Glossary
Prefixes
| Prefix | Meaning | Value |
|---|---|---|
| µ | micro | 10 -6 |
| m | milli | 10 -3 |
A | |
| active window | The window that user input affects at a given moment. The title of an active window is highlighted. |
| Array Display | A window for viewing and editing numeric arrays and string variables and arrays. |
| auto-exclusion | A mechanism that prevents existing lines from executing in the Interactive Execution window. |
B | |
| binary control | A function panel control that resembles a physical on/off switch and can produce one of two values depending on the position of the switch. |
| binary switch | Control that selects between two states: on and off. |
| bitmap | Set of data that defines a graphic image. The data consist of information determining the height and width of the image or pixel grid, and the color of each pixel. |
| breakpoint | An interruption in the execution of a program. Also, a function in code that causes an interruption in the execution of a program. |
| button | A dialog box item that executes a command associated with the dialog box. |
| byte order mark (BOM) | A sequence of bytes at the start of a file that indicates the type of Unicode encoding and byte order of the file. |
C | |
| canvas | Arbitrary drawing surface to display text, shapes, and bitmap images. |
| checkbox | A dialog box item that allows you to toggle between two possible options. |
| click | A mouse-specific term; to quickly press and release the mouse button. |
| clipboard | A temporary storage area LabWindows/CVI uses to hold text that is cut or copied from a work area. |
| CodeBuilder | LabWindows/CVI feature that creates source code based on a .uir file to connect your GUI to the rest of your program. This code can be compiled and run as soon as it is created. |
| command button | A dialog box item that, when selected, executes a command associated with the dialog box. |
| common control | A control on a common control function panel that specifies a parameter in all functions associated with a Function Panel window. |
| compiler define | A command-line argument passed to the compiler that defines an identifier as a macro to the preprocessor. |
| confirm pop-up panel | Message box that allows you to confirm an action before it occurs. |
| control | An input and output device that appears on a function panel for specifying function parameters and displaying function results. |
| cursor | The flashing rectangle that shows where you can enter text on the screen. If you have a mouse installed, there is also a mouse cursor. |
| cursor location indicator | An element of the LabWindows/CVI screen that specifies the row and column position of the cursor in the window. |
D | |
| Debugging Region | An area of the Workspace window in which the Variables and Call Stack, Watch, Memory, Resource Tracking, Modules, Threads, Array Display, and Graphical Array View windows appear. |
| default command | The action that takes place when <Enter> is pressed and no command is specifically selected. Default command buttons are indicated in dialog boxes with an outline. |
| dialog box | A prompt mechanism in which you specify additional information needed to complete a command. |
| double-click | A mouse-specific term; to click the mouse button twice in rapid succession. |
| drag | A mouse-specific term; to hold down the mouse button while moving the mouse across a flat surface, such as a mouse pad. |
E | |
| entry mode indicator | An element of the LabWindows/CVI screen that indicates the current text mode as either insert or overwrite. |
| event | Informs the application program that the user has performed an action. To cause generation of an event, the user selects a command from the menu bar or manipulates a control that you configure to generate events. |
| excluded code | Code that is ignored during compilation and execution. Excluded lines of code are displayed in a different color than included lines of code. |
F | |
| file select pop-up panel | Predefined pop-up panel that displays a list of files from which the user can select. |
| function panel | A screen-oriented user interface to the LabWindows/CVI libraries in which you can interactively execute library functions and generate code for inclusion in a program. |
| Function Panel Editor | The window in which you build a function panel. |
| Function Panel window | The window that contains function panels. |
| function tree | The hierarchical structure in which the functions in a library or an instrument driver are grouped. The function tree simplifies access to a library or instrument driver by presenting functions organized according to the operation they perform, as opposed to a single linear listing of all available functions. |
| Function Tree Editor | The window in which you build the skeleton of a function panel file. |
G | |
| generated code box | A text box located at the bottom of the function panel window that displays the function call that corresponds to the current state of the function panel controls. |
| global control | A function panel control that displays the contents of global variables in a library function. Global controls allow you to monitor global variables in a function that the function does not specifically return as results. These are read-only controls that the user cannot alter and do not contribute a parameter to the generated code. |
| Graphical Array Display | A window in which you can view the values of arrays in a graph. |
| graph control | Displays graphical data as one or more plots. |
| graph pop-up panel | Predefined pop-up panel that displays numerical data graphically. Various functions exist to graph x, y, x-y, and waveform data sets. |
H | |
| hex | Hexadecimal. |
| highlight | The way in which input focus is displayed on a LabWindows/CVI screen; to move the input focus onto an item. |
