 25-2 to 25-4
keeping master copy, 25-5
multiple developers, 25-5 to 25-9
storing VIs in libraries, 25-1 to 25-2
using Save with Options, 25-3 to 25-4
Application Distribution, 25-4
Changed VIs, 25-4
Custom Save, 25-4
Development Distribution, 25-4
VI History window, 25-5 to 25-9
example, 25-6
printing history information, 25-9
recording comments (note), 25-6
related VI Setup and Preferences
dialog options, 25-9
resetting history information, 25-8
revision numbers, 25-7 to 25-8
Apply Changes option, 22-3
arbitrary scale markers. See scale markers.
Array & Cluster palette, 14-1, 14-5
Array Resizing tool, 14-9
array shell
creating array controls, 14-5 to 14-7
element display, 14-5
index display, 14-5
placing on front panel, 14-5
undefined, 14-12
Array To Cluster function, 14-28 to 14-29
arrays and array controls, 14-1 to 14-11
Array Resizing tool, 14-9
creating, 14-5 to 14-11
array dimensions, 14-7 to 14-8
combining array shell with valid
element, 14-5
defining array type, 14-6 to 14-7
index display pop-up menu, 14-7

G Programming Reference Manual

data storage formats, A-3 to A-5

data type, 23-6 to 23-7
default size and values, 14-11 to 14-13
definition, 14-1
description, 14-1 to 14-4
displaying in single-element or tabular
form, 14-9 to 14-11
empty arrays, 14-12
finding array size, 14-13
flattened data, A-13 to A-14
G arrays vs. other systems, 14-16 to 14-19
graph array (example), 14-2 to 14-3
index display
array shell, 14-5
displaying array in single-element or
tabular form, 14-9 to 14-11
interpreting, 14-8 to 14-9
pop-up menu, 14-7
indexes, 14-1 to 14-2
moving, 14-14
moving between elements of
arrays, 14-13
multidimensional, 14-4
one-dimensional, 14-3, 14-10
operating, 14-11 to 14-16
resizing, 14-14
selecting cells, 14-14 to 14-16
string array (example), 14-2
tabbing between elements, 14-13
three-dimensional, 14-11
two-dimensional, 14-3, 14-8
type descriptors, A-11
waveform array
example, 14-2
two-dimensional (example),
14-3 to 14-4
when to use, 14-4

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Index

Attribute Nodes, 20-1 to 20-15. See also

attributes.
avoiding cycles in subVIs
Attribute Nodes in Case
Structures, 3-13
Attribute Nodes within loops, 3-12
creating, 20-1 to 20-6
associating terminal with
attribute, 20-4
more than one node, 20-4 to 20-5
reading or setting attributes,
20-2 to 20-3
examples
Booleans, 20-11 to 20-12
changing plot color on chart,
20-10 to 20-11
examples in examples.llb, 20-6
listbox controls, 20-13 to 20-14
presenting options to users, 20-14
reading cursors programmatically,
20-14 to 20-15
ring controls, 20-12 to 20-13
setting strings of ring control,
20-12 to 20-13
Find pop-up menu, 3-29
help information, 1-9
Help window, 20-6
pop-up menu, 20-2
setting all attributes at one time, 20-5
attributes, 20-7 to 20-10
Active Plot, 20-10 to 20-11
Blinking, 20-8 to 20-9
Bounds (read only), 20-10
Disabled, 20-7 to 20-8
Double-Click, 20-13 to 20-14
examples. See Attribute Nodes.
Key Focus, 20-8
Plot Color, 20-10 to 20-11
Position, 20-9
Auto-Center option, 6-5
auto-indexing
definition, 18-7
For Loop count, 18-8

National Instruments Corporation

calling functions that expect other data

types, 23-7
Configure option, 23-3
creating parameter list, 23-5 to 23-7
array data type, 23-6 to 23-7
numeric data types, 23-6
string data type, 23-7
void data type, 23-5
overview, 23-2
calling code from other languages,
23-1 to 23-13. See also applications,
managing; Call Library Function.
Apple Event VIs, 23-1
Code Interface Nodes, 23-2
converting LabWindows/CVI functions.
See LabWindows/CVI Function Panel
converter.
executing other applications from within
VIs, 23-1 to 23-2
carriage return
backslash \ code (table), 11-4
entering into string (note), 11-2
Limit to Single Line option, 11-6
Case Insensitive suboption, Keyboard Mode
option, 13-6
Case Sensitive suboption, Keyboard Mode
option, 13-6
Case Structures
adding subdiagrams, 18-19 to 18-20
avoiding cycles in subVIs, 3-13
commenting out sections of
diagrams, 4-31
deleting subdiagrams, 18-20 to 18-21
editing, 18-18
enumerated type wired to, 3-11
example in examples.llb.vi, 18-14
icon for, 18-2, 18-13
moving between subdiagrams,
18-18 to 18-19
out-of-range values (note), 18-14
overview, 18-13 to 18-14
purpose and use, 16-11, 18-14 to 18-15
reordering subdiagrams, 18-21

C
Call Chain ring, 4-21
Call Chains, reading, 4-21
Call Library Function, 23-3 to 23-7
Call Library Function dialog box, 23-4
calling conventions (Windows),
23-4 to 23-5

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Index

subdiagram display window, 18-13

wiring problems, 18-22 to 18-26
Change Log File Binding option, Data
Logging menu, 4-6
Change to Control option, 8-3, 14-20, 17-13
Change to Customize Mode option,
22-5 to 22-6
Change to Edit Mode option, 22-5 to 22-6
Change to Indicator option, 8-3, 14-20, 17-13
Change to Input option, 19-4
Change to Output option, 19-4
Change to Read Global option, 21-3
Change to Read Local option, 21-4
Change to Read option, 20-2 to 20-3
Change to Write Global option, 21-3
Change to Write Local option, 21-4
Change to Write option, 20-2
Changed VIs option, 25-4
Chart History Length option, 15-26, 15-40
chart indicators
attributes
Active Plot, 20-10 to 20-11
Plot Color, 20-10 to 20-11
intensity chart, 15-36 to 15-41
defining color mapping,
15-40 to 15-41
illustrations, 15-37 to 15-38
pop-up menu, 15-39
questions about, B-1 to B-4
waveform chart, 15-22 to 15-29
data types, 15-22 to 15-25
options, 15-25 to 15-29
stacked versus overlaid plots,
15-28 to 15-29
update modes, 15-26 to 15-28
CINs (Code Interface Nodes), 23-2
Clear Breakpoint cursor, 4-26
Clear Log File Binding option, Operate
menu, 4-6
Clear option, Edit menu, 2-13
cloning objects, 2-13
Close Afterwards if Originally Closed
option, 6-2

National Instruments Corporation

Cluster Order option, 4-16, 14-22

cluster shell, 14-20
Cluster Size option, 14-28
Cluster To Array function, 14-32 to 14-33
clusters, 14-19 to 14-33
assembling, 14-23 to 14-29
Array To Cluster function,
14-28 to 14-29
Bundle By Name function,
14-24 to 14-28
Bundle function, 14-24
autosizing, 14-23
cluster order, A-5
compared with arrays, 14-19
configuring cluster elements,
14-20 to 14-23
creating, 14-20
data storage formats, A-5 to A-7
default values, setting, 14-21
definition, 14-19
disassembling, 14-29 to 14-33
Cluster To Array function,
14-32 to 14-33
Unbundle By Name function,
14-30 to 14-32
Unbundle function, 14-29 to 14-30
flattened data, A-14
moving, 14-22 to 14-23
operating cluster elements,
14-20 to 14-23
order of cluster elements, setting,
14-21 to 14-22
points, 14-19
purpose and use, 14-19
replacing cluster elements, 14-33
resizing, 14-22 to 14-23
type definitions, 22-22
type descriptors, A-11 to A-12
unbundling cluster elements, 14-19
wire patterns, 14-19
Code Interface Nodes (CINs), 23-2
coercion dot color setting, 7-13

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Index

color box
illustration, 9-24
numeric controls and indicators, 9-24
color box constant, 16-6
Color Copy tool, 2-5
color icons vs. black and white, 3-3
color mapping options, intensity chart,
15-40 to 15-41
Color option
Font ring, 2-17
graph indicators, 15-22
Color palette
illustration, 2-24
More option, 2-25
Color Preferences dialog box, 7-13 to 7-14
Blink Background, 7-14
Blink Foreground, 7-14
Block Diagram, 7-13
Coercion Dots, 7-13
Front Panel, 7-13
illustration, 7-13
Menu Background, 7-14
Menu Text, 7-13
Provide extra colors, 7-14
Scrollbar, 7-13
Use default colors, 7-14
color ramp, 9-25 to 9-26
Color Table Attribute, 15-40 to 15-41
Color tool, 2-5
coloring objects, 2-24 to 2-26
copying and transferring colors, 2-26
customizing colors, 2-25 to 2-26
foreground and background colors, 2-25
limitations, 2-24
transparent objects, 2-24 to 2-25
columns
headers, 11-6
resizing, 11-6 to 11-7
<command> key
cutting, copying, and pasting icons
(note), 3-4
moving between array elements, 14-13
moving between cluster elements, 14-21

