View String Constant as Icon

[Mark.Ridgley]

Sometimes, it would be useful to view string constants as icons to save space on the block diagram.

[JimKhertzian]

it's a duplicate of this idea which was implemented in LabVIEW 2012

http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/Collapse-Lengthy-String-Constants-to-an-Icon-like-LV-2...

[Mark.Ridgley]

Hello, JimKHertzian

I did read the post you referred to before deciding to post my suggestion; however as is unfortunately the case in these forums, the original suggestion was hijacked by other posters asking for completely different functionality than requested by the original poster (an edit dialog in this case).

If you fully read the comments, you will find that NI in fact implemented an idea that was completely different from what the original poster requested (NI implemented an edit dialog box instead of the ability to collapse lengthy string constants to an Icon). The original suggestion to provide the ability to display a string constant as an icon on the block diagram was never implemented, yet NI marked the suggestion as completed.

Based on that error on NI’s part, I decided to post my suggestion, which while very similar also includes additional functionality that the other suggestion does not. Specifically:

• Right-click menu to convert the string constant to an icon view
• The full string is displayed in the context help window when you mouse over the icon
• The full string is displayed in an edit time tip strip if the help window is not open

I believe my suggestion warrants consideration.

Thanks for joining the discussion.

[JimKhertzian]

Hello Mark,

then your idea is familiar with this one, maybe we should all upvote it?

String Constant becomes Empty String Constant when empty - Page 2 - NI Community

Cheers,

Jimmy

[JimKhertzian]

If you want to see the value of your string in the contextual help and tip string you may:

1- Copy the string value

2- right-click the constant, hit properties

3- Paste the string in both Description and Tip strip fields

Cheers,

Jimmy

[Mark.Ridgley]

Jimmy,

The suggestion I'm making is completely different than having an empty string automatically turn into an empty string constant.

Also, I'm suggesting that having to manually do the three steps you mentioned is part of the problem that my suggestion would solve.

Thanks for continuing to comment here.

[Mark.Ridgley]

This idea generated 6 likes on LinkedIn in the first 24 hours it was posted there:

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6749445260679667712                    6 likes