Combine "New..." and "Create Project..." dialogs

[altenbach]

The LabVIEW menu has two entries with somewhat overlapping functionality that can lead to confusion

(1) "New..." let's us create many new things, from a blank VI to complicated design patterns and project templates.

(2) "Create Project ..." lets us create a new project using a wizard.

Since the results of menu (2) is invariably something "new" too, it seems odd to have things scattered across two different menu items. I think the "New..." dialog should simply add all the "create project" items under the "project" category. (e.g. "new project using a wizard" or similar.).

(Case in point: I recently attended a myRIO hands-on seminar and was looking for the myRIO template wizard in the "New...." dialog by accident. While there were some other myRIO related projects listed, I could not find what I needed until I looked in the "Create Project..." area. Very confusing!)

[AristosQueue (NI)]

Good idea. We had the same one while creating the LV 2012 feature for the project templates. As soon as that becomes a refactoring priority it'll probably get some attention.

[Darren]

Yup, I've been wanting to combine these dialogs and/or just deprecate "New" ever since the LabVIEW 2012 release. I hope we see lots of kudos on this.

[altenbach]

Maybe the menu could simply be called "Create ....". We are creative after all. 😄

The word "project" is too limiting and is incorrect anyway. The "create project" tool has an entry for a blank VI, which has nothing to do with a project (... at least not in the way the term is typically used in the LabVIEW environment).

[dthor]

@Darren, sadly I must disagree with you. My vote would be to get rid of the "Create Project" option. I've never liked it - in my opinion it's not intuitive if I want to create a single VI or a class or a polymorphic or anything other than a project.

I think that having a single "New..." or "Create..." option would be best. These can then have a submenu for single VIs, projects, classes, etc.

[AristosQueue (NI)]

> The "create project" tool has an entry for

> a blank VI, which has nothing to do with a project

That is the name given to a template project that starts off with one blank VI. Naming it "Project with one blank VI" was a mouthful. It is a new project. You're already in the context of "Create Project..." when you see "Blank VI", so we felt the shortened name was acceptable.

[AristosQueue (NI)]

> I've never liked it - in my opinion it's not intuitive if I want to

> create a single VI or a class or a polymorphic or anything

> other than a project.

Good, because it doesn't do any of those things. So we named it well if you don't go to it for that.

When Darren says, "deprecate the New...", we mean get rid of that dialog and its functionality in favor of something that can create components generally, whether that component is a lone polyVI or is a whole Actor Framework hierarchy, within the context of a new or an existing project. What that future feature's menu item would be named is anyone's guess, but the "New..." as it stands needs to go away just as soon as someone gets bandwidth to replace it.

[altenbach]

> That is the name given to a template project that starts off with one blank VI.

Are you sure? Have you tried?

(I am typically prepared for such comments and have actually tried that entry before posting to be sure. :D)

It simply created a blank VI and it did not create a project at all.

[JÞB]

"File>>New..."

It needs an overhaul anyway!  I don't want to hijack the idea but,  "MyLabVIEW" should make anyone at the nidiface drool.  I know some "MyLabVIEW" features.   Why then, do I need to memorize so may folders to put the "MyLabVIEW" features in?

My Templates (Glyphs), My Templates (Vit's), MyTemplate(Projects), MyTemplates(Icons), MyReuse.mnu, MyLabVIEW.ini (not cloud supported today) and the list could go on and on.......

[Manzolli]

I like "New..." because is widely used.