G Programming Reference Manual

Step Into button shortcut, 4-20

Step Out button shortcut, 4-20
Step Over button shortcut, 4-20
<command-b>, removing bad wires, 4-10
<command-click>, copying and transferring
colors, 2-26
<command-f>, bringing up Find dialog
box, 3-24
<command-h> (help key), 1-7
<command-m>, switching from run
mode to edit mode (note), 6-6
<command-Shift>, bringing up temporary
Tools palette, 2-4
<command-y>, calling History window, 14-6
commenting out sections of diagrams, 4-31
comments
prompting for, 6-4, 7-18 to 7-19
recording comments generated by
editor, 7-19
Common Plots option, 15-20 to 15-21
common questions about G. See questions
about G.
Communication option, Functions menu, 5-1
Complete Documentation format, Print
Documentation dialog box, 5-4, 25-9
complex double-precision (CDB), 9-4
complex extended-precision (CXT), 9-4
complex single-precision (CSG), 9-5
conditional terminal, 18-4
Configure option, Call Library function, 23-3
configuring G. See Preferences dialog box.
connections for terminals. See terminal
connections for subVIs.
connectors
accessing, 1-6
overview, 1-6
terminal patterns for subVIs. See also
terminal connections for subVIs.
changing spatial arrangement, 3-6
defining, 3-5
selecting and modifying, 3-6

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Index

constants, 16-3 to 16-8

creating automatically, 16-13
definition, 16-3
pop-up menus, 16-5
representation, 16-7
resizing, 16-7
universal
string constants, 16-7
definition, 16-3
numeric constants, 16-7
user-defined, 16-3 to 16-7
availability in palettes, 16-3 to 16-4
color box constant, 16-6
creating, 16-3 to 16-4
enumerated constants, 16-6
error ring, 16-6 to 16-7
incrementing and decrementing, 16-5
list box symbol ring, 16-6
numeric constant pop-up menu, 16-5
numeric constants, 16-4
path constant, 16-7
ring constants, 16-6
setting values, 16-4
string, 16-4
string constant pop-up menu, 16-5
Control Editor
illustration, 22-2
opening with double click, 7-9
Parts window, 22-7 to 22-9
purpose and use, 22-1 to 22-3
control flow execution, Sequence
Structures, 18-16
Controls and Functions palettes, customizing,
7-25 to 7-29
adding VIs and controls to user.lib and
instr.lib, 7-25
creating subpalettes, 7-27 to 7-29
installing and changing views, 7-26
moving subpalettes, 7-29
Palettes editor, 7-26 to 7-29
views, 7-29

National Instruments Corporation

controls and indicators. See also specific

types.
assigning terminals, 3-6 to 3-8
changing indicators to controls, 17-13
controls as parts, 22-15 to 22-17
creating automatically, 16-13
customizing dialog box controls,
8-9 to 8-10
front panel control and indicator pop-up
menu options, 8-2 to 8-4
Change to Control, 8-3
Change to Indicator, 8-3
Create Attribute Node, 8-3
Data Operations submenu, 8-3
Find Terminal, 8-3
Key Navigation, 8-5 to 8-8
pop-up menu, 8-2
Replace, 8-4 to 8-5
Show submenu, 8-3
imported graphics for customizing,
8-10 to 8-11
owned labels, 2-15
panel order, 8-8 to 8-9
printing (Controls option), 5-5 to 5-6
Descriptions option, 5-6
Include Data Type Information
option, 5-6
replacing controls, 8-4 to 8-5
terminals, 16-2 to 16-3
symbols (table), 16-2 to 16-3
Controls option, Custom Print Settings dialog
box, 5-5 to 5-6
Controls palette
accessing cluster shell, 14-20
adding custom controls, 22-1, 22-5
controls available on palette, 8-1 to 8-2
illustration, 1-3, 8-1
pop-up palette, 2-3
selecting objects, 2-1 to 2-3
temporary copy, 2-3
Conversion Options dialog box. See
LabWindows/CVI Function Panel converter.
Convert CVI FP File option, 23-8

G Programming Reference Manual

XY graph data types

multiplot graph, 15-9 to 15-11
single-plot graph, 15-3 to 15-4
data-dependent execution, 1-5
data-driven execution, 1-5
dataflow programming
data buffers, 26-14 to 26-17
overview, 1-5
datalogging. See data logging on front panel.
date formatting, absolute
digital displays, 9-10 to 9-11
graph indicators, 15-16 to 15-17
date preferences. See Time and Date
Preferences dialog box.
debugging
commenting out sections of
diagrams, 4-31
disabling debugging features, 4-31
execution highlighting, 4-21 to 4-23
placing breakpoints, 4-26 to 4-29
Breakpoint tool, 4-26
Clear Breakpoint cursor, 4-26
display of breakpoints (table), 4-27
example, 4-28 to 4-29
setting breakpoint, 4-27
Probe tool
creating probes, 4-25 to 4-26
using, 4-23 to 4-25
reading call chains, 4-21
suspending execution, 4-29 to 4-30
options, 4-29
recognizing automatic suspension,
4-29 to 4-30
Return to caller button, 4-30
Run button, 4-30
Skip to beginning button, 4-30
using toolbar buttons during
suspension, 4-30
viewing Hierarchy windows during
suspension, 4-30

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National Instruments Corporation

Index

deleting. See also removing.

data records, 4-6
graph cursors, 15-33
objects, 2-13
removing structures without deleting
contents, 18-26
structures, while preserving
contents, 2-13
subdiagrams, 18-20 to 18-21
terminal connections, 3-9 to 3-10
wires, 17-6 to 17-10
Description option, Data Operations
menu, 2-26
descriptions. See also documentation options,
VI Setup dialog box.
creating
objects, 2-26 to 2-27
VIs, 2-27
inability to edit subVI descriptions from
calling VI diagram (note), 2-27
destination terminals, 16-1
Development Distribution option, 25-4
Device RefNum, 12-4
diagram identifier, subdiagram display
window, 18-13
Diagram window, 1-4
dialog box controls, customizing, 8-9 to 8-10
Dialog Box option, VI Setup dialog box, 6-5
Dialog font, 2-18
digital controls and indicators, 9-2 to 9-11
changing representation of numeric
values, 9-4 to 9-5
digital numeric pop-up menu options, 9-3
displaying integers in other radixes, 9-4
Enter button for replacing old values, 9-2
format and precision of digital displays,
9-9 to 9-11
absolute time and date, 9-10 to 9-11
example, 9-10
Format & Precision dialog box, 9-9
illustration, 9-2
incrementing and decrementing,
9-2 to 9-3

Debugging Preferences dialog box,

7-12 to 7-13
Auto probe during execution
highlighting, 7-12
Show data bubbles during execution
highlighting, 7-12
Show warnings in error box by
default, 7-12
Warn about objects unavailable in student
edition, 7-12
debugging VIs, 4-10 to 4-31
broken VIs
common reasons for broken
VIs, 4-11
correcting broken VI range errors,
4-14 to 4-15
error messages (table), 4-11 to 4-14
fixing broken VIs, 4-10 to 4-11
locating errors, 4-10
executable VIs, 4-15 to 4-18
problem-solving steps, 4-15 to 4-17
recognizing undefined data,
4-17 to 4-18
understanding warnings, 4-18
single-stepping through VIs, 4-18 to 4-20
example, 4-19 to 4-20
executing VIs, 4-18 to 4-19
Pause button, 4-18
Step Into button, 4-20
Step Out button, 4-20
Step Over button, 4-18, 4-20
using step buttons, 4-20
decimal separator, selecting, 7-10
Decorations palette, 5-8, 22-17
default directories, setting, 7-3 to 7-5
default timer, using, 7-7 to 7-8
Delete button, front panel data logging, 4-6
Delete Marker option, 9-17
Delete this Parameter option, 23-5
<Delete> key
deleting objects, 2-13
deleting wires, 17-6

National Instruments Corporation

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G Programming Reference Manual

