LabVIEW Idea Exchange
Couldn't find this one after a simple search of the forum, so my apologies if it has already been suggested (as I would expect it has).
A very convenient, time saving feature of LabVIEW on the diagram side is the ability to get access to palettes relevant to the object type you right-click on.
For instance, if you right-click a numeric object, it will offer you a quick link to the "Numeric" function palette. Note that I personally would love to have access to the "Mathematics" palette as well... but more on that later.
However, what I have found particularly frustrating is the palette offering for arrays of objects. The only thing that pops up is... the array palette. That makes sense to some extent, but in general, one is interested mostly in a subset of functions acting on the TYPE of the object in the array. In other words, for an array of numeric, it would make sense (to me at least) to offer a subset of functions pertaining to numerics (see above).
The palette suggestion is intelligent in the sense that, applied to function connectors, it will add the palette this function belongs to. E.g., for the "Read from Text File" function:
right-clicking on the refnum out will offer you the File I/O palette, text will offer you...the Array palette (in the case I selected, which is to read lines) and the File I/O palette, cancelled the Boolean and File I/O palettes and finally error out, the File I/O, Dialog & User Interface and Cluster, Class & Variant palettes.
My problem here is that I would like to be offered access to String functions as well when right-clicking on text. Obviously, I will only use string functions that have an array input (or output), but I am not even asking to filter them for me (although that would be nice).
The bottom line is that some improvements to this time saver could be studied. Here are a few suggestions:
- for arrays of simple types, give access to that type's function "natural" palette.
- offer the possibility to customize which palettes are offered with different types. For instance, "Mathematics" for numerics.
- or if this is to much customization, yet a better way would be to adapt to the user's practice. I would see something like that:
- I want to access a Mathematics function when right-clicking on a numeric type: in addition to access to the Numeric palette, offer an "Other Palettes..." shortcut, which will allow me to select the (non-"Numeric") function I want, without having to click back on an already open palette window, and drag the primitive on the diagram.
- Remember this association, and next time I right-click on a numeric, show the same offering, or add a "disclosure" triangle of some kind that will reveal the recent palettes I have used with numerics. If I repeatedly go into those palettes (say 3 times), show them systematically next time I choose a numeric.
If I may add, but that's almost out to topic, I would love a final step when choosing a function/primitive after right-clicking on a connector: the ability to select which input or output to connect it to, so that when I drop the function on the diagram, it is already connected.
Thanks for reading.
