Property Inspector 5.0


Automate VI search, analysis and edit operations easily and run free community scripts on multiple VIs.

Unlimited macros automate 99% of features with simple text commands. Run macros using CLI or Solution Explorer. (See Sample Macros)

ABCDEF updates their developer productivity utility that easily searches and edits properties of multiple VIs simultaneously to help save development time and optimize product quality. Additionally, it is powerful analytical tool. It quickly performs over 100 operations that would otherwise be impractical, if not impossible with standard LabVIEW.

Property Inspector screenshot
  • Searches all the items in your project, based on 44 VI properties and metrics based on 11 criteria including: VI Description, In Memory, Date Modified, Reentrancy, Clones and Allow Debugging.
  • Sort any 2 columns by clicking on the header (i.e. Data, Code or File Size, Date Modified or Revision). Can revert back to unsorted.
  • Filter the results by 20 item types to see only controls, VIs, strict typedefs, globals or class private data
  • Edit 23 of the properties automatically by selecting all or some VIs including Description and Password.  Powerful string manipulation functions can prepend, append, replace or remove the entire string.
  • Delete orphan files by comparing every file below the project with the project, including LLBs

Quickly find all VIs in the project by:

  • Blank Description
  • Default Description (Use this template to...)
  • Broken State
  • Allow Debugging Enabled
  • Auto Error Handling Enabled
  • Older LabVIEW Version
  • Obsolete Runtime Menu
  • High Data Size before execution
  • Not loaded In Memory
  • Re-entrancy On or Off
  • Re-entrancy Pre-allocate or Shared
  • Highest Revision Number
  • Modification Date or Status
  • Separate Compiled Code from Source Code
  • Contained in a specific Class or Excluded from any Class
  • Contained in a specific Library or Excluded from any Library
  • Transparency Enabled, or by specific threshold
  • Longest load time

There are six new ground-breaking features that are unique to Property Inspector that you just have to try:

  1. Persistent Selection™: Selected items remain selected after changing the Object Filter, Search Criteria, or Sort Order
  2. Global Exclusion™: All string parameters can be searched simultaneously for a string to EXCLUDE!
  3. Sort by any column/Revert back to Unsorted
  4. Compound Sorting: Each sort is optionally based on the previous sort results
  5. Recall 40 favorite compound searches 
  6. Repeat each of the last 40 searches 

This utility is very versatile and configurable. Select only some of the 44 columns you want to display to search for the properties that most fit your requirements. Sort the results by any column. Enable each of the 20 object types relevent to your needs. Search within the existing result by a different item to narrow the scope. Searching and sorting are allowed on hidden objects and properties.

Open a project, LVLib or LVClass file. Easily delete files not in memory or broken. Save selected items or the entire results list. Easily set or remove password protection for the selected items. Open dozens of front panels or block diagrams together and close them in a single operation.

Powerful scripting capability allows many more operations with just a small amount of custom code. Download popular Quick Drop plugin scripts from the Quick Drop Enthusiasts page and apply them to all or some of your VIs at once. Choose the front panel or the block diagram as the target. There are many VI Analyzer plugin scripts available on the VI Analyzer page. These scripts analyze many element of code structure and can be quickly modified to change the code. A custom VI Script can return a failure and PI can reselect the items that failed. This allows custom search criteria. Write your own scripts using the included templates or download these Sample Scripts.

Macros can automate complex or repetitive task using simple text commands. Macros can also reconfigure the Property Inspector user experience by changing all settings or loading a new set of Favorites. Several macro features contain options not available in the standard UI. Macros can call other macros. Macros can be created with a text editor or the built-in Macro Editor. The editor includes over 1400 commands in the pull-down menu and has powerful shortcuts to assemble macros from other macros. Unlimited parameters can be passed from the command line to a macro and to called macros. Several built-in parameters allow runtime customization. They can be run from the Macro menu, Macro Editor, PI5 Macro Selector, desktop batch files, or using the LabVIEW CLI interface.

Property Inspector 5.0 is available on the NI Tools Network. Download a free 30 day trial with unrestricted usage.  Find it in VI Package Manager or download it here.
Evaluate the reduced feature Property Inspector Free 3.0.2 with no time limit.

Order now for only $249 by calling 800-422-1523 or pay with PayPal. Delivery by email in about two business days. Get PI 5.0 now.

