Provide an option to drop while loops with different colors - Randomize Color of Loops

[PrimaryKey]

I would like to see an option to drop while loops in the code with different colors. Now it takes a couple of steps to change the color but it could be easily done in automated way.

It would make discribing the code and adding comments easier and faster. Especially for smaller designs.

[Ardent]

nice idea, though I do not think, this should be a default setting (rather an option)

[Intaris]

I personally would like to be able to define a limited set of colours for NESTED loops.  So a top-level loop is grey with each step further down tha rabbit hole getting progressively darker or more red or whatever.

[altenbach]

I don't quite get the idea. Do you want each placed while loop have some random color that changes with every new placement? What should determine the color of the next loop? What if you ctrl-drag a loop to make a copy. Should the color change or not?

Why only while loops? What about other structures (sequence, for loop, etc.).

I think the primary colors you are showing in the image, especially the blue one, are off limits. For example the blue loop would make integer tunnels almost impossible to see. Maybe go with pastel colors that are similar in lightness to the current while loop.  I also would not like random colors. I would think any programmer that colors while loops has a pretty fixed "meaning" for each shade that relates it to function (main UI loop, initialization loop, inner math iteration loop, etc.). Automatic coloring will not get it right so we would need to re-color anyway.

Somehow I would not like my diagram to look like easter baskets, but that's just my opinion.

[gsussman]

I really don't like the idea of my diagram coloring be driven by some random force.

Colors have meaning in LabVIEW. Blue is integer, green is boolean, etc... by randomizing colors that message is muddied and I feel makes the diagram less readable.

Intaris' idea was interesting regarding an increasing or decreasing shade of nested loops, however I still have a tough time getting over the automatic disconnection of colors and meaning. Apply that to other structures and I think that the diagram would become even further obfuscated.

Sorry, no kudo.

[LordNobady]

I don't like this. I know that LV is so easy a toddler can do it, but that does not mean that we need to adjust the colors to that level. 

The use of colors in a graphical environment is good but there is no way a computer selects randomly the correct combination. 

[Manzolli]

Agree with gsussman, colors have meaning in LabVIEW. I don't paint structures border (or inside) because it causes too much visual pollution to me. I strongly disagree with a random color choosing method. What's the idea behind coloring the structures according to a rule? A level rule will create some problems when the user create something not in a certain order.

[johnsold]

As a color blind person, I find that LV already has a few too many colors. Do not add any more for limited benefit.

No.

Lynn

[JÞB]

Just how would this differ from a custom palatte you create with vi contents of loops of different colors (set to place vi contents of course)?

In other words,  What is the idea? from what I understand you could do this easilly.

[taper]

If you're nesting so deep you need colors to tell them apart you have other issues that this won't fix.

[JB]

With one exception, I never change the color of structures and don't see the need to do this.

The exception ? The outer while loop of a state machine generated by the State Diagram Editor. The specific color immediately shows that this code was generated and must be edited with this toolkit.

PS : Yes I still use this very useful toolkit and I eagerly await the arrival of a new version !