Index

numeric range checking, 9-7 to 9-9

Operating tool, 9-2
purpose and use, 9-2 to 9-3
range options, 9-6 to 9-7
Data Range dialog box, 9-7
floating-point numbers (table), 9-6
numeric range checking, 9-7 to 9-9
range of extended floating-point
numbers (note), 9-6
valid values, 9-2
Digital Display option, Show menu,
2-13, 15-25
digital displays, hiding, 2-13
digital numeric pop-up menu options, 9-3
directories, setting, 7-3 to 7-4, 7-5
Disable Indexing option, 18-8
Disabled Attribute, 20-7 to 20-8
Disconnect All Terminals command, 3-10
Disconnect from Type Def. option, 22-22
Disconnect This Terminal command, 3-10
discontiguous data types, A-12
disk preferences, setting. See Performance and
Disk Preferences dialog box.
Display Types option, 11-3 to 11-5
distributing objects, 2-12
distributing VIs
considerations, 25-2 to 25-4
using Save with Options, 25-3 to 25-4
documentation, printing. See Print
Documentation dialog box.
documentation (National Instruments)
conventions used in manual, xxiv-xxv
organization of manual, xxi-xxiv
advanced G topics, xxiii
appendices, glossary and index,
xxiii-xxiv
basic G concepts, xxi-xxii
block diagram programming,
xxii-xxiii
front panel objects, xxii

G Programming Reference Manual

documentation options, VI Setup dialog box,

6-3 to 6-4. See also descriptions.
Add an entry every time this VI is
saved, 6-4
Help Path box, 6-4
Help Tag box, 6-4
illustration, 6-3
Prompt for comment when this VI is
closed, 6-4
Prompt for comment when this VI is
saved, 6-4
Use History Defaults (In Preferences
Dialog), 6-3
dots at wire junctions, showing, 7-11
double numeric data storage format, A-2
Double-Click Attribute, 20-13 to 20-14
double-precision representation, 64-bit
(DBL), 9-4
dragging and dropping VIs, pictures, and text,
2-8 to 2-9
dropper tool, Icon Editor, 3-3
drop-through clicks, allowing, 7-23
Duplicate Case command, 18-20
duplicating objects, 2-12 to 2-13

E
Edit Control & Function Palettes option,
7-24, 22-16
Edit Control option, 22-1 to 22-2
Edit Icon option, 3-2, 3-21
Edit menu
Clear, 2-13
Copy, 2-12
Cut, 2-12
Edit Control, 22-1 to 22-2
Edit Control & Function Palettes,
7-24, 22-16
Move Backward, 2-11
Move Forward, 2-10
Move to Back, 2-11
Move to Front, 2-10
Panel Order, 8-8 to 8-9

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National Instruments Corporation

Index

Paste, 2-12
Remove Bad Wires, 4-10, 17-6,
17-11, 17-14
SubVI From Selection, 3-10
User Name, 7-19 to 7-20
Edit Palettes dialog box, 7-26 to 7-27
Edit VI Library option, 2-30
editing VIs
aligning objects, 2-11 to 2-12
coloring objects, 2-24 to 2-26
creating object descriptions, 2-26 to 2-27
creating VI descriptions, 2-26 to 2-27
deleting objects, 2-13
distributing objects, 2-12
dragging and dropping VIs, pictures, and
text, 2-8 to 2-9
duplicating objects, 2-12 to 2-13
labeling objects, 2-14 to 2-22
free labels, 2-14 to 2-16
text characteristics, 2-16 to 2-22
positioning objects, 2-9 to 2-11
resizing objects, 2-23 to 2-24
front panel and block diagram work
space, 2-24
labels, 2-23 to 2-24
selecting objects, 2-7 to 2-8
switching from run mode to edit mode
(note), 6-6
while running VIs, 4-2 to 4-4
control pop-up menu options,
4-2 to 4-3
object pop-up menu options,
4-3 to 4-4
efficient data structures. See performance
issues.
electronic support services, C-1 to C-2
e-mail support, C-2
Empty Array command, 14-13
empty arrays, 14-12
Enable Database Access option, 4-7, 4-8
Enable Indexing option, 18-8
Enable Log/Print at Completion option, 6-6

National Instruments Corporation

End Selection option, 14-14, 14-15,

14-16, 15-33
Enter button
changing cluster order, 14-22
changing numeric control and indicator
values, 9-2
data logging on front panel, 4-6
<Enter> key
data tables, 11-7
entering linefeed into string (note), 11-2
finding next matching node, 3-23
Key Navigation option associations, 8-6
label names, 2-3, 2-14
setting Enter key same as Return
key, 7-10
string controls and indicators, 11-1
enumerated constants, 16-6
enumerated data types, changing
programmatically, B-15
enumerated type controls, 13-10 to 13-12
compared with ring controls, 13-11
illustration, 13-11
purpose and use, 13-11 to 13-12
error messages and crashes, questions about,
B-4 to B-5
error ring constant, 16-6 to 16-7
errors, Formula Node (table), 19-9 to 19-10
errors for broken VIs
Error List window
accessing, 4-10
illustration, 4-10
possible errors (table), 4-11 to 4-14
showing warnings, 7-12
executing VIs, 4-1 to 4-9
data logging on front panel, 4-5 to 4-7
loading, questions about, B-10 to B-12
retrieving data programmatically,
4-7 to 4-9
accessing databases, 4-7 to 4-9
using file I/O functions, 4-9
running VIs, 4-1 to 4-4
buttons for running, 4-1
editing while running, 4-2 to 4-4

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G Programming Reference Manual

Index

loading and running

dynamically, B-10
multiple VIs, 4-2
running repeatedly, 4-5
stopping VIs, 4-4
execution highlighting. See highlighting
execution.
execution options, VI Setup dialog box,
6-2 to 6-3
Close Afterwards if Originally
Closed, 6-2
illustration, 6-2
Run When Opened, 6-2
Show Front Panel When Called
option, 6-2
Show Front Panel When Loaded
option, 6-2
Suspend When Called, 6-2
expandable functions, 16-10
extended numeric data storage format,
A-1 to A-2
extended-precision representation (EXT), 9-4

Save As, 2-28, 22-4

Save With Options, 2-28
Fill Baseline option, 15-21
fill bucket tool, Icon Editor, 3-3
Fill Options option, 9-20
Fill to Value Above option, 9-20
Fill to Value Below option, 9-20
filled and multivalued slides, 9-20
filled rectangle tool, Icon Editor, 3-4
Find command, Project menu, 3-23
Find Control option, 20-6
Find dialog box, 3-24 to 3-29
finding text, 3-26 to 3-27
More Options button, 3-27
narrowing search scope, 3-27 to 3-28
All VIs in Memory option, 3-27
Name of a VIs option, 3-28
Selected VIs option, 3-28
next and previous search items, 3-29
Objects button, 3-24
Search Results window, 3-28 to 3-29
Clear option, 3-28
Find option, 3-28
Go To option, 3-28
Stop option, 3-29
search string options
Match Case, 3-26
Match Whole Word, 3-26
Regular Expression, 3-26
Select Objects menu
Functions option, 3-25
Globals option, 3-25
illustration, 3-25
Objects in vi.lib option, 3-25
Others option, 3-25
Type Defs option, 3-25
VIs by Name option, 3-25
VIs option, 3-25
Text button, 3-26

F
fax and telephone support, C-2
FaxBack support, C-2
File Convert CVI FP File option, 23-8
file dialog boxes, native, 7-21 to 7-22
file I/O functions, for retrieving logged
data, 4-9
file management
arranging files in VI libraries,
25-1 to 25-2
backing up files, 25-2
File menu
Apply Changes, 22-3
Edit VI Library, 2-30
Page Setup, 5-2
Printer Setup, 5-2
Revert, 2-28, 3-11, 22-11
Save, 2-28, 22-20
Save a Copy As, 2-28

G Programming Reference Manual

I-30

National Instruments Corporation

Index

text search options

Search in Object's Data & Parts, 3-27
Search in Object's Label, 3-27
Search in VIs, 3-27
VIs and other objects, 3-24 to 3-25
Find Hierarchy Node mechanism,
3-22 to 3-23
Find Next command, 3-29
Find pop-up menu
Attribute Nodes, 3-29
global and local variables, 3-29
Find Terminal option, 8-3, 20-6
Find Wire option, 4-24 to 4-25
flattened data
arrays, A-13 to A-14
clusters, A-14
handles, A-13
overview, A-12 to A-13
paths, A-13
scalars, A-13
strings, A-13
Flip Horizontal command, 3-6
Flip Vertical command, 3-6
floating-point operations and undefined data,
4-17 to 4-18
floating-point representation, 9-4
Font dialog
Diagram Default checkbox, 2-18
illustration, 2-17
Panel Default checkbox, 2-18
Font Dialog command, 2-17
Font Preferences dialog box, 7-14 to 7-15
Custom font, 7-15
Font style, 7-15
illustration, 7-15
Use default font, 7-15
Font ring
changing text characteristics, 2-16
Color option, 2-17
illustration, 2-17
Justify option, 2-17
Size option, 2-17
Style option, 2-17