| hot control | Similar to normal control except that the control generates commit events. |
I | |
| immediate command item | Menu title that ends in an exclamation point and does not have an associated menu. When a user selects an immediate command, the command executes immediately. |
| indicator control | Control that can be changed programmatically but that a user cannot operate. LED, scale, text, text box, graph (without cursors), and strip chart controls are always indicator controls. |
| input control | A function panel control that accepts a value typed in from the keyboard. An input control can have a default value associated with it. This value appears in the control when the panel is first displayed. |
| input focus | Displayed on the screen as a highlight on an item, signifying that the item is active. User input affects the item in the dialog box that has the input focus. |
| instrument driver | A set of high-level functions for controlling an instrument. It encapsulates many low-level operations, such as data formatting and GPIB, RS-232, and VXI communication, into intuitive, high-level functions. An instrument driver can pertain to one particular instrument or to a group of related instruments. An instrument driver consists of a program and a set of function panels. The program contains the code for the high-level functions. Associated with the instrument program is an include file that declares the high-level functions you can call, the global variables you can access, and the defined constants you can use. |
| Interactive Execution window | A LabWindows/CVI work area in which sections of code may be executed without creating an entire program. |
| IVI Standard Root directory | The root of the IVI standard directory tree for all driver installations and shared component installations. This location is represented in the Windows Registry as <IviStandardRootDir>, where <IviStandardRootDir> is the path to the <ProgramFilesDir>\IVI Foundation\IVI directory. For example: C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\IVI 64-bit versions of Windows include both a 32-bit and a 64-bit Standard Root directory. |
L | |
| LED | Control that operates like a light emitting diode (LED) to indicate on/off states. Normally, an LED lights to represent the "on" state. |
| Library Tree | An area in the Workspace window that contains a tree view of the LabWindows/CVI libraries and instruments. |
| list box | A dialog box item that displays a list of possible choices. |
M | |
| MB | Megabytes of memory. |
| menu | An area accessible from a menu bar that displays selectable menu items. |
| menu bar | Mechanism for encapsulating a set of commands. A menu bar appears at the top of the screen and contains a set of menu titles. |
| message pop-up panel | Predefined pop-up panel for displaying a message. |
| modal | A user interface object, such as dialog box or panel, that requires a user to complete an action and close the object before the focus returns to the parent application. Non-modal user interface objects allow the user to interact with other windows while the object is active. |
| ms | Milliseconds. |
N | |
| new style (function definition) | A function definition in which parameters are declared directly in the parameter list. |
| non-modal | A user interface object, such as dialog box or panel, that allows the user to interact with other windows while the object is active. A modal user interface object requires a user to complete an action and close the object before the focus returns to the parent application. |
| normal control | Control that a user can operate or that you can change programmatically. Normal controls generate all events except commit events. |
| numeric/string control | Control that accepts input or displays numeric values or text strings. For example, this type of control can accept a user name or display a voltage value. |
O | |
| old style (function definition) | A function definition in which parameters are declared outside of the parameter list. |
| output control | A function panel control that displays a value that the function you execute generates. An output control parameter must be a string, an array, or a reference parameter of type integer, long, single-precision, or double-precision. |
| Output Region | An area of the Workspace window in which errors, output, and search match windows appear. |
P | |
| panel | Rectangular region of the screen containing a set of controls that accept input from the user and display information to the user. Panels can perform many different functions, such as, representing the front panel of an instrument or allowing the user to select a filename. |
| pen | Drawing construct that defines the characteristics of images that a user draws on a canvas control, such as, width, style, color, mode, and pattern of the line or object. |
| pixel | Element of a picture. The smallest discrete, rectangular area of an image, either on a screen or stored in memory. Each pixel has its own brightness and color, usually represented as a red, green, and blue intensities. See RGB. |
| plot | A curve, a point, a geometric shape, or a text string. |
| point | Structure that specifies the location of a point in the Cartesian coordinate systems of canvas controls and bitmaps. The structure contains two integer values, x and y. |
| pop-up panel | Panel that pops up, accepts user input, and then disappears. |
| project | A list of files, usually including a source file, user interface resource file, and header file, that your application uses. |
| Project Tree | An area of the Workspace window that contains the lists of projects and files in the current workspace. |
