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LabWindows/CVI Idea Exchange

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CVI provides the ability to use syntax coloring (which is nice )

Right now, C keywords share one color - these keywords include the data types int, double, ...

Unfortunately, the boolean types (bool defined by stdbool.h), including the macros true and false, and the size and pointer difference types are not included, e.g. size_t, intptr_t, ...

This is not a problem because CVI also allows adding user-defined tokens for coloring, it even provides the option to add the VISA types.

In that sense we have the possibility to have core and extra types marked in two different colors - which is also nice.

Now I'd like to mark (my) constants as well, in a different color, and this is not possible.

My suggestion thus is to add a second group of user tokens, which can be colored differently.

Thanks

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LabWindows/CVI lags behind the more recent developments in its programming language, C. At present, it only partially supports the C99 standard, not to mention the improved Unicode support of the current standard, C11.

Since odds are that Unicode finally will be supported in a future version of LabWindows/CVI, this might be a good opportunity to also ask for support of the current standard of CVI's programming language, C11, allowing the use of UTF encoded strings and also including updated libraries (e.g., supporting complex or long long) and debugging tools (data tooltips and variable view supporting complex numbers, for example). It also would help to improve C/C++ compatibility for programs that use complex floating-point values.

I really would appreciate it if the LabWindows/CVI project will show some strong signs of development and accompany us for the next 30 years, too.

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On high resolution monitors, the icons in the toolbar, project tree, and library tree in CVI are really tiny. Font sizes can be configured, but icon sizes cannot.

As usage of high resolution monitors becomes more common, I think it would be very helpful to provide some configuration options to optimize the appearance and usage of the CVI environment on monitors of varying resolution. Please refer to the attached screenshot for an example of this behavior.

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At present, when you double-click on a .cws or .prj file the most recent version of the CVI IDE is launched with the selected .prj or .cws file loaded.

However, both project and workspace files include the release of CVI they are developed on, so it would be possible to search in the system whether that release is installed and open it instead of the most recent one. This is crucial when you need to modify a program already deployed to a customer but do not want / is not possible to update the target machine configuration installing a newer Run-Time module than the one already installed.

At present you have no control over this event, but consider also that in case you make modifications to the UIR files also, it may become difficult to revert to the original IDE format; for this reason when I need to update an old program I need firstly to open the project file in notepad to see which CVI release to use for this.

If automating the launch in the correct release is not possible, at least issue a warning stating the difference in the IDE release used with respect to the original one.

Hello,

I have a very elaborate Front Panel, developed in LabVIEW 8.6, which I'd like to import into my LabWindows/CVI 2013 development environment.

The background is that the new company colleagues are very proficient in C and want to use LabWindows/CVI to re-program the current state of the software and maintain and update only using LabWindows/CVI in the future.

This would be very usefull, since it would save a lot of time and keep the naming of the elements in the front panel as-is. For the customers it would mean, having the same tool they are used to work with and receive much faster and better service when it comes to changes or additional functionality.

If there is already a way to do this I'd be happy to have a step by step guide.

According to the feedback from the forum, this still doesn't exist. (http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabWindows-CVI/Can-I-convert-a-LabVIEW-Front-Panel-into-a-LabWindows-CVI-User/td-p/3044003)

In CVI 2013 is option “Run -> Attach to Process…” and new is option “<< Running >> -> Detach from a process” during debugging, which is very good to debug TestStand sequence and CVI DLL, advantageous if I need to update CVI code and do not have to launch TestStand again and again after new CVI code is builded. Hovewer, to attach CVI DLL to a process is always necessary to do next steps: Run -> Attach to Process…, then select process from a list (seqedit.exe) and click OK. I would appreciate similar option as “Specify Executable to Debug…” or key shortcut to attach process directly to TestStand in one click or using simple key shortcut.

As discussed here and here, CVI does not re-open workspace files in the order they were when CVI was closed; I am referring to confined workspace, not freely floating windows.

As a result, starting CVI one first has to locate all the files, where did the include file go...? If you happen to have some more tabs this is a waste of time.