National Instruments Corporation

font window, 2-17

fonts
Application font, 2-18
changing fonts, 2-16 to 2-22
applying changes to selected objects
(example), 2-21 to 2-22
example, 2-19 to 2-20
Dialog font, 2-18
differences when porting VIs between
platforms, 27-2 to 27-4
predefined fonts, 2-18, 27-2 to 27-3
System font, 2-18
For Loops
auto-indexing
overview, 18-7 to 18-8
setting the count, 18-8
avoiding cycles in subVIs, 3-13
avoiding unnecessary computations,
26-9 to 26-11
executing zero times, 18-9
icon for, 18-2, 18-3
placing objects inside structures,
18-4 to 18-5
purpose and use, 16-11, 18-3 to 18-4
shift registers, 18-10 to 18-13
terminals inside loops, 18-6 to 18-7
foreground and background colors, 2-25
foreground/background tool, Icon Editor, 3-4
form feed, backslash \ code (table), 11-4
Format & Precision option
digital displays, 9-9 to 9-11
absolute time and date, 9-10 to 9-11
example, 9-10
Format & Precision dialog box, 9-9
graph indicators, 15-16 to 15-17
Attribute Nodes, 20-6
Numeric formatting, 15-16
Scale pop-up menu, 9-15
Time & Date formatting,
15-16 to 15-17
Formatting option, graph indicators, 15-15.
See also X Scale Formatting dialog box.

I-31

G Programming Reference Manual

Index

Formula Node, 19-1 to 19-10

Bakus-Naur Form notation, 19-8
comments, 19-2
definition, 19-2
errors (table), 19-9 to 19-10
floating-point numeric scalar
variables, 19-4
function names (table), 19-5 to 19-8
input and output variables, 19-3 to 19-4
pop-up menu, 19-3
syntax, 19-2, 19-8 to 19-9
syntax errors, 19-5
Formula Node palette, 19-1
frames, in Sequence Structures, 18-16
free labels, 2-14 to 2-16
copying text, 2-15
creating, 2-14
overlapping controls or indicators
(note), 2-15
Free option, 15-35
front panel, 1-3 to 1-4
applying changes from custom controls,
22-3 to 22-4
building, 8-1 to 8-11
control and indicator options,
8-2 to 8-4
Controls palette, 8-1 to 8-2
customizing dialog box controls,
8-9 to 8-10
imported graphics for customizing
controls, 8-10 to 8-11
Key Navigation option for controls,
8-5 to 8-8
Panel Order option, 8-8 to 8-9
replacing controls, 8-4 to 8-5
color settings, 7-13
Controls palette, 1-3
creating pop-up panels. See pop-up
panels, creating.
data logging, 4-5 to 4-7
help information, 1-7
illustration, 1-3
labels, 2-3

G Programming Reference Manual

memory usage rules, 26-19 to 26-20

printing (Front Panel option), 5-5
resizing work space, 2-24
switching to block diagram, 1-3
terminals
avoiding cycles in subVIs, 3-13
created automatically, 2-3 to 2-4
Front Panel Control and Indicator pop-up
menu, 8-2 to 8-4
Change to Control, 8-3
Change to Indicator, 8-3
Create Attribute Node, 8-3
Data Operations submenu, 8-3
Find Terminal, 8-3
illustration, 8-2
Key Navigation, 8-5 to 8-8
Replace, 8-4 to 8-5
Show submenu, 8-3
Front Panel option, Custom Print Settings
dialog box, 5-5
Front Panel Preferences dialog box,
7-9 to 7-11
Blink speed, 7-10
End text entry with Return key (same as
Enter key), 7-10
illustration, 7-9
Open the control editor with double
click, 7-9
Override system default function key
settings, 7-10
Support numeric keypad on Sun
keyboards, 7-10
Use localized decimal point, 7-10
Use smooth updates during drawing, 7-10
Use transparent name labels, 7-10
FTP support, C-1
Full VI Path in Label option, 3-19
function key defaults, overriding, 7-10
functions, 16-8 to 16-11
default labels, 2-15
definition, 16-8
displaying labels, 16-9

I-32

National Instruments Corporation

Index

expandable functions, 16-10

overview, 16-8
Functions option, Select Objects menu, 3-25
Functions palette
Advanced palette, 23-3
Communication option, 5-1
customizing. See Controls and Functions
palettes, customizing.
illustration, 16-9
pop-up palette, 2-3
selecting objects, 2-1 to 2-3
temporary copy, 2-3

G environment, customizing
controls and functions palettes,
7-25 to 7-29
adding VIs and
controls to user.lib and
instr.lib, 7-25
creating subpalettes, 7-27 to 7-29
installing and changing views, 7-26
moving subpalettes, 7-29
Palettes editor, 7-26 to 7-27
views, 7-29
Preferences Dialog Box options,
7-1 to 7-24
block diagram preferences,
7-11 to 7-12
color preferences, 7-13 to 7-14
debugging preferences, 7-12 to 7-13
font preferences, 7-14 to 7-15
front panel preferences, 7-9 to 7-11
history preferences, 7-17 to 7-20
miscellaneous preferences,
7-22 to 7-23
path preferences, 7-2 to 7-6
performance and disk preferences,
7-6 to 7-9
printing preferences, 7-16 to 7-17
time and date preferences, 7-21
storing preferences, 7-23 to 7-25
Get Info option, 3-21
Global Variable palette, 21-1
global variables
creating, 21-1 to 21-2
definition, 21-1
example, 21-2
Find pop-up menu, 3-29
including in Hierarchy window,
3-18, 3-19
memory considerations, 26-21
memory usage, 26-21
placing in VIs, 21-3
purpose and use, 21-1 to 21-3
selecting, 21-2 to 21-3
Globals option, Select Objects menu, 3-25

G
G environment, 2-1 to 2-6. See also G
environment, customizing.
dataflow programming, 1-5
help information, 1-7 to 1-9
attribute node help, 1-9
block diagram help, 1-7 to 1-9
creating your own help files,
1-9 to 1-10
front panel help, 1-7
online reference, 1-9
menus, 2-6
overview, 1-1
pop-up menus, 2-6
questions
charts and graphs, B-1 to B-4
error messages and crashes,
B-4 to B-5
miscellaneous questions, B-9 to B-16
platform issues and
compatibilities, B-6
printing, B-7 to B-9
switching to Basic G palette from
BridgeVIEW (note), 2-1
Tools palette, 2-4 to 2-5

National Instruments Corporation

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G Programming Reference Manual

Index

Goto Cursor option, 15-35

graph cursors, 15-30 to 15-36
array-type behavior, 15-32
components, 15-32
controlling appearance of, 15-33 to 15-34
cross-hairs, 15-33 to 15-34
cursor palette (illustrations), 15-31
deleting, 15-33
lock button, 15-35
moving, 15-33
point style, 15-34
purpose and use, 15-30
reading programmatically (example),
20-14 to 20-15
visible name, 15-35
graph indicators
creating multiplot graph, 15-5 to 15-11
waveform graph data types,
15-5 to 15-9
XY graph data types, 15-9 to 15-11
definition, 15-1
examples located in examples, 15-1
graph cursors, 15-30 to 15-36
graph options, 15-11 to 15-22
Autoscale, 15-17
Formatting, 15-15 to 15-17
graph pop-up menu, 15-11 to 15-12
illustration, 15-12
legend options, 15-19 to 15-22
Loose Fit, 15-17
Marker Spacing, 15-13 to 15-14
panning and zooming options,
15-17 to 15-19
scale options, 15-12 to 15-17
intensity graph, 15-29 to 15-30
data type, 15-29
options, 15-29 to 15-30
questions about, B-1 to B-4
waveform and XY graphs, 15-2 to 15-22
creating single-plot graphs,
15-2 to 15-4
illustration, 15-2

G Programming Reference Manual

waveform graph data types,

15-2 to 15-3
XY graph data types, 15-3 to 15-4
Graph palette, 15-1
graph pop-up menu, 15-12
graphics, importing. See also pictures.
Boolean controls and indicators, 10-6
controls, 8-10 to 8-11
grayed-out dividing line, listbox controls, 13-6
Grid Options, 15-15

