"Always On Top" option for Search Results window

[Petru_Tarabuta]

It can be difficult to go back to the Search Results window when searching for subVIs or text in a project with many open VIs.

It'd be great if the Search Results window had an "Always on top?" option. The screenshot below shows a possible implementation, using a tickbox.

I'd be happy for the default value of the tickbox to be false (unticked). The default behaviour would be identical to the current behaviour.

When the option is ticked the Search Results window would float on top of other VI windows, similar to how the Probe window floats on top.

This would make life easier when going back and forth between a few results, with many VIs already open, especially when so many VIs are open that all LabVIEW windows have collapsed into one tall list in the Windows taskbar.

This feature is not terribly impactful, but has a high benefit-to-effort ratio, due to the very small implementation effort.

Thanks

[wiebe@CARYA]

It's a duplicate (Search Result window put on top - NI Community), but I think we should leave it open...

Not sure why that didn't get any kudos. I too think it's a small effort, with (arguably) high benefit.

[Petru_Tarabuta]

Thanks for pointing out it's a duplicate. I hadn't been aware of it. And thanks for the kudos.

To address tst's comment from the original idea:

"

Regardless of whether or not it's desirable to have the search results window floating, there are a couple of things you can do today:

1. Move it to a different monitor (assuming you have more than one). I do this occasionally if I want to go through many results.
2. Use Ctrl+G and Ctrl+Shift+G, which allow you to move to the next and last result. I use this all the time.

"

1. I use two monitors. I often move the Search Results window to the secondary monitor. This is often good enough. But sometimes, for valid reasons, I have VIs open on both monitors. That's when the always on top would come in handy.

2. I use the keyboard shortcuts already

[Yamaeda]

Ctrl+Shift+F

[Petru_Tarabuta]

Hi Yamaeda,

Sorry if I don't get it, but what's the meaning of "Ctrl+Shift+F"?

I tried it and nothing happens.

Are you suggesting that that keyboard combination should launch the Search Results window in Always On Top mode?

If so, I'd be up for it. But I'd still prefer also having the tickbox, because that's more discoverable than just the keyboard shortcut on its own.

[wiebe@CARYA]

>Sorry if I don't get it, but what's the meaning of "Ctrl+Shift+F"?

Ctrl+Shift+F shows the search results window. Iff there are search results...

[Petru_Tarabuta]

Thanks. Makes sense now. It's a really useful shortcut, which I'm going to use going forward. But even so it'd be nice to also have the tickbox.

[wiebe@CARYA]

>But even so it'd be nice to also have the tickbox.

I agree. For the errors window as well...

[Frozen]

>>But even so it'd be nice to also have the tickbox.

> I agree. For the errors window as well...

Where is the idea for the error window always on top? 😁

[wiebe@CARYA]

>>>But even so it'd be nice to also have the tickbox.

>> I agree. For the errors window as well...

>Where is the idea for the error window always on top? 

I think it got merged with this one.

(Feel free to add it as a new idea, but it might just spread the butter thinner.)

[Petru_Tarabuta]

On Windows a handy workaround that I became aware of recently is to use the Always On Top utility, which is part of the Microsoft PowerToys Utilities suite. The PowerToys suite can be installed from the previous link or from the Microsoft Store.

Once installed, selecting any window and pressing Windows key + Ctrl + T makes that window "stick to the top", always being in front of all other windows. A thick blue border indicates that the window is "stuck to top". Pressing the same key combination returns the window to normal.