Cat

I need a "pouting" emoticon...

[pout]

I can't approve edits of my own posts anymore. How am I supposed to be post-posting anal-retentive about my spleling?

[/pout]

It was fun being a Mod while it lasted...

Ooooh, shiny. I need more excuses to work with databases so I can play with all this stuff I'm missing out on.

Yeah, MYSQL Workbench does look pretty kewl! I just need to get to work on this before the PM farms it out to someone who could probably do it all in a day.

Phillip: Thanks for the book recommendation. That's one of the books I was considering, but when the list of possibilities got too huge, was when I decided to ask for help here. And it comes on the Kindle, too!

asbo: I was looking at SQLite today (mostly because I saw Shaun's toolkit). I didn't realize it doesn't support network access. While I may not need network access at first, if this becomes a widely-used tool, I definitely will.

Shaun: I like the open source aspect of MySQL.

All: Yes! I agree completely that the design is the important part. I have a very large vision for this, and need to figure out how to bite off pieces that are small enough to be doable, but then meld back into the whole when I put it all together. As well as making it easy enough to use that I'm not the only person who can figure out how to use it.

Thanks for your input!

So, I need to design and write a database. This database will basically be for tracking multiple types of boxes and components, and their various locations, test results, actions, etc.

I used MS Access a little a zillion years ago -- it looks nothing like what I remember, so I'm in essence starting from scratch. I'm looking for recommendations for books or websites on the fundamentals of both database design and actual coding. I don't even know what flavor of database I want to use, so if anyone has some thoughts on how to go about picking one, that would be helpful, also. I believe the software of choice around here is MS SQL Server, but that dosn't mean that's what I have to use (but it does mean I could probably get some internal help, if necessary).

Cat

It also surprises me that none of the idea exchange ideas ever reach really crazy number of votes. Like i've never seen 1000 votes or something. I wonder what this means?

Maybe some of us just don't think about it very often?

I know it's not as high-tech as RSS and Facebook and Twitter, but how about just posting a link and reminder on LAVA once a month that the IE is out there?

Thanks for all the congrats!

No cake, but bread and circuses for everyone!

Phillip is correct.

Open MAX

Goto Tools --> NI-VISA --> Visa Options

Select "Passports"

Check "NIVisaTulip.dll"

Refresh/Save

Exit Max

Or at least that's how it works in 8.6.1f1

by the way, what's that Red Dot in the diagram of yours? input on our own or?

what's that?

It's called a "breakpoint". Right-click on a wire. Select Breakpoint --> Set breakpoint. This will create the little red dot. Program execution will stop at that little red dot so you can check the value of the file path indicator that you are about to read, and check that that file actually exists.

on your amk.png diagram, is which part to touch up under my project?

Where ever it is that you are reading the file that is throwing the error.

I can't tell you any more than that since when I downloaded the 3 links you sent, they opened with multiple files missing. When I tried to go to the website where you said all the code was, I got an HTTP 404 error (page not found).

I'll try again...

You need to figure out *why* you're getting this error. When I've gotten it in the past, it's generally meant I haven't created the file/path correctly. As in the code above, wire a path indicator into the code immediately before you do the file read where the error is occuring and then stop the code (breakpoint). Check to make sure the path and filename look right. If they do, check to make sure the path and file actually exist. Let us know how that turns out.

And I agree with Shaun, a little time spent on better error handling would probably save you time in the long run.

hmmm.... "FP" means?

indicator?

"FP" means Front Panel (if you ever see "BD" it means Block Diagram). An Indicator is an output terminal (as opposed to a control which is an input terminal).

Right-click on your FP. Select either "Modern" or "Classic". Select "String & Path". Select "File Path Indicator". Wire this path indicator to the input of your Open function. Put it anywhere on your Front Panel -- maybe under the time/date indicator, it looks like there is plenty of room there. Or if the actual Open is being done in a sub vi, put the indicator there and keep the sub vi open while you're running your program.

The point of this is to be able to see exactly what path is being sent to the Open function. Two usual ways to generate a "file not found" error is for the file to not be there (doh), or if your code isn't generating the path correctly.

If this explanation isn't enough, let me know and I'll generate some code. I run LabVIEW on a different machine so I'll need to SneakerNet it over here.

Put an indicator on your FP that tells you exactly what file it's trying to open (you can use a probe, but indicator would be easier to read). Then make sure that file exists; or maybe the name's not being formatted right.

Its a error stated: Open.vi +Open.file...

Is it a "can't open file" error, a "file not found" error, etc? Why don't you post your code and maybe that will help us help you.

.Because of how my program logic operates, I believe I know what code is running when LV gets stuck. Basically it is one (sub-)state machine that is run pretty continuously (gathering serial data). Other subVIs are run only periodically (change mux channel, increment counter, etc).

Something to try might be to replace that 1 vi that is gathering serial data with a dummy vi that just outputs a string of the same size you are expecting. See if that still produces a memory problem.

My most confusing memory loss issues in the past was with a driver that wasn't playing well with a new computer, and not a code problem. If there's no other smoking gun, maybe you have something similar.

Hmm, now where was that LAVA disclaimer. I had it around here somewhere.

Too late now!

So what are you trying to say Cat eh?

I really don't have to answer that, do I?

Too bad they don't have something that goes the other way.

I wonder how well this actually works.

Editing with LVx64 on a x64 OS is like lightning. LVx32 runs like a slug.

Yeah, I do have minor concerns about getting used to coding on my x64 monster machine here at home, and then having to yawn my way thru waiting on my little x32 laptop at work. But actually, by the time I get approval to use LV2010/2011 at work, my least common denominator application laptop will probably be x64.

Anything pure labview (like scripting) is totlay interchangeable. Install BOTH

See, this is just more proof I'm not a true LV geek. While I may have different versions on different computers, I've never had more than 1 version on a single computer at one time. Or maybe it just shows how anal-retentive I am. Or maybe how easily confused I can get.

Yeah, that'll work totally fine.

Good, because when I can't get it to work, you all get to help me figure out why.

I assume you mean LabVIEW VI Scripting.

Doh. Sorry about that. I just moved the thread...

I am in the very early stages of writing a scripting project that will eventually be running on 32-bit machines. I say "eventually" since I haven't moved to LV2010 at work due to stability issues, so I'm only using it at home. This wasn't a problem until I bought myself a brand-spanking new home computer. 64-bit, of course. So the question is -- can I write all my scripting stuff on my 64-bit home box and run it on my 32-bit work box (when I finally upgrade it to LV2010)? Or should I just dumb-down and run the 32-bit LV2010 on my 64-bit homebox so I can move it to my 32-bit work environment eventually?

Looking forward to LV2011.......

I often use non-NI hardware... as long as it comes with LabVIEW drivers.

It took me many years to finally bite the bullet and support this site, solely because I didn't want to use PayPal.

Ditto.

I know this is old-fashioned, but how about a LAVA PO box we can snailmail checks to?

Start drinking now?

If that's what it takes, I'll make the sacrifice!

Cat. Ack. Now I know what you look like!

That's what I *would* have looked like if I would have joined in the post-post party partying.

Now that I know what to expect, hopefully when the next NIWeek rolls around that I can attend, I will be in better shape.

I don't mean this to be a rant against the IE.

Since the campaign seems to have worked, and this thread seems to have wandered off-topic anyway... every time I go to IE I wonder, "What's the difference between a 'Hot Idea' and a 'New Idea' "? Any guesses from anyone out there?

Edit: I get that "New Ideas" is actually a list of *all* ideas (all 69 pages of 'em). So the question is really about how "Hot Ideas" -- also a list of all ideas -- is sorted.