H
handles, flattened data, A-13
headers, printing
Print Header option, 5-4, 5-8
Print Section Headers option, 5-6
help information, 1-7 to 1-9
attribute node help, 1-9
block diagram help, 1-7 to 1-9
creating your own help files, 1-9 to 1-10
adding documentation, 6-4
front panel help, 1-7
locking, 1-7
online reference, 1-9
Help menu
Lock Help command, 1-7
Online Reference command, 1-9
Show Help command, 1-7
Simple Help command, 1-7
Help Path box, VI Setup dialog box, 6-4
Help Tag box, VI Setup dialog box, 6-4
Help window
Attribute Nodes, 20-6
wiring connection information, 17-5
<Help> key, 1-7
hex characters
backslash \ code (table), 11-4
displaying strings as hex characters, 11-5
Hex Display option, 11-5
hidden labels, displaying, 2-16
Hide All SubVIs option, Hierarchy Node
Pop-Up menu, 3-20

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National Instruments Corporation

Index

hiding
digital displays, 2-13
labels, 2-13
menu bar, 6-6, B-15
Stop button, 4-4
toolbar, 6-6
hierarchy node mouse clicks sequences,
3-21 to 3-22
Hierarchy Node Pop-Up menu
Edit Icon option, 3-21
Get Info option, 3-21
Hide All SubVIs option, 3-20
Highlight Connections option, 3-20
Open Front Panel option, 3-21
Print Documentation option, 3-21
Show All Callers option, 3-21
Show All SubVIs option, 3-21
Show Immediate SubVIs option, 3-20
Show VI Hierarchy option, 3-20
VI Setup option, 3-21
hierarchy of VI, printing, 5-6
Hierarchy window, 3-15 to 3-23
features, 3-15
Find Hierarchy Node mechanism,
3-22 to 3-23
node mouse-click sequences, 3-21 to 3-22
node pop-up menu options, 3-20 to 3-21
opening, 3-15 to 3-17
subVI connections to calling VIs,
3-16 to 3-17
toolbar buttons, 3-19
View menu options, 3-18 to 3-19
viewing during suspended
execution, 4-30
Highlight Connections option, 3-20
highlighting execution, 4-21 to 4-23
auto probe during, 7-12
example, 4-22
execution glyphs, 4-23
Hilite Execution button, 4-21
showing data bubbles, 7-12
Hilite <Return> Boolean option, 6-5
Hilite Execution button, 4-21

National Instruments Corporation

history for VIs. See Vi history; VI History

window.
History Preferences dialog box, 7-17 to 7-20
Add an entry every time VI is saved, 7-18
illustration, 7-18
Login automatically with the system user
name, 7-20
Prompt for comment when VI is
closed, 7-19
Prompt for comment when VI is saved,
7-18 to 7-19
Record comments generated by the
editor, 7-19
Show revision number in titlebar, 7-19
Show the login prompt at startup time,
7-19 to 7-20
Horizontal Centers alignment, 2-12
Horizontal Hierarchy option, 3-18
Horizontal Layout button, 3-19
hot menus, 7-23
Huge pointer (note), 23-6

I
Icon, Description, Panel and Diagram format
option, 5-3
Icon and Description option, 5-5
VI Connector and Icon, 5-5
VI Description, 5-5
Icon Editor
Cancel button, 3-4
illustration, 3-2
OK button, 3-4
tools available, 3-3 to 3-4
Undo button, 3-4
icons
creating for controls, 22-5
creating for subVIs, 3-2 to 3-4
black and white vs. color icons, 3-3
Cancel button, 3-4
cutting, copying, and pasting icons
(note), 3-4
dropper tool, 3-3

Index

Fill Baseline, 15-21

Interpolation, 15-21 to 15-22
Line Style, 15-21
Line Width, 15-21
Point Style, 15-21
libraries. See VI libraries (.LLBs).
Limit to Single Line option, 11-6
Line Style option, 15-21
line tool, Icon Editor, 3-3
Line Width option, 15-21
linefeed character
backslash \ code (table), 11-4
entering into string (note), 11-2
List & Ring palette, 13-1
list box symbol ring constant, 16-6
List Errors option, 17-11
List of SubVis option, Custom Print Settings
dialog box, 5-6
listbox controls, 13-1 to 13-6
Attribute Node example, 20-13 to 20-14
creating list of options, 13-2
data types, 13-3
grayed-out dividing line, 13-6
Multiple Selection, 13-2
pop-up menu options, 13-3 to 13-6
illustration, 13-3
Keyboard Mode, 13-5
Selection Mode, 13-4 to 13-5
Show, 13-4
purpose and use, 13-1 to 13-2
selecting listbox items, 13-2 to 13-3
Single Selection, 13-1
symbols for listbox items, 13-4
.LLBs. See VI libraries (.LLBs).
Local Variable palette, 21-4
local variables, 21-3 to 21-5
avoiding cycles in subVIs
Attribute Nodes in Case
Structures, 3-13
locals in Case Structures, 3-13
locals within loops, 3-13
creating, 21-4
Find pop-up menu, 3-29

G Programming Reference Manual

inability to reuse data memory,

26-20 to 26-21
memory usage, 26-20 to 26-21
multiple local variables, 21-5
Lock Help command, 1-7
Lock to Plot option, 15-36
Log at Completion option, 4-6
Log option, 4-6
logging data. See data logging on front panel.
logging in
automatic login using system user
name, 7-20
showing login prompt at startup
time, 7-19
long integer numeric data storage format, A-3
loops. See For Loops; While Loops.
Loose Fit option, 15-17

M
Make Current Value Default option,
14-12, 14-21
Make This Case option, 18-21
managing applications. See applications,
managing.
manual. See documentation (National
Instruments).
Mapping Mode option, 15-15
Mapping option, 9-15
marker spacing
adding or deleting markers, 15-14
non-uniform distribution, 15-14
Marker Spacing option
graph indicators, 15-13 to 15-14
slide scale pop-up menu, 9-14
marquee, 2-7
Mechanical Action palette, 10-4 to 10-5
memory preferences. See Performance and
Disk Preferences dialog box.

I-38

National Instruments Corporation

Index

memory usage, 26-12 to 26-36

basic concepts, 26-12
consistent data types, 26-22 to 26-28
building arrays (example),
26-24 to 26-26
searching through strings (example),
26-27 to 26-28
dataflow programming and data buffers,
26-14 to 26-17
deallocation, 26-21 to 26-22
front panels, 26-19 to 26-20
general rules for improving,
26-18 to 26-19
global variables, 26-21
input buffer reuse by output, 26-22
local variables, 26-20 to 26-21
Macintosh memory, 26-13
monitoring, 26-17 to 26-18
overview, 26-12
questions about, B-4 to B-5
showing, 2-27
subVI reuse of data memory, 26-20
VI components, 26-13 to 26-14
virtual memory, 26-12 to 26-13
menu bar
definition, 2-6
hiding, 6-6, B-15
menu setup ring, 7-26
menus
color settings, 7-13 to 7-14
hot menus, 7-23
pop-up menus, 2-6
pull-down menus, 2-6
using, 2-6
<meta> key
bringing subVI block
diagram to front, 4-21
changing Icon Editor tools to dropper, 3-4
cloning Attribute Nodes, 20-4
cloning objects, 2-13
creating new scale marker, 9-17 to 9-18
cutting, copying, and pasting icons
(note), 3-4

National Instruments Corporation

moving between array elements, 14-13

moving between cluster elements, 14-21
Step Into button shortcut, 4-20
Step Out button shortcut, 4-20
Step Over button shortcut, 4-20
<meta-b>, removing bad wires, 4-10
<meta-click>
copying and transferring colors, 2-26
executing Show VI Hierarchy
action, 3-21
resizing working space, 2-24
untacking last tack point (note), 17-3
<meta-f>, bringing up Find dialog box, 3-24
<meta-h> (help key), 1-7
<meta-m>, switching from run mode to edit
mode (note), 6-6
<meta-Return>, embedding newlines, 7-10
<meta-Shift>, bringing up temporary Tools
palette, 2-4
min and max labels, numeric scales,
9-18 to 9-19
Miscellaneous Preferences dialog box,
7-22 to 7-23
Allow drop-through clicks, 7-23
illustration, 7-22
Open VIs in run mode, 7-22
Show tips-strips, 7-22
Use hot menus, 7-23
Use native file dialogs, 7-22
mouse
disabling mouse interrupts, B-16
mouse click sequences for hierarchy node
selection, 3-21 to 3-22
symbol for wiring block diagrams, 17-1
Move Backward command, 2-11
Move Forward command, 2-10
Move Submenu option, 7-29
Move To Back command, 2-11
Move To Front command, 2-10
moving. See also positioning objects.
arrays, 14-14
between subdiagrams, 18-18 to 18-19
clusters, 14-22 to 14-23

