Constant typedef description missing

[Timmar]

I have created a strict typdef cluster and given it a description (Right Click Description and tip).

This description appears on a control, and indicator but not on a constant or the wire itself.

I belive this is a code bug.

2009 sp1 win xp32

[RavensFan]

Why do you think this is a bug?

The description is a property of a control or indicator.  Context help shows the description.  It also shows the datatype.

A wire or constant is not a control or indicator and a description is not a property of either one of those enitities..  If you right click on a wire, you don't get a properties menu choice.  Likewise for a constant. Since those entities don't have a description property, there is no way for the context help to show it.  However the datatype is still an essential part of a wire or constant, so the context help still shows that.

[Timmar]

With a constant the context help specificaly says:

"Description Not available".

So, If I can't put it in the typedef, Where can I put the info?

It is linked to the typedef, so why shouldn't it use the date there!

The wire is smart enough to know that it is a typedef (it will show coersion dots if it is not wired to it's own typedef).

It would make sense that it can bring up the context help for it's parent definition.

[RavensFan]

The description is not something that is part of the type definition.  Even the Strict type definition.

Put two copies of your strict typedef control on a blank VI.  Right click on one, properties, and change the description.  You can see that is easily changed.  If it was part of the type definition (strict), you would not have been allowed to change it.

Is there some reason you would want the description essentially "hard wired" to the type definition?  I wouldn't.  I would want the ability to have two copies of a control.  Even a strict definition because I wouldn't want their appearance to be changed.  But I might want to be able to change the description of the controls so that one could say "I'm the control for device A", while the other would say "I'm the control for device B".

[Timmar]

Ravens Fan,

I think your logic is flawed.

Why auto-populate a description for the control and indicator forms of the typedef and not the constant?

I would expect all or none, there is a consistency problem here,

If you change from constant to Control and back to indicator, it forgets/overrwites the description that you have added iin the various stages.

It is not so forgetful changing from indicator to control and back

As far as a wire is concerned, - it was a passing thought, it would be nice to have the description associated with the last control it came from.

[RavensFan]

I'll tell you what.  I think you might be right.

My arguments were based on the fact when I converted your typedef control to a constant, I was not getting a properties option in the right click menu.  So my thought was that if you can't set the description property for a constant, then it must not exist.  But now, trying everything again, I am getting a properties option.

Now playing around some more, even with a simple numeric that has a description and tip strip set, saved as a typedef, I am seeing cases where a control has a description set, yet the context help doesn't show it. (This is in LV 2010).  And also the typedef has one description, a control has a different description, but the context help shows the description defined in the typedef.

So the earlier testing where I did not see a property screen for the constants, I can't duplicate.

Testing things now, I'm getting different behaviors between controls and constants.  And it seems unpredictable and probably depends on how things were created and/or copied.  (Change to Constant/Control vs. Create Constant/Control vs. copy/paste the constant/control, vs. dropping on the front panel or block diagram from the typedef file.)

I do believe now there is something very inconsistent going on here.  Constants are behaving differently from controls/indicators.  And if you have a different description in a particular control, it does not show in the context help, but the description defined in the typedef does.

[BTreece · Accepted solution]

I do agree that this behavior is strange.  I have submitted this to our R&D department under CAR# 278228 for investigation.  Thank you for bringing this to our attention!

Brandon Treece

Applications Engineer

National Instruments

[QFang]

This seems to still be an issue, currently using LV 2013 SP1 and took to google because I was annoyed that my type defined and strictly type defined enum constants would not display any of its documentation (be it "description", "tip", or "Control (VI) Property -> Documentation" for my constants, but it does show up on controls and indicators.

this is somewhat annoying since I'm trying to document the details of each enumerated item and the use-case I have for this particular enum, it is used in the form of a constant most of the time, and it would be convenient to hover and get the description/context help when using them.

(edited for clarity)

[bseguin]

This is still not fixed in LabVIEW 2018...

When is the request will be taken seriously at NI... Oh i know... never... they put all resources on NXG crap. :'(

[ImreSzebelledi]

Still not fixed in 2023 Q3 which is really annoying.