Get last array element VIM

[Jacemdom]

Just wanted to share this. Not sure if this is the best place but better then nowhere!

fvi_lib_array_element_last_get.vim

[gleichman]

Nice example of a VIM. I'm finding VIMs to be very useful. I think they be the best new LabVIEW feature since the event structure.

[hooovahh]

There already is a primitive that does this.  The Delete From Array returns the last element in the array if nothing is wired to the length and index.  There was a thread on LAVA years ago about which was a faster method, and a few versions of LabVIEW the method you showed was faster, but in most the delete from array is faster.  And it already has a quick drop dfa.

[infinitenothing]

It's a personal preference but I don't like using delete array for that purpose because I think it's confusing. I'm sure it costs me a few milliseconds when I see it and think "why would I want to delete an element from that array?" We want code that's easy to read not easy to write right?

[hooovahh]

I get your point, and there is large amounts of debate over similar topics.  Should I not use Variable=Variable++ since not all developers know this is short hand for incrementing a variable?  To me the delete from array with nothing wired is used for getting the last element, but I get not everyone associates this function with that feature.

But I suppose if you really feel strongly about this you could make a VIM that just has this one primitive in it.

[crossrulz]

On 12/7/2017 at 8:31 AM, hooovahh said:

There was a thread on LAVA years ago about which was a faster method, and a few versions of LabVIEW the method you showed was faster, but in most the delete from array is faster.  And it already has a quick drop dfa.

Thread in question.

Once the stomping was fixed in the Delete From Array (supposedly in 2014), that became a lot faster than any other method.

Edited December 9, 2017 by crossrulz

[drjdpowell]

A “last element” VIM would be clearer than using “delete”, as it could have an icon that suggests the last element   I use a “first and last element” VIM because I often need both to determine ranges.