LabVIEW 2019 "create constant" right click menu

[bjustice]

I've started working in LabVIEW 2019 SP1, and I've observed that the right-click menu on the block diagram has changed such that "create constant/control/indicator" are always at the top for almost every block diagram action.  Example:

 

 

If I recall, this was a pretty popular right-click menu plugin that alot of LAVA folks were using in prior versions of LabVIEW.  It looks like NI simply cemented the idea in base LabVIEW 2019.

I'm just curious though, does anyone here find this annoying?  It's really wreaking havoc on my muscle memory.  Furthermore, in situations such as above with a case structure, I'd much prefer the "Replace with case selector" to always be the top-item

 

 

[Darren]

Here's the relevant NI Forums thread on this topic: https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/New-LabVIEW-2019-Feature-Create-Constant-Create-Control-and/td-p/3933878

Come at me, bro.

[G-CODE]

Oh, you can turn it off.... Well previously I was using the right-click plugin, so I was happy to see it appear as a feature in 2019.

When it comes to software, over the years I have adjusted my attitude by telling myself to "expect everything to change all the time". That way I'm not frustrated every time I have to reteach myself something. On the upside, it's probably a good mental exercise to not allow our muscle memory to become burned in. Think of it as cross-training for the brain. 🙂

[hooovahh]

As I mentioned in that thread tunnels out of a loop, and case select terminals are the major issues I see with it.  I'd estimate I probably have wanted to create a constant, control, or indicators from those conditions probably 5% of the time.  The other 95% I want to change the tunnel options or make that datatype the selector input.  I was told in the beta I was wrong, and that users want to create one of those things more than any other thing, in all situations.  I mentioned this in that thread and Darren at least acknowledged that in some cases the developer likely doesn't want to create anything but being consistent is important.  If being consistent is important then I'd say that is a vote to get rid of Auto-tool.  Hover here to have this tool...no not like that click here first.  Or just tab and get what I want.  I'm still primarily in 2018 but consistently have issues in 2020.

[bjustice]

Riiight, so Hooovahh is hitting the nail on the head here with my thoughts exactly.

Quote

I'd estimate I probably have wanted to create a constant, control, or indicators from those conditions probably 5% of the time.  The other 95% I want to change the tunnel options or make that datatype the selector input.

It would have been nice to maybe make the plugin menu a bit more intelligent such that it wouldn't have these "create constant, create indicator, create control" for these situations.

The consistency argument is interesting and not something that I had considered.

Give me 2 months with this new change, and I'll report back on how my muscle memory and opinion has changed.  I might indeed be the old man yelling at a cloud right now.

I'm trying to beat Darren for fastest programmer in the world, so muscle memory plays alot into things like right click menus and quickdrop names

Edited May 22, 2020 by bjustice

[Neil Pate]

Everyone is in for a wild ride with NXG.

For extra programming efficiency, speed and consistency the data has shown it is actually better to have two totally different context menus that appear at the same time. Even better, some have pictures, some have text. Take that brain training!

Really looking forward to NXG6.0, we might have 3 different menus!

 

[Darren]

On 5/21/2020 at 9:16 PM, bjustice said:

I'm trying to beat Darren for fastest programmer in the world, so muscle memory plays alot into things like right click menus and quickdrop names

Aspiring to be the World's 2nd Fastest LabVIEW Programmer is indeed a noble goal.

 

One of the things that makes me fast is the fact that I know exactly what the first three menu options will be, 100% of the time, whenever I right-click on any data type (terminal or wire) on a diagram. 👍

[X___]

It's like moving the Expression Node back in some subpalette of the Mathematics functions that is not existing in the Base LabVIEW version (https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Expression-Node/td-p/3974820).

Completely uncalled for, but, hey, AQ doesn't think that text-based mathematics should even be allowed in LV, so what do we know?

[Darren]

9 hours ago, X___ said:

It's like moving the Expression Node back in some subpalette of the Mathematics functions that is not existing in the Base LabVIEW version (https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Expression-Node/td-p/3974820).

Completely uncalled for, but, hey, AQ doesn't think that text-based mathematics should even be allowed in LV, so what do we know?

No need to assign ill intent. We screwed that up, and we fixed it in LabVIEW 2020.

[X___]

It is a different product. It's like if a car company messed up some component and said: sorry, we fixed it the new model. But, hey no ill intent here, just a business model.

[Darren]

49 minutes ago, X___ said:

It is a different product. It's like if a car company messed up some component and said: sorry, we fixed it the new model. But, hey no ill intent here, just a business model.

Excellent point. I will propose to NI upper management that we take every single bug fix in the latest LabVIEW version and patch that same fix into every previous LabVIEW version we've ever released. I'll let you know how the proposal goes.

[X___]

It's a start. Humor and the recognition that the world is moving on outside the ivory tower...