| prompt command | A command that requires additional information before it can be executed; a prompt command appears on a pull-down menu suffixed with three ellipses (...). |
| prompt pop-up panel | Predefined pop-up panel for requesting input from the user. |
| pull-down menu | Menu title that is not followed by an exclamation point and which contains a collection of commands in a submenu that appears when you click on the menu title. Compare to immediate command item in this Glossary. |
| push button | Control that triggers an action, which is usually indicated by a label on the button. |
R | |
| rect | Structure that specifies the location and size of a rectangle in the Cartesian coordinate systems in canvas controls and bitmaps. The structure contains four integer values, top, left, height, and width. |
| resource (.uir) file | Source code that contains all the objects associated with a user interface. This file includes menu bars, panels, controls, pop-up panels, preferences, images, and fonts. To display user interface objects, an application program must call the User Interface Library to load them from the resource file. A single application program can use multiple resource files. |
| return value control | A function panel control that displays a value returned from a function as a return value rather than as a formal parameter. |
| RGB | Red-green-blue. The three colors of light that you can mix to produce any other color on the computer screen. |
| ring control | Control in which you select from a group of items. After you make a selection, only the selected item shows. You can scroll through the list of items one by one, or you can view all items at once through the pop-up view. |
S | |
| s | Seconds. |
| scroll bars | Areas along the bottom and right sides of a window that show your relative position in the file. Scroll bars can be used with a mouse to move about in the window. |
| scrollable text box | A dialog box item that displays text in a scrollable display. |
| select | To choose the item that the next executed action will affect by moving the input focus (highlight) to a particular item or area. |
| selection list control | Control in which you select a item from a list. |
| shortcut key commands | A combination of keystrokes that provides a means of executing a command without accessing a menu in the menu bar. |
| slide control | Control in which you select one item from a group of items. The slider, or crossbar, indicates the current selection. |
| slider | Crossbar of the slide control that points to the currently selected item. |
| Source window | A LabWindows/CVI work area in which programs are edited and executed. |
| standard libraries | The LabWindows/CVI User Interface, ActiveX, Advanced Analysis (or Analysis), Formatting and I/O, GPIB/GPIB 488.2, Utility, RS-232, TCP Support, Internet, DDE Support, VISA, IVI, Traditional NI-DAQ, NI-DAQmx, and ANSI C libraries. |
| step mode | A program execution mode in which a program is manually executed one instruction at a time. Each instruction in the program is highlighted as it is executed. |
| string control | See numeric/string control. |
| strip chart control | Graph that displays data as one or more traces in real time. |
T | |
| text box | Control that displays a window of text. |
| text control | Control that displays a string of text. |
| timer control | User interface control that schedules the periodic execution of a callback function. You might use this control to update a graph every second. |
| Tooltips | A small, yellow box that displays the value of variables and expressions in a Source window. |
| trace | A display of aggregate data in a strip chart. |
U | |
| User Interface Editor | Environment where you create resource (.uir) files for a user interface in LabWindows/CVI. |
V | |
| validate control | Similar to hot control except that this type of control validates all numeric/scalar controls on the panel before it generates the event. Validation consists of checking the value of each numeric/scalar control against its predefined range. If an invalid condition is found, a message box appears. |
| Variables and Call Stack window | A window that shows the values of all the currently active variables. The Call Stack section of this window shows the current call stack of functions in the program. |
| VXIplug&play framework directory | The subdirectory for a framework in the VXIplug&play root directory. This location is <VXIPNPPATH>\<Framework>, where <VXIPNPPATH> is the path to the <ProgramFilesDir>\IVI Foundation\VISA\ directory and <Framework> is the system framework to which the instrument driver applies. For example: C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT |
| VXIplug&play root directory | The root directory of the VXIplug&play directory tree. This location is represented in the Windows Registry as <VXIPNPPATH>, where <VXIPNPPATH> is the path to the <ProgramFilesDir>\IVI Foundation\VISA\ directory. For example: C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA |
W | |
| Watch window | A window that shows the values of user-selectable variables and expressions that are currently active. |
| window | A working area that supports specific tasks related to developing and executing programs. |
| Window Confinement Region | An area of the Workspace window that contains open Source, User Interface Editor, and Function Tree Editor windows. |
| work area | The area of the LabWindows/CVI screen that contains the text displayed in a window. |
| workspace | A file that contains settings that do not affect the way a project builds, such as breakpoints, window position, tag information, and debugging levels. A workspace can contain more than one project. |
| Workspace window | The main work area in LabWindows/CVI; contains the Project Tree, Library Tree, Window Confinement Region, Debugging Region, and Output Region. |