Text Formatted Into A Numeric Control Should Not Be Selectable - it's confusing to user

[Broken_Arrow]

Text, formatted into a control as shown below, is handy, but can be confusing to a user since it is selectable. A user may try to change it - for instance from "mA" to "A". Further, they may triple-click (selecting all) then think that they have to enter the "mA" after the number. Further, there is a bug (in my opinion), where the number can actually change if you try certain entries into the uneditable text. Whether it is a bug or not, if LabVIEW didn't allow you select the text, all would be well.

[Darin.K]

I do not feel quite right mixing text and numbers in the control, and this quirky behavior seems to reinforce that. What if there were a "Numeric Text" or "Control Text" property much like the "Boolean Text" of the checkbox? Units and the like could be put there, and it does not involve hijacking the caption or the wayward free label.

[AristosQueue (NI)]

To some degree, I like the proposal. On the flip side, if I am copy/pasting from LV into some other document, it is really nice to be able to select and include in my copy the units. Can we somehow preserve this ability when making this change?

[Darin.K]

I see what you mean about the "bug", controls let you enter values in SI notation which can be handy at times. I just can't help but imagine that I would be constantly clicking expecting to be able to select that text.

[altenbach]

Entering a "d" at the end of a numeric value will divide the existing value by 10 (deci-), and this is independent of any extra string you might have in the format and independent of which part you select.

Maybe a settable property to disallow entering SI prefixes into numerics would be a solution?

(Personally, I use SI prefixes all the time, e.g. entering 1M into a diagram constant is much faster and safer than entering ones and zeroes and keeping count of how many I already entered ;))

(In the above example (mA) I would actually suggest to set the display to SI units and only add an "A" to the end of the format (and multiply the value to correct whole SI units). This way it will change the prefix automatically as the numeric changes (e.g. nA, mA, ... kA, etc.) 

[X.]

I don't even understand the topic!  What is that numeric control with a unit inside the numeric field?

[Darin.K]

I prefer 1e6 to 1M as my hand stays on the mouse.

[altenbach]

When defining a format in the control properties, you can switch to advanced mode and enter anything you want as long as it is a legal formatting statement. "%d mA" in this particular case (without the quotes).

[altenbach]

Darin: what mouse? All I use is a trackpoint right on the keyboard 😉

[Darin.K]

http://xkcd.com/243/ No match for the trackball.

[altenbach]

Darin: Well, I thought this is formal forum. 🙂

X.: For a nugget about the cool possibilities of the advanced format, see this thread).