Thanks!

[Lynne]

Hey everyone.

I wanted to say "thanks" for all your participation and feedback on our survey and to let you know that we have closed the survey. We collected a great deal of data and we are so thankful to those who took the time to swing by SurveyMonkey (or SlothMonkey, as was suggested on the NI forums) to answer our questions.

Please feel free to send us feedback about the LabVIEW Help at any time. The feedback link at the bottom of all our help topics is a great way to send us your comments, and it comes directly to us.

Lynne, Kate, and Chris

Technical Writers

LabVIEW Core Documentation

[crelf]

I wanted to say "thanks" for all your participation and feedback on our survey

That's what we're here for Any chance on seeing the results of the survey so we could maybe flesh the comments out a little?

[Lynne]

That's what we're here for Any chance on seeing the results of the survey so we could maybe flesh the comments out a little?

Good morning from Austin! We had a lot of really good feedback including some actionable comments we're already working on.

Overall, three major issues were repeated: 1) More detail in our help, 2) more examples, and 3) using the search feature is often difficult. We are always looking for feedback, so if any of these resonates with anyone out there, please let us know! We are constantly working to make the LabVIEW Help better.

Lynne

p.s. This is common sense stuff, really, but the more specific you can be with your comments, the better. If you increase your level of specificity, we can decrease our level of inference. And that's a good thing.

[crelf]

Overall, three major issues were repeated: 1) More detail in our help, 2) more examples, and 3) using the search feature is often difficult.

I think the number of examples is fine, it's just the quality of them is sometimes found lacking. That said, the quality has improved dramatically over the last couple of years, so maybe the people that wrote the more recent example could spend some time revisiting all of the older ones too?

[Lynne]

I think the number of examples is fine, it's just the quality of them is sometimes found lacking. That said, the quality has improved dramatically over the last couple of years, so maybe the people that wrote the more recent example could spend some time revisiting all of the older ones too?

Just for clarification, are you talking about the example VIs that ship with LabVIEW, or are you talking about the procedural topics in the LabVIEW Help (where there are steps that outline how to accomplish a task)? I want to make sure I understand what you're talking about.

Lynne

[Gary Rubin]

Lynne,

I didn't fill out the survey (sorry ), but I do have a comment on Labview Help.

I recently tried to use the "Find on the Functions palette" button to locate the Matlab script node. This popped up the Formula palette where the script node is located, it didn't actually help me figure out how to find it. The Matlab script node is several layers deep in the classic function palette: Analyze -> Mathematics -> Formula -> Matlab Script. It would be nice if the help entry or the "Find on the Functions palette" utility would tell/show me how to get to a native function. Sort of an issue of "giving a fish" vs. "teaching how to fish"...

Thanks,

Gary

[crelf]

Just for clarification, are you talking about the example VIs that ship with LabVIEW, or are you talking about the procedural topics in the LabVIEW Help (where there are steps that outline how to accomplish a task)? I want to make sure I understand what you're talking about.

Good point - the procedural topics are very good, it's the older examples that are found wanting.

[Ton Plomp]

Sort of an issue of "giving a fish" vs. "teaching how to fish"...

Gary,

if you have opened the right palette, click on the 'up' arrow and hold the mouse down. This will show a drop down menu with the path of the palette:

Ton

[Gary Rubin]

if you have opened the right palette, click on the 'up' arrow and hold the mouse down. This will show a drop down menu with the path of the palette:

Ton

Perfect! Thanks!

[crelf]

if you have opened the right palette, click on the 'up' arrow and hold the mouse down. This will show a drop down menu with the path of the palette:

:thumbup: I never knew about that one - thanks ton!

[Lynne]

Good point - the procedural topics are very good, it's the older examples that are found wanting.

So, it's the older procedural topics that you feel could use some revisiting? Or the older example VIs?

[crelf]

So, it's the older procedural topics that you feel could use some revisiting? Or the older example VIs?

The older example VIs.

[Lynne]

The older example VIs.

Phew! Got it. I will definitely send that feedback to the appropriate parties.

Lynne

[crelf]

Phew! Got it.

Sorry about the confusion

[Ton Plomp]

:thumbup: I never knew about that one - thanks ton!

It took you 1000 posts to learn this? Maybe you are just too quick with the mouse?

[crelf]

It took you 1000 posts to learn this? Maybe you are just too quick with the mouse?

I just don't often use the pinned palettes!

[Michael Aivaliotis]

Gary,

if you have opened the right palette, click on the 'up' arrow and hold the mouse down. This will show a drop down menu with the path of the palette:

Ton

It took you 1000 posts to learn this? Maybe you are just too quick with the mouse?

Jesus guys, so tell me, what in the GUI gives you the slightest hint that holding down the mouse would give you this menu. A clever UI trick but not very usefull if only a handfull of people find it.

[Ton Plomp]

Jesus guys, so tell me, what in the GUI gives you the slightest hint that holding down the mouse would give you this menu. A clever UI trick but not very usefull if only a handfull of people find it.

As I said, maybe I'm not that fast No I thougt to go up to the root palette really fast by holding down the mouse and then

[Neville D]

Phew! Got it. I will definitely send that feedback to the appropriate parties.

Lynne

Hi Lynne,

A few points:

1 The Vision example VI's are in my opinion the worst in terms of LabVIEW style. They are littered with sequence structures willy-nilly, and no error-chaining in every example. They look like they were done by a summer intern with about half an hour of LabVIEW "training".

I have had LabVIEW newbies look at those examples and start coding using sequence structures.

2 Help on specific properties should show which platform they are NOT applicable on; i.e. LabVIEW-RT or PDA etc.

3 Is there need to define the Error Cluster on the Help info for EVERY single VI and function? Maybe a link to a separate blurb on the error cluster would save space and make help info more readable for the actual VI or function.

Thanks,

Neville.

[Lynne]

Hi Lynne,

A few points:

1 The Vision example VI's are in my opinion the worst in terms of LabVIEW style. They are littered with sequence structures willy-nilly, and no error-chaining in every example. They look like they were done by a summer intern with about half an hour of LabVIEW "training".

I have had LabVIEW newbies look at those examples and start coding using sequence structures.

2 Help on specific properties should show which platform they are NOT applicable on; i.e. LabVIEW-RT or PDA etc.

3 Is there need to define the Error Cluster on the Help info for EVERY single VI and function? Maybe a link to a separate blurb on the error cluster would save space and make help info more readable for the actual VI or function.

Thanks,

Neville.

Hey Neville,

Great feedback. These are all things I can report directly on, which is excellent. I've routed your thoughts to the appropriate parties.

Thanks!