graphical user interface (GUI)

[Jpop]

am planning to make a GUI for a project. but I don't know how to make one using labview. I only found a way to save 1 file.

The GUI needs to have a database (that can create its own folder or path to save, and can change its filename depending on the user), and can play music. What functions in VI are available that can do these?

btw am using labview 8
Also if there's a tutorial for this can i have its link?

thanks in advance for the help

Message Edited by Jpop on 07-25-2006 11:30 AM

[falkpl]

Making a GUI in labview is a simple as possible, simply drag the controls on the front pannel from the controls tool box.  making a great GUI does take careful planning and lots of experience.  There is a good book completely devoted to GUI design in Labview but I think it is very outdated (LV6.1?)unless the book has an newer edition.

[Jpop]

is there any example or template of it? in which i can get it online?

[Dennis_Knutson]

Every shipping example that comes with LabVIEW has a GUI. You might want to first start at http://www.ni.com/devzone/lvzone/fundamentals.htm and look at the resources available for learning LabVIEW. You then have several options for your specific application. What type of database do you wish to write to? To write to soemthing like Access or SQL Server, NI sells an add-on database connectivity toolkit. There are also sound functions built into LabVIEW. Check the shipping examples.

[Jpop]

this gui asks a person to enter his personal data and stores it in a folder. and in the tutorial i learned only to have one person input his name and create a folder for that one person only. but i need to make a gui, that can have different files and folders for different persons (SQL? beginner). how do i do that?

i've thought of an option: to first create a gui that can only have an input for one person, after which i would make a subVI out of it.

although i think it can only accomodate the number of inputs depending on how many subVI i will be placing in the new (main) gui.

is there a way to make this gui have N user inputs at the same time have N file created on N folders? (N stands for 0 to infinite inputs)

Message Edited by Jpop on 07-26-2006 10:52 AM

[Chris_Cilino]

Jpop,

Sounds like you need to use arrays. To create an array, first place the array shell on the front panel (all controls>>array matrix and cluster>>Array. Then drag the desired data type into the array shell.

We have some great getting started with LabVIEW tutorials that I think you should look into Learn LabVIEW 8 in 3 hours

Also I think you might get a great deal out of the courses we offer for learning LabVIEW. Check out LabVIEW Basics I: Introduction.

Happy coding!

Chris C

National Instruments

Applications Engineer

[Dennis_Knutson]

You're talking about creating a separate folder on disk for each person? It seems to me that you only need one VI that takes the user's name and creates the folder based on that. Foe example, you would have a pop-up that asks the user's first and last name. You would use the file i/o functions to build the path and create the folder. Here's a real simple example.

[Jpop]

Thanks for the advices guys,

dennis,
    in your example i've seen that you have used an "event structure". Why is there a need to use that? and how can you make it work?

is it possible to turn a VI that already contains a subVI into another subVI? because i still need to add more functions.


thanks to all of you for answering my questions

[Dennis_Knutson]

The event structure is an efficient method to handle front panel user events such as the click of a button. Without it, you have to poll the controls like the while loop does in the subVI I posted. The event structure is not available in the base version of LabVIEW. It's very simple to use. You put an event structure inside a while loop, create a new event, select the control/indicator, and then select the event type.

Any VI can be used as a subVI. The only thing that distinguishes a VI from a subVI is where it is used. In other words, if you have some VI and then call it from another VI, the first VI is a subVI to the second. Usually a subVI with also have it's controls/indicators wired to it's connector pane so you can pass/retrieve values from the main to the subVI.

You got a link to some of the LabVIEW training resources. It sounds like you need to investigate these a lot more as these are basic concepts.

[Jpop]

hello again dennis,

i noticed that there's no red button on your "while loop" while using the event structure. i tried deleting the red button and nothing happens. and at the same time i noticed in your event structure, the subVI that's used does not have any wire connected to it, how does that make it work? and lastly, i tried to add another event to the "event structure" but i can't seem to give it a new name the one inside the " "(for example: yours started with: 0 timeout, 1 "stop" - value change, 2 "new user" - value change).

also while reading the help and notes given. i can't seem to differentiate between the "case structure" and the "event structure"

i tried experimenting with the example file that you have uploaded earlier, in which a file will now be added to the folder, although i am not sure on how to combine it.

Do you have any suggestions on how to write a file even without stating the ".lvm", and can still be read by other spreadsheet programs?

here's what my file looks like:

Message Edited by Jpop on 07-30-2006 01:13 PM