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graph cursors, 15-32

wires, 17-6 to 17-10
multidimensional arrays
description, 14-4
displaying, 14-10
when to use, 14-4
multiple developers of VIs. See applications,
managing.
multiple selection using selection rectangle,
2-7 to 2-8
multiplot graphs. See waveform and XY
graphs.
multitasking, 24-1 to 24-8
cooperative
definition, 24-1
execution system activities, 24-2
mechanism of, 24-1 to 24-2
task switching, 24-2 to 24-3
preemptive, 24-1
prioritizing tasks of same priority
level, 24-3
reentrant execution, 24-5
examples, 24-5 to 24-8
subroutine priority level, 24-4
synchronous nodes, 24-3
VI Setup priority setting, 24-4
Wait functions for prioritizing tasks, 24-3
multivalued slides, 9-20

mouse click sequences for hierarchy node

selection, 3-21 to 3-22
overview, 1-5, 16-8
structures, 16-11 to 16-12
nondisplayable characters.
See Backslash \ Codes Display option.
non-numeric data types (table), A-10
nonuniform scale markers. See scale markers.
Normal Display option, 11-3
not a number. See NaN (not a number).
Not a Path option, 12-2
Not a Path symbol, 12-2
Not-OK button, 22-3
numeric constants
pop-up menu, 16-5
universal, 16-7
user-defined, 16-4
numeric controls and indicators
color box, 9-24
color ramp, 9-25 to 9-26
digital controls and indicators, 9-2 to 9-11
changing representation of numeric
values, 9-4 to 9-5
digital numeric pop-up menu
options, 9-3
displaying integers in other
radixes, 9-4
Enter button for replacing old
values, 9-2
format and precision of digital
displays, 9-9 to 9-11
illustration, 9-2
incrementing and decrementing,
9-2 to 9-3
numeric range checking, 9-7 to 9-9
Operating tool, 9-2
purpose and use, 9-2 to 9-3
range options, 9-6 to 9-7
valid values, 9-2
rotary numeric controls and indicators,
9-21 to 9-23
illustration, 9-21
purpose and use, 9-22 to 9-23

N
NaN (not a number)
propagation by floating-point
operations, 4-17
range errors (note), 4-18
native file dialogs, using, 7-22
Network Connection RefNum, 12-4, 12-5
node pop-up menu. See Hierarchy Node
Pop-Up menu.
nodes. See also structures.
definition, 16-1
functions, 16-8 to 16-11

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Index

slide controls and indicators, 9-12 to 9-20

filled and multivalued slides, 9-20
illustration, 9-12
operating sliders, 9-13
overview, 9-12
scale markers, 9-15 to 9-18
Scale pop-up menu, 9-14 to 9-15
slide pop-up menu options, 9-14
slide scale, 9-14 to 9-19
text scale, 9-18 to 9-19
unit types, 9-26 to 9-35
additional units in use with SI units
(table), 9-29 to 9-30
base units (table), 9-28
CGS units (table), 9-30
derived units with special names
(table), 9-28 to 9-29
entering units, 9-31 to 9-33
other units (table), 9-30 to 9-31
polymorphic units, 9-35
showing unit label, 9-26 to 9-27
strict type checking and units,
9-33 to 9-34
numeric data storage formats, A-1 to A-3
byte integer, A-3
double, A-2
extended, A-1 to A-2
long integer, A-3
single, A-2
word integer, A-3
numeric data types, 23-6
Numeric formatting, graph indicators, 15-16
numeric keypad on Sun keyboards,
supporting, 7-10
Numeric palette
digital control and digital indicator, 8-3
illustration, 2-2, 9-1
selecting objects, 2-2
numeric range checking, 9-7 to 9-9
Coerce option, 9-7
correcting invalid values, 9-8 to 9-9
Ignore option, 9-7
Suspend option, 9-8

National Instruments Corporation

object descriptions, creating, 2-26 to 2-27

Object Pop-up Menu tool, 2-5
Objects in vi.lib option, 3-25
objects unavailable in student edition, 7-12
Occurrence RefNum, 12-4
one-dimensional arrays, 14-3, 14-10
Online Reference command, 1-9
Open Front Panel option, 3-21
Open Front Panel when loaded option, 6-6
Operate menu
Change to Customize Mode, 22-5 to 22-6
Change to Edit Mode, 22-5 to 22-6
Clear Log File Binding, 4-6
Data Logging submenu, 4-5 to 4-6
Log at Completion, 4-6
Print at Completion, 5-7
Retrieve, 4-6
Run, 4-1
Stop, 4-4
Suspend when Called, 4-29
Operating tool, 2-5, 9-2
<option> key
bringing subVI block
diagram to front, 4-21
changing Icon Editor tools to dropper, 3-4
cloning Attribute Nodes, 20-4
cloning objects, 2-13
creating new scale marker, 9-17 to 9-18
<option-click>
executing Show VI Hierarchy
action, 3-21
resizing working space, 2-24
untacking last tack point (note), 17-3
<option-Return>, embedding
newlines, 7-10
Original Size option, 22-11
Others option, 3-25
overlaid plots, 15-28 to 15-29
owned labels
controls or indicators, 2-15
definition, 2-14

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Path symbol, 12-2

purpose and use, 12-2
Path Preferences dialog box, 7-2 to 7-6
format of pathnames (note), 7-3
illustration, 7-2
library, temporary, and default
directories, 7-3 to 7-4
removing paths with Remove button, 7-6
VI search path, 7-5 to 7-6
Path symbol, 12-2
paths
data storage formats, A-5
flattened data, A-13
Patterns option (terminal patterns), 3-6
Pause button, 4-1
pencil tool, Icon Editor, 3-3
Performance and Disk Preferences dialog box,
7-6 to 7-9
Check available disk space during
launch, 7-9
Compact memory during execution, 7-8
Cooperation level, 7-9
Deallocate memory as soon as
possible, 7-7
illustration, 7-7
Performance and Disk dialog box, 7-7
Use default timer, 7-7 to 7-8
performance issues
efficient data structures, 26-28 to 26-36
alternative implementations,
26-33 to 26-35
avoiding complicated data types,
26-30 to 26-32
global table of mixed data types,
26-32 to 26-35
obvious implementation, 26-33
static global table of strings,
26-35 to 26-36

Page Breaks Between Sections option, 5-4

page layout, setting programmatically, 5-8
Page Setup option, 5-1
palettes. See also specific palettes.
customizing. See Controls and Functions
palettes, customizing.
keeping open (note), 2-2
pop-up palettes, 2-3
removing VIs from palette with Delete
Item option, 7-29
temporary copies, 2-3
Palettes editor, 7-26 to 7-29
creating subpalettes, 7-27 to 7-29
Edit palettes dialog box, 7-26 to 7-27
Insert Submenu dialog box, 7-27 to 7-29
moving subpalettes, 7-29
Panel Order option, 8-8 to 8-9
illustration, 8-9
questions about, B-13
X button, 8-9
panning options for graph indicators,
15-16 to 15-18
parallel diagrams, 26-8 to 26-9
parts of controls
controls as parts, 22-15 to 22-17
cosmetic parts, 22-9 to 22-14
adding to custom controls,
22-17 to 22-18
with independent pictures,
22-12 to 22-14
with more than one picture,
22-11 to 22-12
scale parts, 22-15
text parts, 22-14 to 22-15
Password Display option, 11-5
Paste command, 2-12
Paste Data option, 11-8
Path & Refnums palette, 12-2
path constant, 16-7
path controls and indicators, 12-1 to 12-2
illustration, 12-1
Not a Path symbol, 12-2

setting page layout, 5-8
Project menu
Find, 3-23
Find Next, 3-29
Search Results, 3-28
Show VI Hierarchy, 3-15
This VI's SubVIs, 4-16
Unopened SubVIs, 4-16
Prompt for comment when this VI is closed
option, 6-4
Prompt for comment when this VI is saved
option, 6-4
pull-down menus, 2-6
Purge Data option, 4-6

sequence locals
adding, 18-17
assigning more than one value to, 18-22
Sequence Structures
adding subdiagrams, 18-19 to 18-20
deleting subdiagrams, 18-20 to 18-21
editing, 18-18
example in examples.llb.vi, 18-16
icon for, 18-2, 18-13
moving between subdiagrams,
18-18 to 18-19
overview, 18-13 to 18-14
purpose and use, 16-11, 18-16 to 18-18
reordering subdiagrams, 18-21
sequence locals, 18-17 to 18-18
subdiagram display window, 18-13
wiring problems, 18-22 to 18-26
assigning more than one value to a
sequence local, 18-22
failing to wire a tunnel in all cases of
a Case Structure, 18-22
overlapping tunnels, 18-23
removing structures without deleting
items in a structure, 18-26
wiring from multiple frames of
Sequence Structure, 18-24 to 18-25
wiring underneath rather than
through a structure, 18-25 to 18-26
Serial Port VIs, 5-1
setting up VIs. See SubVI Node Setup dialog
box; VI Setup dialog box.
shift registers, 18-10 to 18-13
adding or removing terminals,
18-11 to 18-12
definition, 18-4, 18-10
initializing, 18-10 to 18-11
left and right terminals, 18-10
<Shift> key
positioning objects, 2-9
sizing multiple rows or columns, 11-7

