Using Pocket Excel with LabVIEW PDA Module

[amalbp@gmail.com]

Greetings,

I am very new to LabVIEW and I was wondering if it was possible to
retrieve information from a Pocket Excel file using LabVIEW PDA
module.  I couldn't find any "Read from Excel" VI on LabVIEW PDA
Module so this is the nature of my question.

I have a 1xn array of RFID tag IDs (scanned from RFID reader).  I also
have a database (in Pocket Excel, see attached) that contains the information of the
RFID tag IDs within the 1xn array.  I am attaching an Excel file that
illustrates our database.

For example, if I have an array of: [1234, 1256, 1265], I would like
LabVIEW to look at the first element, 1234, search for it in Excel,
retrieve the information, "Jerry," "A-," and "Lab," then display  it.
I would like to also add a time stamp when this retrieval is done.

Next, I will want LabVIEW to look at the number 1256, search the Excel file and find
"Joe," "AB," and "Patient's Room."  I would like this information to
be placed in a table in LabVIEW's Front Panel.

I know I should use a while loop using Auto-Indexing, but have no clue
as to how I could do this

I will appreciate ANY HELP!  🙂

Thank you!

-Amal

[tst]

A simple search for "excel" and "PDA" would have brought you to this recent thread. That should probably be enough to help you.

[amalbp@gmail.com]

When I ran the Search 2D Array.vi you created in the thread you linked me to above, on my PocketPC, it gave me errors.  I think it gave me errors because Excel is NOT available on the PocketPC.  The only spreadsheet program available on the Pocket PC is Pocket Excel.  Is there a workaround this?

[tst]

Did you read the entire thread?

LV does not support ActiveX on the PDA, so you need to save the file as a CSV file. Read the entire thread.

[amalbp@gmail.com]

Greetings 🙂

Yes, I did read the entire thread.  The problem is I am not being prompted on the PDA to open a file.  I know I'm supposed to have a *.csv on the file.  I modified your code from Search 2D Array.vi, and I got errors when I ran it on the PDA.  It says, "App failed.  Error code 160981006.  Bad input argument to function."   I attaching your modified VI.

Thanks 🙂

[tst]

"Bad input argument to function" - My guess is that the PDA module simply has a different behaviour on this than the PC - when using the read function without a path input, it takes an invalid path instead of showing a dialog asking you to find the file. The solution is to wire the path to the file into the function (either by showing a dialog, if possible, or by obtaining the path through other means).

In any case, you should be aware that this was only a very quick example meant to show the searching code. It was not meant to be taken as is and used in real code.

[amalbp@gmail.com]

That's too bad!  I am very new to LabVIEW, and do not know how to prompt the user to enter a file path.  Is there a VI that can do this for me?  I am sooo desperate. 

Thank you

[tst]

To know if there is a VI that does this, the easiest thing is to look at all the VIs in the file palette. 
You should find it under the surprising name "File Dialog", but I don't know if it's supported in the PDA module.

To learn more about LabVIEW, I suggest you try searching this site and google for LabVIEW tutorials. Here, here, here, here and here are a few you can start with and here are some tutorial videos. You can also contact your local NI office and join one of their courses.
In addition, I suggest you read the LabVIEW style guide and the LabVIEW user manual (Help>>Search the LabVIEW Bookshelf).

[amalbp@gmail.com]

Well I fixed it.  Thank you for your help.  I only had to put a while-loop around your code and use a Read from Text VI, instead of Read from Spreadsheet VI.

I'm attaching my modified code below, if anyone else needs it in the future.

[Nito]

Muchas gracias por el Ejemplo... me sirvió bastante.

Aquí les adjunto un complemento que desarrolle, para insertar o cambiar un registro del arreglo y volverlo escribir en el archivo plano sin añadir un nuevo registro.

Ojalá sea de utilidad para alguien.

Saludos.

Nito