Using the VI Metrics Tool
Complete the following steps to analyze VIs.
- Open the VI or VIs you want to analyze.
- Select Tools»Profile»VI Metrics to display the VI Metrics window.
- Use the pull-down menu at the top of the window to select from the list of VIs whose front panels are currently open. After you select a VI, the window updates the list at the bottom with the names of the VI and its subVIs plus information on each VI.
For each VI in the selected hierarchy, the window lists the number of nodes that VI contains. This number gives you a rough metric that is comparable to the SLOC metric commonly used with text-based programming languages.
The number of nodes includes functions, subVIs, structures, front panel object terminals, constants, global and local variables, and Property Nodes.
Notice that for Property Nodes, reading multiple properties with the same node counts as one node. You can select the User Interface Metrics option to determine the total number of properties a VI reads or writes.
The number of nodes does not include wires, tunnels, or objects that are subcomponents of structures, such as the loop iteration count of a For Loop or the sequence local of a Stacked Sequence structure.
In addition to measuring the number of nodes, the VI metrics tool can measure a number of other metrics related to the complexity of a VI or VIs. To show the additional information, place a checkmark in the appropriate category checkbox at the top right of the VI Metrics window.
The following are the additional metrics available through the VI metrics tool:
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