Generic Configuration Editor (xCE) Reference Example

[Christian_L]

Please post your questions, feedback, and comments on the Generic Configuration Editor (xCE) Reference Example here.

[tst]

The article doesn't mention this, but it looks like you also need to have the AMC API installed to use this (at least the examples).

It would be useful if you found some ways of handling these dependencies elegantly.

I would suggest both listing the dependencies in each article and releasing all of these as VIPM packages, where you can define the dependencies.

[Brian_K.]

Your absolutely correct.  I added the Requirements section with a link to the AMC.

[Henrik_Molsen]

Quote from the article:

"A walkthrough document is located in the xce_source.zip download.  The walkthrough covers how to quickly get started, and the bare information on how to add onto xCE."

It does not seem that this document is in the .zip file. I really need a guide on how to use the xCE for my own project. Does anybody have such a description?

[Brian_K.]

Hi hmo.

You are correct I did say that and I was planning on writing that, but in the end I forgot.  I apoligize, and I'll remove that comment from the article.

Are there some basic operations you would would like me to type up for you?

If you understand the concepts of LVOOP, demoEditor.zip is a very basic demo of how to add on your own  objects? Take the "demoEditor(solution)" folder, place it on the same level as the xCE folder, and open the demoEditor.lvproj.

 If you are learning LVOOP, then I would first suggest looking at the labVIEW help for OOP, as knowing the LVOOP is nescessary on how to use the xCE.

Thanks for looking at the xCE, I am interested to see what you are using it for.

[Brian_K.]

I just looked at what came in the xce_source_101.zip and it looks like the demoEditor is already in the zip.  So disregard the previous zip, and just reply back with some specific questions on what you would like to achieve.

[Henrik_Molsen]

Hi Brian

I was just looking for some tricks on how to create my own project from the example without having to write all the example code again. Renaming and moving files in a LVOOP project seems always to end up with a lot of broken wires and error messages.

I will use the xCE as the basis for a configuration tool for  a number of cRIOs on a network. Actually very much like the MAX but with other settings.

The framework is very nice and I think it will be a perfect solution for this task.

I think it would be nice with some kind of helpfile or manual that describes the possibilities already implemented in the xCE. Browsing the files it looks like there is more to it than can be seen in the examples. 

[Brian_K.]

There is definitly a lot more possibilities then the examples show.  I tried to make it so that the examples cover the up-and-running situation.  That way a prototype is easy to conceive.

As for moving files, the one tricky thing to remember is that since I create LVOOP objects via their file path (like a plug-in architecture), all add on classes have to be on the file hierarchy like the examples.  Althought the examples are basic, more advanced ones are:

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/epd/p/id/6257

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/epd/p/id/5331

They get into more of the polished look.  I hope any questions you ask I can answer over this forum, as I can't work on a manual at this time.  After completing this framework I learned so much that I am starting on a 2.0 that can take advantage of what I learned, and the feedback that I got.  It seems to be a very common problem that many engineers face.

[Henrik_Molsen]

Brian

I think I have figured it out except one thing: 

What I need is to change the data of the nodes during execution of the main.vi (NOT only reding XML at the beginning as is default in the examples). All I have is the name of the node and the new data (which can be of different type according to the node). What is the easiest way to do this?

(Idea: Use a function with node name as input (e.g. node17). Search for the object with the right name and return the reference. Using the reference call a method to write data to the node)  

[Brian_K.]

So you want to change the data of a particular node from your main. 

1)  Take the RootNode

2)  Use the getAllSubNodes method (part of  xceNode class) to get all node references.

3)  Go one-by-one to find the one with the correct name.

If you had the path to the node you could use goToNode.vi.

Tell me if that works.