Wrap It Up

Wrap It Up!

LabVIEW has special editing tools and techniques fitting to its graphical environment. The Operating tool changes an object's value. The Positioning tool selects, deletes, and moves objects. The Wiring tool creates the wires that connect diagram objects. The Labeling tool creates and changes owned and free labels. Owned labels belong to a particular object and cannot be deleted or moved independently, while free labels have no such restrictions.

LabVIEW has four types of simple controls and indicators: numeric, Boolean, string, and path. Each holds a separate data type and has special pop-up options. Control and indicator terminals and wires on the block diagram are color coded according to data type: floating-point numbers are orange, integer numbers are blue, Booleans are green, strings are pink, and paths are bluish-green.

You place objects on the front panel or block diagram using the Controls or Functions palette, respectively. You can also access these palettes by popping up in an empty section of the panel or diagram.

To run your VI, click on the run button or select Run from the Operate menu. If your run button is broken, it means something is wrong in your VI. Read the next chapter to learn good debugging techniques.