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<Shift>-clicking
executing Show All SubVIs action, 3-21
selecting
multiple nodes, 3-22
table rows and columns, 11-7 to 11-9
selecting and deselecting objects, 2-7
using with selection rectangle, 2-8
<Shift-Enter> key
advancing through text scale labels, 9-19
creating text scale labels, 9-18
finding previous matching node, 3-23
<Shift-Return> key
advancing through text scale labels, 9-19
creating text scale labels, 9-18
finding previous matching node, 3-23
Show Abort Button option, 4-4
Show All Callers option, 3-21
Show All SubVIs option, 3-21
Show All VIs option, 3-18
Show Case option, 18-18
Show Connector command, 1-6, 3-5
Show Diagram command, 1-3, 2-4
Show Digital Display option
ring controls, 13-8
slide controls and indicators, 9-14
Show Error List command, 4-10
Show Front Panel When Called option
SubVI Node Setup dialog box, 6-6
VI Setup dialog box, 6-2
Show Front Panel When Loaded option, 6-2
Show Help command, 1-7
Show History command, 25-6
Show Immediate SubVIs option, 3-20, 3-21
Show Last Element option, 14-13
Show option, listbox controls pop-up menu
adding symbols to listbox items, 13-4
suboptions, 13-4
Show Parts Window option, 22-7
Show Radix command, 9-4
Show Selection option, 11-9, 14-14, 14-16
Show submenu option, 8-3
Show Terminals option, 16-1, 16-9
Show Toolbar option, 6-6

G Programming Reference Manual

Show VI Hierarchy option

Hierarchy Node Pop-Up menu, 3-20, 3-21
Project menu, 3-15
Show VI Info command, 2-27
Show Warnings option, 4-10
signed and unsigned integer representation
byte (8-bit), 9-4
long (32-bit), 9-4
word (16-bit), 9-4
Simple Help option, 1-7
single numeric data storage format, A-2
single-precision representation, 32-bit
(SGL), 9-4
single-stepping through VIs, 4-18 to 4-20
example, 4-19 to 4-20
executing VIs, 4-18 to 4-19
execution highlighting, 4-21 to 4-23
Pause button, 4-18
reading call chains, 4-21
Step Into button, 4-20
Step Out button, 4-20
Step Over button, 4-18, 4-20
using step buttons, 4-20
sink terminals, 16-1
Size option, Font ring, 2-17
Size to Screen option, 6-5
Size to Text option, 2-23, 16-4
Skip to beginning button, 4-30
slide numeric controls and indicators,
9-12 to 9-20
filled and multivalued slides, 9-20
illustration, 9-12
operating sliders, 9-13
overview, 9-12
scale markers, 9-15 to 9-18
Arbitrary Markers mode, 9-17
changing scale limits, 9-16
deleting arbitrary marker,
9-16 to 9-18
moving arbitrary markers, 9-17
selecting non-uniform scale marker
distribution, 9-16 to 9-18
Uniform mode, 9-17

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National Instruments Corporation

T
tab character
backslash \ code (table), 11-4
entering into string (note), 11-2
<Tab> key
moving between array elements, 14-13
moving between cluster elements, 14-21
moving between tools in Tools
palette, 2-5
string controls and indicators (note), 11-2
toggling between Positioning and Scroll
tools, 3-22
tables, 11-6 to 11-9
copying, cutting, and pasting data, 11-8
entering and selecting data tables,
11-7 to 11-9
illustration, 11-6
manipulating with string functions, 11-9
resizing tables, rows, and columns,
11-6 to 11-7
row and column headings, 11-9
Selection Scrolling option, 11-8
showing selected area of data, 11-9
technical support, C-1 to C-2
temporary directories, setting, 7-3 to 7-4
terminal connections for subVIs, 3-5 to 3-10
assigning to controls and indicators,
3-6 to 3-8
changing spatial arrangement, 3-6
confirming terminal connections,
3-9 to 3-10
deleting terminal connections, 3-9 to 3-10
limiting number of, when creating subVI
from selections, 3-12

National Instruments Corporation

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Index

text tool, Icon Editor, 3-4

This Connection Is submenu, 3-8 to 3-9
This VI's SubVIs option, 4-16
three-dimensional arrays, 14-11
Time and Date Preferences dialog box, 7-21
Date Separator, 7-21
Default date format, 7-21
Default time format, 7-21
illustration, 7-21
Time Separator, 7-21
time formatting, absolute
digital displays, 9-10 to 9-11
graph indicators, 15-15 to 15-16
timer, using default, 7-7 to 7-8
tip-strips
showing tip-strings over terminals, 7-11
toggling display, 7-22
wiring block diagrams, 17-4
toolbar, hiding, 6-6
tools, 2-4
Tools palette
changing between tools, 2-5
illustration, 2-4
purpose and use, 2-4
temporary copies, 2-4
tools available in palette, 2-5
Top Edges alignment, 2-12
transparent labels, selecting, 7-10
transparent objects, 2-24 to 2-25
Transpose Array option
graph pop-up menu, 15-5, 15-11
intensity graph, 15-28
waveform chart pop-up menu, 15-24
tree form of data storage, A-12
troubleshooting. See questions about G.
tunnels
definition, 16-12, 17-2, 18-3
moving, 17-9
wiring problems
failing to wire tunnel in all cases of
Case Structure, 18-22
overlapping tunnels, 18-23 to 18-24

G Programming Reference Manual

two-dimensional arrays, 14-3 to 14-10

definition, 14-3
displaying in single-element or tabular
form, 14-9 to 14-10
example, 14-3
interpreting array index display,
14-8 to 14-9
type checking of units, 9-33 to 9-34
type definitions, 22-19 to 22-22
automatic updating, 22-21
cluster type definitions, 22-22
creating, 22-20
definition, 22-19
disconnecting, 22-22
including in Hierarchy window, 3-19
matching data types, 22-19
saving, 22-20
searching for, 22-22
strict type definitions, 22-19 to 22-20
updating, 22-21
using, 22-20 to 22-21
Type Defs option, 3-25
type descriptors
array, A-11
cluster, A-11 to A-12
data types
examples, A-10 to A-11
non-numeric (table), A-10
scalar numeric (table), A-8 to A-9
storage of physical quantities
(note), A-11
definition, A-7
generic format, A-7
overview, A-7 to A-8

U
Unbundle By Name function
accessing cluster elements, 22-22
disassembling cluster elements,
14-30 to 14-32
Unbundle function, 14-29 to 14-30
unbundling cluster elements, 14-19

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Index

undefined data, 4-17 to 4-18

units, 9-26 to 9-35
entering units, 9-31 to 9-33
polymorphic units, 9-35
pop-up menu, 9-27
showing unit label, 9-26 to 9-27
strict type checking, 9-33 to 9-34
types
additional units in use with SI units
(table), 9-29 to 9-30
base units (table), 9-28
CGS units (table), 9-30
derived units with special names
(table), 9-28 to 9-29
other units (table), 9-30 to 9-31
universal constants
character, 16-7
definition, 16-3
numeric, 16-7
Unopened SubVIs, 4-16
unsigned integer representation. See signed
and unsigned integer representation.
Update from Type Def. option, 22-22
Update Mode option, 15-25
Use History Defaults (In Preferences Dialog)
option, 6-3
User Libraries subpalette, 7-25
User Name option, Edit menu, 7-19
user-defined constants, 16-3 to 16-7
availability in palettes, 16-3 to 16-4
color box, 16-6
creating, 16-3 to 16-4
enumerated, 16-6
error ring, 16-6 to 16-7
incrementing and decrementing, 16-5
list box symbol ring, 16-6
numeric, 16-4
numeric constant pop-up menu, 16-5
path, 16-7
ring, 16-6
setting values, 16-4
string, 16-4
string constant pop-up menu, 16-5

