Cancel part way through building installer ... Does nothing! [LabVIEW 2009 SP1]

[TroyK]

A couple of times when building an installer with the application builder I've realised that I forgot to update something.

So rather than waiting the 20 minutes it takes to complete the build and then delete it and start again, I click 'cancel'.

What does clicking cancel do? It would seem nothing!

It takes just as long and finishes the same as if I didn't click cancel.

All it seems to do is grey out the cancel button so I can't click it again.

Is it just there to make the user feel as if they can do something (like the 'close door' button in an elevator which often isn't even connected)?

If it is there just to appease the user, then at least leave it clickable so I can neurotically click it again and again so I can feel as if I'm making it finish faster.

Or is it a bug?

Anybody else notice this?

[kellis.wiseman]

Hey Troy, 

Yes I have noticed this, and unfortunately I think you are correct in your assumption that the cancel button is not functional. You should really post this question to the idea exchange to hear back from our guys in Research and Development. One Applications Engineer posted a similar woe and got a prompt response from them about the logic behind it: 

http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/Cancel-load-for-Quick-Drop-Palette-Search-etc/idi-p/14...

If you do post to the Idea Exchange, please post back here to let us know the results! Thanks!

~kgarrett

[TroyK]

So the only way to get corrective action #CAR is by posting in the idea exchange?

[kellis.wiseman]

Hey Troy, 

Since building an installer is an actual process in Windows, the cancel button is not actually expected to abort the function-that could corrupt things that you really dont want to be corrupted. I agree with you that a cancel button should DO something, or shouldnt be there at all. You can suggest this in the Idea Exchange. A CAR is only filed for unexpected behavior. Sorry!

~kgarrett

[TroyK]

I've watched the entire build process as it happens in the destination directory on a number of occasions.

It certainly doesn't appear to be a windows process. There are plenty of discrete steps where the process could easily be interrupted.

Would you like me to list the discrete steps I've observed here?

I know some have programmed thier own application builders in LabVIEW, not using the NI one. I'm sure the cancel button on thier builder works as a cancel button should.

As tst points out here in the Idea exchange I submitted as per your suggestion, it isn't really a new idea because the button is already there. It's a bug report.

And in the link you mentioned above as an example  SteveChandler points out that "The CLD example exams all have the requirement that the UI should respond to quit in <100mS".

I use LabVIEW every day at work, I'm a fan! No need to try and defend it to me. I'm just trying to report some errant behaviour and hopefully get the attention of someone who can fix it.

[tst]

I added it to the bug thread, so hopefully that should raise its visibility.

[kellis.wiseman]

Thank you for your continued loyalty, and for looking more into it-we are so fortunate to have customers like you! Adding this issue to the bug thread is a great step, tst-hopefully we will resolve this issue in future versions. 

[Kimberly_Wenger_Austin]

Hi Troy,

I hope you are doing well today. I wanted to follow up with you on this discussion forum regarding canceling part way through a build.  First off, thank you for submitting your issue to the Idea Exchange. We thoroughly appreciate your feedback.

I agree with kgarrett that this is expected behavior as she explained with the Quick Drop example, but I did find a bug report (CAR 49271) that was filed for this issue for your reference.

Thanks again for your continued loyalty!

Kim W.

[wildcatherder]

I cancelled a large build today using LabVIEW 2010.  It took a while (about five minutes) but it did stop and present me with a Done button.  So, this seems to have been fixed but it is slow to cancel.