LabVIEW Idea Exchange
I continually find myself fussing over the "configuration" of terminals. There are many permutations of icon/condensed view and label alignment, yet little consensus thus far for a standard.
My goal is to convince you this: Having different "flavors" of terminals does not make LabVIEW easier to understand or more "customized" to your preferences or learning style. Instead, it creates a source of confusion for new users to identify these Block Diagram components, and creates a hassle when it comes to formatting new or existing VIs to "your style". And no more label gymnastics trying to fit what should be a 
Just a few Common Terminal Configurations:
- Default Alignment - Not too bad, but not so great for stacking terminals vertically
- Block Diagram Cleanup Tool - Interesting choice of label alignment...
- CTRL+Space then CTRL+T - This is the "best" style, but it falls short in correctly aligning label in Icon View (arguably of inconsequence, since Icon View is not "best" style)
- The "Rogue Drag" alignment - Now where'd that label go?
- The "Monk" alignment - Everything has to be perfectly snapped to center
- The "There's a 'Size to Text'??" alignment - AKA - "This is what happens when I open your VI on my system" alignment
- The "Don't Stop - Believing - Hold on to that Feeeeling" label - I can't let go of LV 4.0 or Power Ballads
- The "But it takes up too much BD space - I'm'a remember what it's called" guy - or worse - "Neat, terminals can all have blank labels!!"
Oh yeah, and to add to the confusion of configuration permutations, we have some more ingredients:
Many Ideas - some very popular - have hinged around Terminal Configuration. Respectfully, I think they should all be supplanted by this Idea. The goal here is to eliminate even the need for a configuration:
- Default Option: Do NOT Place FP Terminal as Icon
- Separate label locations for Controls and Indicators
- Lable Position Options
- Add a setting to allow different label positions for controls and indicators
The prelim artwork is an attempt for an information-dense, easily-recognizable, same-footprint, attractive alternative to the current terminal configurations. It offers no display configuration, always showing the label for the sake of self-documentation. It was designed to complement the Improved Control References and the New LV2010 Local Variables. I would envision being able to double-click on the integrated label in order to rename the node.
For completeness, here's what an array would look like. Or perhaps, one of the array alternatives on the Redesign Terminals Idea that focuses on the inability to clearly show array dimensions with the currently implemented terminal:
Finally, you're not voting for my artwork, you're voting for this concept: Standardize terminal configuration to make it non-configurable, robust against self-documentation SNAFUs, and universally recognizable. Just like the zero-config behavior of the Local Variable, we want a what-you-drop-is-what-you-get Terminal.
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