National Instruments Corporation

user.lib, adding VIs and controls, 7-25

Using as a SubVi format option, 5-3

Using the Panel format option, 5-3

V
Valid Path option, 12-2
Vertical Centers alignment, 2-12
Vertical Hierarchy option, 3-18
VI descriptions, creating, 2-27
VI Hierarchy option, 5-6
VI history. See also History Preferences dialog
box.
adding entries, 6-4, 7-18
printing, 5-6
VI History option, 5-6
VI History window, 25-6 to 25-9
example, 25-6
printing history information, 25-9
recording comments (note), 25-6
related VI Setup and Preferences dialog
options, 25-9
resetting history information, 25-8
revision numbers, 25-7 to 25-8
VI libraries (.LLBs), 2-29 to 2-30
arranging files in VI libraries,
25-1 to 25-2
avoiding saving VIs in vi.lib directory
(note), 2-29
creating, 2-30
editing contents of libraries, 2-30
including in Hierarchy window,
3-18, 3-19
reasons for saving VIs as libraries, 2-29
saving VIs in existing VI libraries, 2-30
setting library directories, 7-3 to 7-4
Top Level setting, 2-30
VI search path, setting, 7-5 to 7-6

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VI Setup dialog box

accessing, 6-1
documentation options, 6-3 to 6-4
Add an entry every time this VI is
saved, 6-4
Help Path box, 6-4
Help Tag box, 6-4
illustration, 6-3
managing applications, 25-9
Prompt for comment when this VI is
closed, 6-4
Prompt for comment when this VI is
saved, 6-4
Use History Defaults (In Preferences
Dialog), 6-3
execution options, 6-2 to 6-3
Close Afterwards if Originally
Closed, 6-2
illustration, 6-2
Run When Opened, 6-2
Show Front Panel When Called
option, 6-2
Show Front Panel When Loaded
option, 6-2
Suspend When Called, 6-2
window options, 6-4 to 6-6
Allow Run-Time Pop-Up Menu, 6-5
Allow User to Close Window, 6-5
Auto-Center, 6-5
Dialog Box option, 6-5
Enable Log/Print at Completion, 6-6
Hilite <Return> Boolean, 6-5
illustration, 6-5
Show Toolbar, 6-6
Size to Screen, 6-5
VI Setup option, 3-21
View menu, Hierarchy window, 3-18 to 3-19
Full VI Path in Label option, 3-19
Horizontal Hierarchy option, 3-18
illustration, 3-18
Include Globals option, 3-18
Include Type Defs option, 3-19
Include VIs in vi.lib option, 3-18

G Programming Reference Manual

Redraw option, 3-18

Show All VIs option, 3-18
Vertical Hierarchy option, 3-18
views
installing and changing, 7-26
working with views, 7-29
VIs. See also applications, managing; subVIs.
building. See building VIs.
components, 1-1 to 1-6
debugging. See debugging VIs.
definition, 1-1
editing. See editing VIs.
executing. See executing VIs.
finding, 3-24 to 3-25
launching automatically, B-14 to B-15
loading, questions about, B-10 to B-12
performance issues. See performance
issues.
portability issues, 27-1 to 27-5
ease of porting between platforms,
27-2
nonportable VIs, 27-1
overview, 27-1
picture differences, 27-4 to 27-5
questions about, B-6
resolutions and font differences,
27-2 to 27-4
separator character differences, 27-2
printing, 5-1 to 5-9
active window, 5-2
alternative printing methods, 5-9
configuring printouts, 5-1 to 5-2
history information, 5-6
options, 5-3 to 5-6
programmatic, 5-7 to 5-8
running, 4-1 to 4-4
running repeatedly, 4-5
saving, 2-27 to 2-30
individual VI files, 2-28 to 2-29
VI libraries (.LLBs), 2-29 to 2-30
stopping, 4-4
structure, 1-2
VIs by Name option, 3-25

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Index

VIs option, Select Objects menu, 3-25

Visible Attribute, 20-7
Visible Name option, 15-34
void data type, 23-5

avoiding unnecessary computations,

26-9 to 26-11
icon for, 18-2, 18-4
placing objects inside structures,
18-4 to 18-5
purpose and use, 16-11, 18-4
questions about, B-13
shift registers, 18-10 to 18-13
terminals inside loops, 18-6 to 18-7
window options, VI Setup dialog box,
6-4 to 6-6
Allow Run-Time Pop-Up Menu, 6-5
Allow User to Close Window, 6-5
Auto-Center, 6-5
Dialog Box option, 6-5
Enable Log/Print at Completion, 6-6
Hilite <Return> Boolean, 6-5
illustration, 6-5
Show Toolbar, 6-6
Size to Screen, 6-5
Windows menu
Show Diagram, 1-3, 2-4
Show Error List, 4-10
Show History, 25-6
Show Parts Window, 22-7
Show VI Info, 2-27
wires
bends, 17-6
branches, 17-6
dots at wire junctions, showing, 7-11
junctions, 17-6
overview, 1-5
segments, 17-6
wiring block diagrams, 17-1 to 17-17
basic wiring techniques, 17-1 to 17-5
complicated VIs, 17-4 to 17-5
deleting wires, 17-6 to 17-10
mouse symbol for Wiring tool, 17-1
moving wires, 17-6 to 17-10
off-screen areas, 17-10 to 17-11

W
Warning button, accessing Error List
window, 4-10
waveform and XY graphs, 15-2 to 15-22
creating multiplot graph, 15-5 to 15-11
waveform graph data types,
15-5 to 15-9
XY graph data types, 15-9 to 15-11
creating single-plot graph, 15-3 to 15-4
waveform graph data types,
15-2 to 15-3
XY graph data types, 15-3 to 15-4
definition, 15-2
graph options, 15-11 to 15-22
illustration, 15-12
legend options, 15-19 to 15-22
scale options, 15-12 to 15-17
illustration, 15-2
waveform chart, 15-22 to 15-29
cursors not supported, 15-25
data types, 15-22 to 15-25
front panel data logging (note), 4-6
options, 15-25 to 15-29
chart pop-up menu, 15-25
scope chart update mode, 15-27
stacked versus overlaid plots,
15-28 to 15-29
strip chart update mode, 15-27
sweep chart update mode, 15-27
update modes, 15-26 to 15-28
While Loops
auto-indexing
number of iterations, 18-9
overview, 18-7 to 18-8
running out of memory (note), 18-9
avoiding cycles in subVIs, 3-12

National Instruments Corporation

I-57

G Programming Reference Manual

Index

selecting wires, 17-6 to 17-10

situations to avoid, 17-15 to 17-17
hidden wire segments, 17-16
wire loops, 17-15
wiring underneath objects, 17-17
structure wiring problems
assigning more than one
value to sequence locals, 18-22
failing to wire tunnels, 18-22
overlapping tunnels, 18-23 to 18-24
wiring from multiple frames of
Sequence Structures,
18-24 to 18-25
wiring underneath rather than
through structures, 18-25 to 18-26
tack points, 17-3
tip strips, 17-4
wire stretching, 17-5 to 17-6
wire stubs, 17-4
wiring connection information in Help
window, 17-5
wiring problems
dimension conflict, 17-12
element conflict, 17-12
faulty connections, 17-11
listing errors, 17-11 to 17-12
loose ends, 17-14
multiple wire sources, 17-13
no wire sources, 17-13
unit conflict, 17-12
wire cycle, 17-15
wire stubs, 17-4, 17-14
wire type conflict, 17-12
wiring guides, showing, 17-11
Wiring tool
disabled in Control Editor, 22-7
hot spot, 17-1
purpose and use, 2-5
word integer numeric data storage format, A-3

G Programming Reference Manual

X button, 8-9, 14-22

X Scale Formatting dialog box,
15-14 to 15-16
Format & Precision option, 15-16
Grid Options option, 15-15
Mapping Mode option, 15-15
Scale Style option, 15-15
Scaling Factors option, 15-15 to 15-16
X Scale submenu, 15-13, 15-40
XY graphs. See waveform and XY graphs.

Y
Y Scale submenu, 15-13, 15-40

Z
Z Scale Info Attribute
Color Array, 15-40
High Color, 15-40
Low Color, 15-40
zooming options, graph indicators,
15-17 to 15-19

I-58

National Instruments Corporation

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