Boolean Controls on a Hidden Page in a Tab Control

[CalvinP]

Hello everyone. 

I am having some issues with a tab control in a fairly complex program put together by another (more experienced) developer. The basic setup for this tab control features several tabs to control various aspects of a system (motor setup, video setup, general parameters, etc.). Going to a specific tab and pressing Ctrl-F8 brings up a password prompt, which then displays the "Advanced" menu. The advanced menu is a hidden page within the same tab control. The advanced menu contains several Boolean controls that allow access to the various advanced setup features (these pages are also hidden pages on the same tab control), however, none of the Boolean controls are functioning. Clicking on the controls does not cause the buttons to appear pressed, either when running the program as a compiled executable, or while on the front panel of the VI in LabView. The hidden pages also appear as dark grey. I have confirmed that the same is true for all of the hidden pages within the tab control. I believe that my issue is with the version of LabView that I am using. The program was designed in 8.0, whereas I am currently using 8.2. I have not been able to find any references to such an issue between the versions, and I am somewhat at a loss as to how to correct it. Version 8.2 is the only version I currently have access to, otherwise I would use version 8.0, to see if that corrects the issue. 

Programs that were compiled previously by the original designer do function properly (hidden pages, when displayed, still appear dark grey), but even compiling the unmodified source code results in the same problems for me. 

Any help that you could offer would be greatly appreciated. P.S. I would be addressing these problems with the original designer, but he is currently on vacation for a month and I wish to get this resolved.

[johnsold]

CalvinP,

Try searching the block diagram for property nodes connected to the tab control and the boolean controls.  There may be a disabled and grayed property node somewhere which is not getting reset to enabled when the password is entered.

Lynn 

[CalvinP]

I also want to quickly apologise for the wall of text that my original post is. I thought it was formatted nicely, but did not check the preview and apparently cannot edit it now. Sigh.

[Ben]

There is also a possiblity the code behind those controls is not running. Post your code and we can be of more assistance.

ben

[CalvinP]

---

Ben wrote:

There is also a possiblity the code behind those controls is not running. Post your code and we can be of more assistance.

ben

---

Unfortunately, due to company restrictions, I cannot post the code that I am working with...that would make things too easy.

[jack47]

If a page in a tab control is hidden it will appear 'dark grey', and all of the controls on that page will behave as if they are disabled.  If you 'right-click' on the page name, and select 'Advanded->Show page' it will turn light grey.  Now you should be able to change the controls when the VI is not running.  If the page is shown during operation and the controls still do not function they are probably disabled.  You can check by 'right-clicking' on the control and going to 'Advanced -> Enabled State'.  Also it is possible that they are disabled programatically using a property node.

[CalvinP]

One additional point that I forgot to mention. If I show the hidden pages, the controls on them operate properly. i.e. Setting the "Advanced" page to be shown, rather than hidden, allows me to open the other hidden pages that its controls link to, but the controls on those hidden pages still do not operate. The program does not unhide the pages when they are displayed, it just displays them.

[CalvinP]

---

jack47 wrote:

If a page in a tab control is hidden it will appear 'dark grey', and all of the controls on that page will behave as if they are disabled.  If you 'right-click' on the page name, and select 'Advanded->Show page' it will turn light grey.  Now you should be able to change the controls when the VI is not running.  If the page is shown during operation and the controls still do not function they are probably disabled.  You can check by 'right-clicking' on the control and going to 'Advanced -> Enabled State'.  Also it is possible that they are disabled programatically using a property node.

---

I am leaning towards this as the issue, at the moment. I just find it very odd that the controls work in the 8.0 compiled program, but not my 8.2 compiled version.

I will have to show/hide each page when it is accessed/left.

[jack47]

So the pages remain 'dark grey' when they are displayed by the program?  Likely, that means that the program is changing the 'value' of the tab control without unhiding the page.  Attached is a small example.

[jack47 · Accepted solution]

8.2 version