XNode Replies

[hooovahh]

So in a presentation about XNodes I was asked a question about what were the valid "Reply" options for an XNode ability.  Some abilities have a reply as a 1D array of string and it appears to work like a QMH where you provide a list of states to go to and it does them one after another.  I didn't know the answer but I knew scripting could help.  So I scanned a bunch of XNodes for what strings were on the block diagram going to the reply and here are the abilities, along with the reply strings I've seen used.

AdaptToInputs

• UpdateTerms
• UpdateImageAndBounds
• GenerateCode
• ForceAdaptToInputs

Copy

• GenerateCode
• UpdateTerms
• UpdateImageAndBounds
• FailTransaction

DoubleClick

• FailTransaction
• UpdateTerms
• UpdateImageAndBounds
• GenerateCode

GenerateCode

• PreserveUserCodeGUID
• GetError

Message

• UpdateTerms
• UpdateImageAndBounds
• GenerateCode
• FailTransaction
• ForceAdaptToInputs

OnFontChange

• UpdateImageAndBounds
• UpdateTerms

OnOperateClick

• UpdateImageAndBounds
• GenerateCode

OnResize

• UpdateTerms
• UpdateImageAndBounds
• GenerateCode

OnDrop

• UpdateTerms
• UpdateImageAndBounds
• GenerateCode

OperateClick

• ShowMenu

RefeeChanged

• GenerateCode
• UpdateImageAndBounds
• UpdateTerms

RespondToDrop

• GenerateCode
• UpdateTerms
• UpdateImageAndBounds

SelectMenu

• UpdateImageAndBounds
• UpdateTerms
• GenerateCode
• FailTransaction
• ReplaceSelf

Size

• UpdateImageAndBounds
• UpdateTerms
• GenerateCode

UpdateState

• GenerateCode
• ForceAdaptToInputs
• IssueWarning

UpdateStateWithRef

• UpdateImageAndBounds
• UpdateTerms
• GenerateCode
• ReplaceSelf

So the unique values that I've seen put into the Reply are the following.  I am unsure if only some abilities only support some replies.

• UpdateTerms
• UpdateImageAndBounds
• GenerateCode
• ForceAdaptToInputs
• FailTransaction
• PreserverUserCodeGUID
• GetError
• ShowMenu
• ReplaceSelf
• IssueWarning

As for what do these do?  Well some are more obvious than others, but here is some text I found in one of the XNodes that helps:

FailTransaction:
LabVIEW will abort the current transaction. This will avoid putting transactions in the undo list when the user just hit cancel.
GenerateCode:
This will cause a type propagation if appropriate, and will cause the XNode to GenerateCode when type propagation is run.
UpdateImage:
LabVIEW will call Image and invalidate the XNode.
UpdateImageAndBounds:
LabVIEW will call Bounds and Image and resize and invalidate the XNode. It will not call Size. Size is only called if the user resizes the XNode (so that you may update your state and return this reply). Make sure that if your terminals need to change size or location, you also return UpdateTerms. This reply will set the transaction type.
UpdateTerms:
LabVIEW will call Terms and create, delete, and move terms as necessary.
ForceAdaptToInput
When mutating an old, unconfigured Express VI, we need to ForceAdaptToInputs before code gets generated.  AdaptToInputs used to always get called before GenerateCode.  But that is no longer the case in LV2011.