The text in the "source" component in a error cluster is useless in a FPGA VI

[Manzolli]

The error cluster has a string to identify where the error occurred, "source". In a FPGA code the string is only accepted (no broken run arrow) inside an error cluster. I guess this is implemented in this way to maintain code compatibility when you move code to another kind of target. The problem is that doesn't matter what you write in these strings when you are in a FPGA environment, it's ignored.

Some people use the same error code to show a kind of error changing only the source to identify where. I got a software, written by somebody else, that used error code 5000 in all user defined errors, changing only the "source" string. That give me no clue where the error was happening.

Since in a FPGA target only the "code" is useful i a error cluster, I propose two solutions:

1) A warning when a string in a error cluster is not empty (compilation time);

2) The FPGA compiler converts the ASCII chars in "source" string of the error cluster in a fixed size array of bytes [U8]. This array will be converted into a string in a target that can handle it. This is very common when you read a error cluster indicator in a FPGA VI from a RT VI. This solution will have a little overhead but it maintains 100% compatibility.

I like the second solution a bit more. A limited number of characters should be allowed order to save memory. One solution to that is to have a configurable option to determine how many chars is the maximum allowed.

[nanocyte]

It's too bad errors aren't a class. If that were the case, we could be very explicit about if the string is in there or not by using a child "skinny" error child class that has no string.

[Manzolli]

As I understood this will provide a standard interface for all targets, right? I'm not a OOP guy, yet. No error information, only the code will be available in FPGA targets, which is good to save some slices, but not so good to debug.