OO question in LabVIEW example

[ASTDan]

Hello,

I am trying to learn OO and I have a question in the LabVIEW examples.  See the attached image

What is the protected VI's?  It looks like a collection of VIs with a type def.  Isn't this a class?  Why isn't it a class?  What is going on?

Thanks

[crossrulz]

No image attached.  Which example are you looking at?

[Oligarlicky]

Yes, what you are describing sounds like a class. The VIs in a class can be protected so that other VIs can't use them. They don't have to be protected though. See the access scope documentation here: http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361L-01/lvdialog/c_item_lib_page/

[ASTDan]

[Oligarlicky]

Ahh, those are not a class. Those are members of a class. If you use those VIs and typedefs in a place that isn't allowed to access those VIs you'll get a broken arrow. This can potentially save you from a run time bug.

Did you see the access scope link I posted above. It explains where the protected VIs are allowed to be used.

[ASTDan]

I saw the link to the scope.  Thanks

Why isn't the protected vi's in the Board Design Class in the Component class?  Both these entities have the same data.

[Oligarlicky]

In this example a board is made of components. You can think of "Get Components" as asking the object a question about what it has. It doesn't make sense to ask a component what it has.

Some things that might be confusing:

There's no reason to have this folder. There's other protected VIs that aren't in a "protected folder". I think the reason they made the folder is just  to show the developer that Component Orientation and Position.ctl is only used in "Get Component".

You might be wondering if  Get Components should be protected. I think it's up to you and your style. Do you think more warnings should "break the run arrow"? If so, protection will break lots of run arrows