 
 

Search and Edit

  • Allow Debugging
  • Auto Error Handling
  • Date Modified (*)
  • Description
  • Execution Priority
  • Inline SubVI
  • History Text
  • Log File Path
  • Modified (cleared by saving) (*)
  • Preferred Execution System
  • Protection
  • Re-entrant
  • Reentrancy Type
  • Revision Number
  • Run Time Menu Path (*)
  • Same as VI Name
  • Separate compiled code from source
  • Show Menu Bar
  • Show VI when called
  • Show VI when loaded
  • Suspend when called (*)
  • Transparency
  • Window Title
  • String Edit Modes:

  • Match
  • Prepend
  • Append
  • Replace
  • Remove
  • Search Only

  • ALL fields
  • Block Diagram Size
  • Callers (*)
  • Class
  • Clones (*)
  • Code Complexity
  • Code Size
  • Data Size
  • Execution State (*)
  • File Size
  • Front Panel Data Size
  • Front Panel Objects 
  • In Memory (*)
  • Inline is Allowed (*)
  • Item Name
  • Item Path
  • Item Type (*)
  • Library
  • LV Version
  • Scan Time (*)
  • Target
  • Total Data Size
  • Compare Modes:

  • 7 String comparisions
  • 2 boolean comparisons
  • 2 numeric comparisons
  • (*) Hidden properties

    Examples

    Here are several useful examples of search and edit operations.  The search and edit settings are expressed exactly as it appears on the screen.  Some examples show the edit operation after the semi-colon with sample edit text and notes in parenthesis.

    1. Description Starts With "Use this template to build"; remove
    2. Description Is Blank/0/False; replace Description of each VI (then press Next to go to the next VI)
    3. Allow Debugging Is Not Blank/0; Remove (remove will disable Allow Debugging)
    4. Execution State Equals "Bad"
    5. Data Size Greater Than "100K"
    6. VI Version Less Than "15"
    7. In Memory Is Blank/0/False (locates all VIs not in memory)
    8. Path Starts With C: (locates all VIs not under the project path)
    9. Reentrancy Type Contains Pre; Replace S
    10. Is Re-entrant Not Blank/>0/True (finds all re-entrant VIs)
    11. Date Modified Less Than 2020
    12. Separate compiled code from source code Is Blank/0/False; Replace True

    Answers to Questions LabVIEW cannot determine

    Here are project issues that can easily be discovered

    1. How many VIs in the project are Bad?
    2. How many VIs in the project are not the current version?
    3. How many typedefs are strict? Not strict?
    4. How many VIs are in class? Not in a class?
    5. How many VIs are in library? Not in a library?
    6. Which reentrant VI has the most instances in memory?
    7. Which VI uses the most data memory?
    8. Which VI is the oldest? Newest changes?
    9. Which VIs are set to Inline?
    10. Which VIs are not Inline, but could be?
    11. What is the oldest LV Version in the project?
    12. Which VIs have History Text?
    13. Which VIs use a Runtime menu?
    14. Which VIs have Allow Debugging enabled?
    15. Which VIS have Automatic Error Handling enabled?
    16. Which VIs have Suspend when Called enabled?
    17. Do any VIs use tranparency?
    18. Which VIs take the longest to load?

    Sample Macros

    Macro Name Macro Text Notes
    Tile Recent 6 VI BDs Search Type Contains Stand
    Sort Date Desc
    Select First
    Select Group 6
    View BD
    Window Tile
    Opens the 6 most recently saved VI block diagrams and tiles them on the monitor
    Show Recent BAD BD Search Execution State Equals BAD
    Sort Date Desc
    Select First
    View BD
    Shows the most recently saved bad VI
    Append Copyright Settings Edit Options Use Codes True
    Search Description Excludes Copyright ©
    Select All
    Edit Append \n\nCopyright © 2024 ABCDEF
    Find all VIs missing the copyright notice and append the copyright with 2 blank lines
    Update Copyright Settings Edit Options Trim Description False
    Search Date Greater Than 2023
    Search In Description Contains Copyright © 202[0123]
    Select All
    Edit Match Copyright © 2024
    Replaces copyright 2022 with 2023 for all VIs modified after 2022
    Show Callers Callers BD Limit 12 Select Callers
    Select Callers
    Select Selected
    Select Group 12
    View BD
    Window Tile
    Open the caller's caller's block diagrams with a limit of 12 and tile
    Show First Clone of Open Windows Search Reentrant Not Blank/true
    Search In Reentrancy Type Contains Pre
    Search In Inline Subvi Is Blank/0/false
    Select Open
    View Clone
    Opens the first clone BD of all open reentrant VIs
    Stack and Close Window Stack
    Window Close Selected
    Stacks the selected windows before closing them
    Show Last 7 Days Search Date Greater Than -7
    Select All
    Select to Project
    Export C:\Temp\Last 7 Edits.xls
    Show all edits from the last 7 days, highlight in project and export to a file
    Save Open Windows and Close View Unfiltered
    Select Open
    Select Save C:\Temp\Selection.sel
    Window Close Selected
    Select None
    Saves open windows to a file
    Restore Open Windows by Date Select Load C:\Temp\Selection.sel
    Sort Date
    View Retain
    View Selected
    View BD
    Restores open windows by showing only block diagram with the most recent on top and Retain Wire Values enabled
    Statistics Settings Show All Object Types True
    PI Log C:\temp\Proj Stats.txt
    Search Type Contains library
    Search Type Contains class
    Search Type Contains control
    Search Type Contains strict
    Search Type Contains standard
    View Unfiltered
    PI Log
    Exports the count of each category to a log file

     



    Last updated on: September 8th, 2024