1.1 Labview environment  (Page 6/6)

Use the Scrolling tool, shown at left, to scroll through windows without using scrollbars.

Use the Breakpoint tool, shown at left, to set breakpoints on VIs, functions, nodes, wires, and structuresto pause execution at that location.

Use the Probe tool, shown at left, to create probes on wires on the block diagram. Use the Probe tool to check intermediate values in a VI that producesquestionable or unexpected results.

Use the Color Copy tool, shown at left, to copy colors for pasting with the Coloring tool.

Use the Coloring tool, shown at left, to color an object. It also displays the current foreground andbackground color settings.

Controls and functions palettes

The Controls and Functions palettes contain subpalettes of objects you can use to create a VI. When you click a subpalette icon, the entirepalette changes to the subpalette you selected. To use an object on the palettes, click the object and place it on thefront panel or block diagram.

The Controls palette, shown in , is available only on the front panel. The Controls palette contains the controls and indicators you use to build the front panel. Refer to the Front Panel section for more information about the using the Controls palette on the front panel. The controls and indicators located on the Controls palette depend on the palette view currently selected.

The Functions palette, shown in the , is available only on the block diagram. The Functions palette contains the VIs and functions you use to build the block diagram. Refer to the Block Diagram section of this lesson for more information about using the Functions palette on the block diagram. The VIs and functions located on the Functions palette depend on the palette view currently selected. The VIs andfunctions are located on subpalettes based on the types of VIs and functions.

Changing palette views

Use the Options button on the Controls or Functions palette toolbar to change to another palette view or format:

• Click the Options button, shown at left, on the Controls or Functions palette toolbar to display the Controls / Functions Palettes page of the Options dialog box.
• Select a palette view from the Palette View pull-down menu.
• Select a format from the Format pull-down menu, such as Standard , All Icons , All Text , or Icons and Text .
• Click the OK button. The Controls and Functions palettes change to the palette view and format you selected.

Searching for controls, vis, and functions

Use the following navigation buttons on the Controls and Functions palettes to navigate and search for controls, VIs, and functions:

• Up to owning palette

  Navigates up one level in the palette hierarchy.

• Search

  Changes the palette to search mode. In search mode, you can perform text-based searches to locate controls, VIs,or functions on the palettes.For example, if you want to find the Random Number function, click the Search button on the Functions palette toolbar and start typing Random Number in the text box at the top of the palette. LabVIEW lists all matching itemsthat either start with or contain the text you typed. You can click one of the search results and drag it to theblock diagram, as shown in .

Double-click the search result to highlight its location on the palette. You then can click the Up to Owning Palette button to view the hierarchy of where the object resides.

Shortcut menus

The most often-used menu is the object shortcut menu. All LabVIEW objects and empty space on the front panel and blockdiagram have associated shortcut menus. Use the shortcut menuitems to change the look or behavior of front panel and block diagram objects. To access the shortcut menu, right-click theobject, front panel, or block diagram. The shortcut menu for a meter is shown in .

Property dialog boxes

Front panel objects also have property dialog boxes that you can use to change the look or behavior of front panelobjects. Right-click a front panel object and select Properties from the shortcut menu to access the property dialog box for an object. shows the property dialog box for the meter in the previous figure. The options available on the property dialog box foran object are similar to the options available on the shortcut menu for that object.