Also, as Roberto mentioned, you can not easily use the short cut keys Ctrl-1 etc. because of the changing assignment.

So, in short, I am asking to improve this behavior and maintain the tab order of CVI workspace files, that is, re-arrange/re-open the tabs in the order they were when CVI was closed.

Thanks!

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While it is possible to add, remove and replace files in a CVI project it is not possible to rename or duplicate a file.

This is useful for example if a large source code file shall be split to speed up compilation. Although this file operation could be done outside of CVI associated tags would be lost.

A workaround has been offered here but a more elegant and simple solution would be welcome. Hence I suggest to provide two more commands to add and duplicate a file including its associated tags and breakpoints...

Thanks.

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Hello,

usually I work on my projects on two different computers (home/work or development/lab). I would like to see a possibility to more easily move my project back and forth, say by providing two new menu commands

File / Import Project and File / Export Project

I imagine that the Export command generates a zip file consisting of all files required to build the executable (and a distribution) and also exports the editor preferences (probably without the window positions because different computers may have different screen resolutions) etc. The Import command then should load the *c., .cds, .cws, *.fp, *.h, *.prj and *.uir files, import the editor settings, adjust the library menu and load any instruments.

Thanks!

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I would like to suggest a function tree view in CVI. I feel this is sorely missing. Many times, I want to jump right to a function, but I don't remember where it is. In a single C file with 1,000+ lines, this can be very aggravating.

For this reason, I tend to use Notepad++ for the heavy lifting, along with the Source Cookifier plugin. See attached screenshot of that plugin.

There are options in the plugin to enable certain features, such as the global and local variables in addition to the function names. When you are inside a function in the souce editor, the tree updates with a selection to show that you are inside that function. This is very helpful with functions that have more lines than available veritcal screen space. This way, I don't have to scroll up to see what function I'm looking at. I simply look at the tree with a glance and I know.

What is the point of this Idea Exchange, when there is such a low uptake rate from NI?

There have been many very good suggestions posted here, but only 6 are labelled as "In Beta", which I assume means will be in the CVI release this autumn. There are 106 "Under Consideration", but there is no indication what is required to move them to "In Beta". For instance, Wolfgang posted "Reduce and document the NI services running after Windows logon" on ‎04-01-2011. It went to "Under Consideration" on 08-15-2011. Two Years from the original posting, we still have nothing!

How do I justify renewing our Volume Licence Agreement when the LabWindows development effort within NI is so small?

How many people actually are on the full time LabWindows team within NI?

Starting from CVI2010, the User Interface Browser and the Attribute Browser are both located on the right of the UIR editor in the Workspace window.

I'd like to be able to hide these windows when required: when working on small screens like when you use a laptop these windows occupy a lot of space even if you reduce their size at the minimum.

In addition, the ability to choose which window to display on the bottom left could be a good option: up to version 2009 the bottom left side of the workspace window switched between the library tree (source editor) and the attribute browser (UIR editor).

Ideally, while in the UIR editor I would like to be able to:

Choose whether to show some window on the right side or not
In case nothing is shown on the right, choose whether to have the attribute browser, the library tree or the user interface browser in the bottom left angle

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LabWindows/CVI Idea Exchange

.editorconfig support

add a second group of user tokens for syntax coloring

Make cvi.exe a 64 bit application

Support the current standard for the C programming language, C11

Conifgurable Icon Sizes in the CVI Development Environment

Automate opening an existing project in the proper release of CVI

Remember values for generating a function tree

Can I convert a LabVIEW Front Panel into a LabWindows / CVI User Interface File ?

Small improvement to automate debugging option in CVI 2013

Déphasage d'un signal carré

Initialization of the PCI6220 card

Please maintain the tab order of CVI workspace files

Allow renaming a file within the project

Tooltips for active rows in listbox

Portable 'Projects' (Import/Export 'Project')

Save debug information

function list

Actually implement some of these ideas; only 6 ideas are in Beta compared to 271 New or Under Consideration

Ability to hide the User Interface and Attribute browser boxes

IDE: Vertical guides