Best practice ... structured programming in LabVIEW?

[EngrStudent]

In structured programming, it is suggested to put the things that get changed a lot but don't transform the fundamental process of the software, the dials and gas pedals of the code, in a particular location with good annotation.

I'm not sure how to think about that with data-flow in LabVIEW.

Is it best to put the control adjacent to the code that consumes it, or to put it all on the left side in a box with annotation.  Aesthetically the latter might be more appealing, but it interferes with data-flow.  Is this thought of more like an electric circuit diagram where there are tabs to "ground" or "power" wherever it makes sense? 

What is the current best practice?

What motivates that as the best practice?

[crossrulz]

Most of my VIs are pretty small, so I tend to have all of my control terminals all the way on the left and indicator terminals all the way on the right.  When the VI complexity gets large enough, I find it better to have the controls closer to the parts that actually use it.

[billko]

---

@crossrulz wrote:

Most of my VIs are pretty small, so I tend to have all of my control terminals all the way on the left and indicator terminals all the way on the right.  When the VI complexity gets large enough, I find it better to have the controls closer to the parts that actually use it.

---

Occasionally my VIs get "wide" and I have to do what you mentioned above.

[Alexander_Sobolev]

Disclaimer: All imho, based on experience.

Data flow, readability including documentation, structure in first place, aesthetic - on the last, but it is dependent variable. If the program works and reads nice, it automatically looks nice. Example: abscense of spagetti wiring is good readability, it looks nice. 

In the calculation subVI it is fine to put all controls with wires on the left, all outputs on the right, data flow is not disturbed.

All controls in one box and property nodes / local variables in the program, it does not look good because it disturbs readability and performance.

[billko · Accepted solution]

For a great first swipe at good LabVIEW coding practices, the LabVIEW Style Book never goes out of style!

[EngrStudent]

@bilko - can you provide reference for that book?  I have never heard of it.

[EngrStudent]

Alexander,

I have, previously, put all the variables into a cluster to un-spaghetti the code.  There is memory overhead, and you have to understand the cluster when working with variables.  It makes the code less maintainable.

-EngrStudent

[JÞB · Accepted solution]

---

@EngrStudent wrote:

@Bilko - can you provide reference for that book?  I have never heard of it.

---

I have it in a macro

You may find the style guide a useful resource to improve your code http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/321393d.pdf#labview_style_guide

[cbutcher]

---

@JÞB wrote:

I have it in a macro

---

Jaw drops. Now I looked into settings and found macros.

If only I had anything useful to put there... hmm

[Bob_Schor]

"The LabVIEW Style Book", by Peter Blume.  I recently saw Peter, who asked me how many time I'd read his book (at last count, it was 4, but since then, I've re-read it at least once more).  A wonderful book!

Bob Schor