Propagating type definition /Replace type all along wire

[Mads]

Imagine that you have made lots of code, wiring up several VI etc. all with the same data, a cluster for example, going in and out. Now you regret not having defined that wire as a typedef. Today replacing the data with a typedef will involve a lot of steps; you start by clicking on one of the controls or indicators, and create a typedef...then you need to do the tedious work of replacing all the other controls and indicators up- and downstream. 

Would it not be nice if you could just right-click on the wire and select "Define type"/"Create type definition" or "Replace with type def/class"  - and then choose to have the type definition automatically replace everything along the wire ("propagating type def")?

This idea was inspired by and first came about as a comment to this idea by cowen71.

[Mads]

This is I'm sure doable today by developing a shortcut menu plugin (perhaps someone is up for the task or have done it already(!?)), but it would be nice to have it as an in-built functionality.

[X.]

You probably should get used to define anything that is not a base type as a typedef. Or vote for the idea that suggested that this is done automatically.

[Mads]

Sure, that's the ideal, but even if you did - or it was done automatically, you still do not get the functionality to do a swift and targeted replace-operation along the length of a wire. (You could use the search and replace function, choose your current type def, select all the instances you want from the search list, and then do a replace...but thats quite a few steps. I'm talking cases where you do not want to just edit the associated type-def of course, then it's already simple.)

The idea will also work if you did not type-define it earlier on because you were using a base-type.

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