2009, Make current values default... Again....

[lecroy]

So, it appears that someone decided that this feature had not been mucked with enough and needed some improvements in the 2009 release.

What I see is when I set the defaults, I can reload the VI and they stick as they have in the past, which is a good thing. With the 2009 release they have this new feature where after you build the program and run it, the defaults change to, well, I guess what NI feels they should be. I am sure they are trying to help me.

Is there a way to get the defaults to stick when using the builder as they have in all the previous versions of the builder?

Just looking at what the real problem is, it appears that they missed the tabbed menu defaults.

[Aristos Queue]

What is a tabbed menu?

[lecroy]

What is a tabbed menu?

I believe the verbiage is tab control. I use the modern ones as they have some features (like color) that the classic did not support. I am not sure if the classic tab menus have a problem or not. Stupid bug and surprized it was released with it. Then again, quality does seem to have taken a back seat to features with Labview.

Note to NI's Labview development team: As an end user, could you please see if you can slow the next release down even further and maybe make it crash a little more often. I am still too productive with it. Thanks.

[crelf]

Stupid bug and surprized it was released with it. Then again, quality does seem to have taken a back seat to features with Labview. Note to NI's Labview development team: As an end user, could you please see if you can slow the next release down even further and maybe make it crash a little more often. I am still too productive with it. Thanks.

If you really care about the quality of LabVIEW, be proactive and sign up for the beta program. I do it because I'm selfish: I want the features that *I use* to be good, and being part of the beta program ensures that.

Just looking at what the real problem is, it appears that they missed the tabbed menu defaults.

Can you post an example that shows the issue that you're having?

[lecroy]

If you really care about the quality of LabVIEW, be proactive and sign up for the beta program. I do it because I'm selfish: I want the features that *I use* to be good, and being part of the beta program ensures that.

Can you post an example that shows the issue that you're having?

Dang, I just want the features that have worked for so many years to stay working. I should not have to do Beta testing for a company to get a quality product. They should be performing regression tests.

For a demo, what do you want to see. Just a VI with a menu, then the same after being built? Should be pretty simple for you to do. Just set your tab defult to something different then build it. It will not stick.

Edited September 28, 2009 by lecroy

[Kurt Friday]

Dang, I just want the features that have worked for so many years to stay working. I should not have to do Beta testing for a company to get a quality product. They should be performing regression tests.

For a demo, what do you want to see. Just a VI with a menu, then the same after being built? Should be pretty simple for you to do. Just set your tab defult to something different then build it. It will not stick.

OK I can replicate the issue, but I don't need to build it to see it. Steps to recreate

1) Place a Tab Contol on the FP

2) Make Page 2 the default value

3) Save and close the VI

4) Open the VI, Page 1 is shown instead of Page 2

Lecroy, having a go at the LabVIEW Development team is a little unfair. They work bloody hard do deliver a product that in my oppinion is Frikin Awsome. This bug is not a show stopper, just initialise it at startup with your desired value.

Be proactive in the evolution and improvement of LabVIEW and report the bug to NI

[Rolf Kalbermatter]

This bug is not a show stopper, just initialise it at startup with your desired value.

Be proactive in the evolution and improvement of LabVIEW and report the bug to NI

I have the same stance and in fact I wouldn't even notice that bug . I always intiliase tab controls explicitedly in my constructor state of my state machines. Don't ask me why, it just feels better.

Rolf Kalbermatter

[lecroy]

OK I can replicate the issue, but I don't need to build it to see it. Steps to recreate

Lecroy, having a go at the LabVIEW Development team is a little unfair. They work bloody hard do deliver a product that in my oppinion is Frikin Awsome.

Your entitled to your oppinion as am I. Unfair is paying for all the licenses and then getting this sort of quality. The interface is going down hill fast and for what? Is it making me more productive? No. I call it like I see it.

[crelf]

Unfair is paying for all the licenses and then getting this sort of quality.

Then the answer is easy: stop paying for all the licenses.

[lecroy]

Then the answer is easy: stop paying for all the licenses.

Agree!!

It's interesting (as mentioned earlier) that when I save the defaults, just loading the VI it will stick. So, for my case the problem appears to be related to building. Strange.

[Rolf Kalbermatter]

Agree!!

It's interesting (as mentioned earlier) that when I save the defaults, just loading the VI it will stick. So, for my case the problem appears to be related to building. Strange.

Do you use a (strict) typedef for the tab? And have the disconnect typedef option enabled in the build settings?

This used to be a proplem that typedefs getting disconnected lost their default value, and although I had the impression that this had been fixed in the 8.2 or 8.5 version I have in fact never really verified it to be fixed but simply not run into this anymore (but I do heavily intialize my front panels from configuration files anyhow so I might simply not have seen that happening anymore), or this crept back in somehow.

Rolf Kalbermatter

[lecroy]

Do you use a (strict) typedef for the tab? And have the disconnect typedef option enabled in the build settings?

This used to be a proplem that typedefs getting disconnected lost their default value, and although I had the impression that this had been fixed in the 8.2 or 8.5 version I have in fact never really verified it to be fixed but simply not run into this anymore (but I do heavily intialize my front panels from configuration files anyhow so I might simply not have seen that happening anymore), or this crept back in somehow.

Rolf Kalbermatter

There's a typedef labview?

It's a new feature for 2009 and was not present in 6.1, 8, 8.2, 8.5 or 8.6.

To be honest, my Labview code is sloppy at best (by my standards). I use the tool for rapid prototype work where I need to get things working fast. Coming from the days of using BASIC to write test scripts this tool has saved me countless hours over the years. (even when LabWindows was available, BASIC was still my choice)

That said, one of the benifits with Labview is that it allows me to be sloppy. The save program defaults feature is one of those features that allows this. Those of you that initialize everything, more power to you. Surely this is the right way to program and the save defaults should be removed. For the tab menu bug, this is a work around for 2009. Consider that I am not a software programmer by profession. Labview is just another tool in my belt. Anything that NI does to the tool that saves me time is a plus, no matter how sloppy it allows me to program.

[Christian_L]

It looks like the problem is not with the Default value of the Tab control, but in the drawing code. i.e. the drawing of the tab control ignores the default and sometimes the current value of the Tab Control.

If you switch to the diagram and then double click the Tab Control terminal, it will jump back to the front panel and will set the Tab Control back to the first page regardless of which page it was on earlier.

The default value for the Tab Control is stored however in the VI, so resetting all controls and indicators back to their default value will work in the VI code.

This has been previously reported as CAR 182844 to LabVIEW R&D.

[Yair]

There's a typedef labview?

It's a new feature for 2009 and was not present in 6.1, 8, 8.2, 8.5 or 8.6.

Typedefs have definitely been in LabVIEW 6.1. If memory serves, they were introduced around the 5.x timeframe.

In LabVIEW, a typedef is a control (usually a .ctl file) which defines a data type. When you change the control, any place in your code which uses the typedef is updated accordingly. This is best for clusters (where you want to add or change elements) and enums (where you want to add or change values), but is also relevant for other things sometimes. If you are using clusters or enums, practically every one of them which is used in more than one place should be a typedef. You should read this for more.