Replacing Arithmetic or Boolean operator with Compound Arithmetic should automatically set Mode to match replaced operation

[SteveP]

Replacing a Boolean AND, OR, or XOR with Compound Arithmetic results in its Mode being pre-selected to OR no matter which boolean operation is being replaced.  It would be convenient if the replace operation would recognize from where it is coming and set the mode accordingly.  Similarily, replacing an Addition or Multiplication with Compound Arithmetic results in its Mode being pre-selected to Add.   A multiply operation should be replaced with a multiply operation (not an addition).

[altenbach]

I would go a step further and suggest that we don't even need to use "replace..."!

How about of we could just right-click on a simple node (multiply, add, AND, XOR, ...) and select "add input" and it would turn into a compund node of the same flavor? 🙂

Even easier: How about adding "resize handles" so we can simply resize down or up to get more inputs?

Best would be to have both: (1) right-click add input and (2) resize handles. Nothing new to learn. 🙂

[JackDunaway]

So, altenbach, let me simplify even further... nix the triangles, only have the compound operators. Is that "New Idea" worthy? Would anyone agree? (I don't even know that I agree or not)

You could even get rid of the 1/x and the -x primitives... just use a 1-level compound with the input inverted. Would this fly? Having a SINGLE block that basically handled all numeric and Boolean operations?

Message Edited by mechelecengr on 08-17-2009 01:42 PM

[tst]

I don't have objections to getting rid of the triangles for some primitives, although I wouldn't do the inverting you suggested, as it's not the most intuitive thing in the world (I wasn't even aware that you could invert when using numeric values).

Changing old code from the old primitives to the new version would be easy for NI.

However, one problem with this is that the compound node doesn't play very nice with the auto-tool - the action selection area and output are too close and a mouse twitch coupled with an inattentive user could result in the nuclear reactor blowing up due to someone using a multiply instead of an add! 😄

I also like Altenbach's suggestion.

[JackDunaway]

tst, I was not aware you could invert numerics either until the Idea Exchange came along!

I almost made a post two months ago saying "Wouldn't it be cool if you could invert the input on an Add compound arithmetic, and it would add the negative value (subtract)?" But as I was creating the images for the post, I right clicked on the compound arithmetic... lo and behold, it was there.

The same thing happened to me on my "Swap Inputs" idea. It's nice when you're feature is added instantaneously.

Message Edited by mechelecengr on 08-18-2009 12:54 PM

[RavensFan]

Remember that you can also invert the output of the compound arithmetic node.

[AristosQueue (NI)]

I floated the idea of replacing the Numeric operations in the palettes with the Compound Arithmetic node preset to the appropriate operations. The very viceral response from those who sit near me in R&D was decidedly negative. One reply was, "It would be like removing 'the' from the English language." I think that resistence to any change that affects the Add primitive will be very high -- that's the LV logo, it's home base, it's the first bit of functionality, and the one item you can count on to not be broken on a random day during development.

I try to keep an open mind about some of the crazy suggestions I've gotten from customers over the years, and I actually think I like this suggestion, but even I found myself twitching a bit at mucking with Add. 

You can kudos the idea, but I think it will be an uphill fight. (And, yes, I did add my kudos to the specific suggestion about how Replace should work.)

Message Edited by Aristos Queue on 08-18-2009 06:23 PM

[altenbach]

I am against getting rid of the triangular functions and there is no reason the drop those. They are so pretty. 🙂 All we need is the ability to seamlessly add/remove inputs. once we are back down to 2 inputs (and there is no inversion!), it can switch back to the triangle automatically. 🙂

[Jim_Kring]

Oops.  I just accidentally posted a duplicate of this idea, here: Replacing a Boolean operator with a Compound Arithemetic node should not change the operator

[Darren]

This functionality is now present in LabVIEW 2010 when performing a replace with Quick Drop.  See here for more information.

-D

[tst]

And just to make it clear, that does not mean the request was completed.