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Mads

Make the default probes smarter

Status: Completed

Available in LabVIEW 2015 and later. Default probes resize (including showing more array elements) when the Probe Watch Window is resized.

Custom probes are great, however unlike the default probes you do not always have them with you...so why not just make the default probes just a tad smarter? 

 

- The array probe e.g. should not just show a single cell - it should by default show at least some of them (1*10 for 1D, 10*10 if 2D etc. e.g.), have it's scrollbars visible and be resizable?

 You could add some core information about the array, like it's size e.g. in an indicator on the top as well....and perhaps have a pull-down menu for the display format. Keep it general and simple of course, but a bit more convenient than today's probe.

 

 

- The string probe should also be resizable and have a control that let's you switch the display format.

 

- etc.

 

 

17 Comments
Manzolli
Active Participant

Taking from the Array idea, would be nice also having the length of the Strings also. In an Array of Strings the only information should be the the size Array.

André Manzolli

Mechanical Engineer
Certified LabVIEW Developer - CLD
LabVIEW Champion
Curitiba - PR - Brazil
NickNZ
Member

I like the idea of sharing in the cloud, as probes can be quite powerful if you want. For instance I had a probing problem where I wanted to know how often a boolean was true, but couldn't handle a breakpoint at that point in the code. Then I thought of a custom boolean "count if" probe which did the trick nicely 🙂 

 

Also did a timestamp compare to current time. 

 

That's not to say I don't think the default probes could do with a quick scrub up as discribed here - e.g. size to window, turn on radix. Using features LabVIEW already has shouldn't take much testing. 

X.
Trusted Enthusiast
Trusted Enthusiast

Even the Conditional Array probe has limitations that make it an half tought through tool:

 

1) it doesn't resize with the window pane. I guess you are not supposed to be interested in more than 6 (consecutive) elements at once.

 

2) the index field can only display 6 digits. Fine with array of less than 1M elements, but past that, you have to manually go to one or the other end of the index.

 

3) The numeric field itself is limited to DBL, I64, U64, I32 and U32 (already mentioned above) but even here it only shows 7 significant digits for DBL (using an exponential notation), even though the field dimension is something like 30 character wide. Go figure.

 

 

X.
Trusted Enthusiast
Trusted Enthusiast

Correction to point 3): the limitation is 6 (not 7) significant digits.

X.
Trusted Enthusiast
Trusted Enthusiast

Add to this the fact that the Conditional Scalar DBL probe does not recognize the NaN result.

Mads
Active Participant

I notice a lot of my ideas have gone into Beta stage lately, but this one is not...Now that 2015 is out it can probably be set to "implemented" straight away. No credit in the release note this time either, neither on this nor 2 other ideas that got implemented (Emtpy Listbox shortcut and contraction funtionality), but OKSmiley SadSmiley Wink

Darren
Proven Zealot
Status changed to: Completed

Available in LabVIEW 2015 and later. Default probes resize (including showing more array elements) when the Probe Watch Window is resized.