File Name: Scripting Tools.zip
File Submitter: Gavin Burnell
File Submitted: 24 May 2007
File Updated: 7 Nov 2008
File Category: VI Scripting
File Version: 0.18.01
LabVIEW Version: 8.5.x
License: The BSD License

Scripting Tools.zip 0.18.01
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright © 2007, University of Leeds, UK
All rights reserved.

Author:
Gavin Burnell
G.Burnell@leeds.ac.uk

Distribution:
This code was downloaded from the LAVA Code Repository: http://forums.lavag.org/downloads.html

Description:

This is a LabVIEW 8.2 Library of VIs to help with scripting.

The public VIs include routines to get hold of the block diagram references, control terminal references, get the

connector pane reference and select the connector pane pattern and wire controls up to it. There are a number of

routines to help wire the block diagram up, including creating a selection of the primitives (I got bored of coding

them all up !).

I've stuck in some routines that work with tags - hidden away is the capability to tag LabVIEW vi-server objects

with arbitary data. One possibility is to use this to identify bits of the block diagram of a vi for moving and

rewiring via scripting.

NB If you are installing this with the Array XNodes (also from the Code repository) then I strongly recommend

unzipping the two files into the same common directory and preserving the names. That should help linkage problems.


Dependancies:

Support:
If you have any problems with this code or want to suggest features:
http://forums.lavag.org/CR-Scripting-Toolszip-t8399.html

Change Log:
0.18.01 Repackage for LabVIEW 8.5.1
Change Create Free Text Label to polymorphic and add a polymorph for creating labels on block diagrams
0.17.01 Adds another routine for XNode support to get the terminal descriptor from a vi reference.
0.16.02 Update .opgb file to allow the library to be built as an OpenG package file for install via VIPM
0.16.01 Minor bug fixes, added a routine to convert a ref to an enum describing its class, reworked find all objects
to get the selector tunnel of a case structure too. Added a number of routines to the XNode Support
sub-library.
0.15.01 Added new routines to tidy up wires and delete LabVIEW objects.
Added a new example that will take a selected case structure without a wire selector, looks for
an error cluster wire that tunnels in and out, deletes the in tunnel and wires it to the selector
instead. This is for those situations when you realise you should have wrapped your vi in an error
case structure... !
0.14.02 Fixed the cleanup wiring example by adding a routine to return references for wires specifically.
0.14.01 Added a routine to create a free text label on a vi front panel.
0.13.02 Added routines to create constants and controls/indicators from aribtary variant data. Reorganised some
of the tagging support vi's out of private scope and renamed the misspelt private directory. Added a couple
more examples - one is a tool to set tags on selected elements for doing template based scripting and the
other is a complete (although sparse) XNode that will test whether a single LVObject references, or an array
of LVObject references can be cast to a specific type of reference. (Think about getting all objects in a
diagram and then filtering for those that are decorations, or sub-bi nodes or...). The Generate Code ability
vi of this XNode demonstrates how to use a template vi with tagging to minise the hassle of generating code
for XNodes.

This release is in OpenG Package format
0.12.01 Added a few new routines, one to expand a shift register, one to deterine if an object is selected,
and a polymorphic vi that returns a reference of any given LVObject class (essentially wrapping
class specifier constants for all possible class types). Also added a couple of examples, including
one that will do a clean up wire operation on all selected wires or all wires in the structure.
0.11.01 Wrapped all vis in a case structure wired to error in for error handling
added a get sub-vi nodes in heirarchy and get all sub-vis routines
tried to find and fix the worst wiring excesses
0.10.04 Updated the README
0.10.03 fixed a bug with the creation of (un)bundle by name nodes.
0.10.02 fixes a couple of bugs, and adds some create bundle/unbundle node functions.
0.10.01 Original release

License:

Copyright © 2007, University of Leeds

All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the

following conditions are met:

* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the

following disclaimer.
* Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the

following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
* Neither the name of the University of Leeds nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or

promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
"AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR
CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR
PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING
NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Click here to download this file

Nice.

Hi Burnell,

Nice job
Could you Please post Examples on how to use these tools(Vis) I have not being able to use some of the vi.

Thanks

Ohiofudu

I've just posted a new version which has a couple of examples, adds some more features, and fixes a couple of minor bugs.

Nice tool(s) Gavin!

Just a very minor nit, your subdirectory \Prviate should be \Private

Great idea to create the examples, now perhaps to add a few more complex ones. Do you take donations?
(Of examples, I mean)

One other thought, you also posted your Scripting Tools here in this thread.
Perhaps you might consider splitting the Scripting Tools out of that and including a link to the CR version to make sure someone doesn't get confused or maybe just edit the post to add a link to your CR version so they know that updated versions are available. In any event, great work.

Er, yes. I do a lot of coding whilst travelling on the train, which means sometimes my typing isn't as accurate as it should be... will fix that next time.



I'll happily include any donated examples or indeed bug fixes, new functions, whatever (day job time permitting of course ) !



Hmmm, I don't seem to be able to edit my posts in that thread any longer. At the time I posted that version, the tools were in code-repository purdah -that version worked well enough for the XNodes but had several bugs in them and I'd replace it if I could...

Hi Gavin,

Thanks for the Examples Great Job.

I've edited the post to include a link to the CR file. FYI, this is a perfect use case for using the "report post to moderator" button. Click on that button and describe what you want me to do and I will do it.

Or one could get a premium membership. Allows you to edit posts even months later.

Rolf Kalbermatter

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Ok, in future I'll be able to do that myself

In the meantime, have another incremental update. I've included an example of using the scripting tools in an XNode, because you can't build zip files with XNodes in them via the LabVIEW project window, I've switched to packaging as an OpenG Package format. I've subsequently realised that I've packaged up some cruft as well

Are you going to submitt this to be a package available to VIPM any time soon? I think it would be a great addition.