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gsussman

Automatically show descriptor or radix for non normal display constants

Status: New

In LV 2010 the string constant display style is a nice new addition based on the ideas here and here.

The implementation is consistent with how the radix indicator works on numeric constants in that you must navigate to the visible items shortcut menu and turn them on discretely.

If I want to take a string constant, show it in '\' format and turn on the descriptor, it requires two separate operations.

 

I propose that the descriptor (or radix for numeric constants) be automatically shown when displaying any mode other than the default.

 

String formatting.PNG

Not only would this add to the readability of these constants but would eliminate the extra step to have to discretely show this valuable piece of self documentation.

If the developer did not want the descriptor shown, they they could manually turn it off.

7 Comments
AristosQueue (NI)
NI Employee (retired)

Good idea.

tst
Knight of NI Knight of NI
Knight of NI

This can probably be taken a step further - just display the glyph for constants all the time. Normal display has no glyph and all others have their glyph.

 

That would make it one less thing for the user to worry about and it give people's code a uniform and predictable look.


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AristosQueue (NI)
NI Employee (retired)

Tst: Better idea. 🙂

JackDunaway
Trusted Enthusiast

+1 for showing all the time and no configuration.

gsussman
Active Participant

That works for me.

 

I like the idea of no glyph for normal display on strings and decimal display on numerics.

wired
Active Participant

I also vote for displaying the glyph on any string type, and allowing the user to turn it off.  I didn't even know this feature existed until I read about altenbach's completed idea in this forum.  My strings weren't displaying the glyph, so I went to the Tools->Options menu to see if it needed to be enabled. Nothing there, so then I did the right-click and highlighted Visible Items.

 

I don't see a downside to defaulting this on - the amount of diagram space saved by having it off is miniscule. Kudos.

rpodsim
Member
I like the idea of always displaying Radix for constants. Though I would go one step further and include an option to toggle the always display. I would also add the that option for front panel controls/indicator also. I use a lot of Hex displays and would find that option a serious time saver.
Ryan Podsim, CLA