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Right-click a numeric control or indicator and select Properties from the shortcut menu to display this dialog box.

Appearance

Use this tab to specify which elements of the object are visible.

• Label Visible—Displays the owned label for the object and enables the Label Text text box so you can edit the label. You use the label to identify the object on the front panel and block diagram.
• Label Text—Text to use for the label.
• Caption Visible—Displays the caption for the object and enables the Caption Text text box so you can edit the caption. You use the caption to display a detailed description of the object on the front panel. This option is not available for constants.
• Caption Text—Text to use for the caption. This option is not available for constants.
• Enabled State—Sets whether the user can operate the object.
  • Enabled—Enables the user to operate the object.
  • Disabled—Displays the object in the front panel window, but the user cannot operate the object.
  • Disabled & grayed—Displays and dims the object in the front panel window, and the user cannot operate the object.
• Size—Sets the size of the object in pixels.
  • Height—The height of the object in pixels. You cannot set the height of numeric controls.
  • Width—The width of the object in pixels.
• Show radix—Displays the radix for the object, which you can use to change the data to decimal, hexadecimal, octal, or binary format, or SI notation.
• Show increment/decrement buttons—Displays the increment and decrement buttons for the object, which you can use to change the value of the object.

Data Type

Use this tab to specify the representation of numeric objects or outputs and to configure fixed-point data types.

• Representation—Sets the representation of numeric data.
• Fixed-Point Configuration—Sets the configuration settings for fixed-point data. Set Representation to Fixed-point (FXP) to enable these options. These options are not available for enums, rings, knobs, slides, or waveforms.

  Note  You can configure either Encoding or Range settings. If you configure Encoding settings, LabVIEW updates the Range settings to fit the specified encoding. If you configure Range settings, LabVIEW updates the Encoding settings to fit the specified range. If you edit both Encoding and Range settings, the last settings you edit before clicking the OK button are the settings that LabVIEW uses for the fixed-point data.

• Encoding—Sets the binary encoding settings for the fixed-point data. These options are not available for enums, rings, knobs, slides, or waveforms.
• Signed—Sets whether the fixed-point data is signed. This option is not available for enums, rings, knobs, slides, or waveforms.
• Unsigned—Sets whether the fixed-point data is unsigned. This option is not available for enums, rings, knobs, slides, or waveforms.
• Word length—Sets the number of bits that LabVIEW uses to represent all the possible values of the fixed-point data. This option is not available for enums, rings, knobs, slides, or waveforms.
• Integer word length—Sets the number of integer bits, or the number of bits to shift the binary point to reach the most significant bit, for all the possible values of the fixed-point data. This option is not available for enums, rings, knobs, slides, or waveforms. Integer word length can be larger or smaller than the Word length and can be positive or negative.
• Range—Sets the desired range for the fixed-point data. These options are not available for enums, rings, knobs, slides, or waveforms.

  Note  The fields you use to specify these values display the values in double-precision floating-point representation, so the precision of Maximum, Minimum, and Desired delta might not be exact in terms of fixed-point representation. However, the deviation is very small.

• Minimum—Sets the minimum value for the fixed-point data range. This option is not available for enums, rings, knobs, slides, or waveforms.
• Maximum—Sets the maximum value for the fixed-point data range. This option is not available for enums, rings, knobs, slides, or waveforms.
• Desired delta—Sets the maximum desired distance between any two sequential numbers in the fixed-point data range. This option is not available for enums, rings, knobs, slides, or waveforms.

Data Entry

Use this tab to set the range of data for numeric objects or outputs.

• Use Default Limits—Sets the minimum, maximum, and increment values to the default values for the selected representation. Remove the checkmark from this checkbox to specify a range of values for the data.
• Minimum—Sets the minimum value for the data range.
• Maximum—Sets the maximum value for the data range.
• Increment—Sets the increment value for coercion.
• Response to value outside limits: Minimum—Sets how to handle the numeric value the user enters if that value is out of the specified numeric range. Valid values include Ignore and Coerce.
• Response to value outside limits: Maximum—Sets how to handle the numeric value the user enters if that value is out of the specified numeric range. Valid values include Ignore and Coerce.
• Response to value outside limits: Increment—Sets how to handle the numeric value the user enters if that value is out of the specified numeric range. Valid values include Ignore, Coerce to nearest, Coerce up, and Coerce down.

Display Format

Use this tab to set the display format for numeric objects or outputs.

• Apply to—Sets the component you want to configure.
• Type—Type of the numeric object.
  • Floating point—Displays the numeric object in floating-point notation.
  • Scientific—Displays the numeric object in scientific notation. For example, 60 in floating-point notation equals 6E+1 in scientific, where E represents the power of 10 exponent.
  • Automatic formatting—Displays the numeric object in the format that LabVIEW determines is appropriate for the data.
  • SI notation—Displays the numeric object in System International (SI) notation, in which the unit of measurement appears after the value. For example, 6000 in floating-point notation equals 6k in SI notation.
  • Hexadecimal—Displays the numeric object in base-16 format. Valid digits are 0 to F. For example, 60 in floating-point notation equals 3c in hexadecimal. This option is not available if the representation of the numeric object is floating-point.
  • Octal—Displays the numeric object in base-8 format. Valid digits are 0 to 7. For example, 60 in floating-point notation equals 74 in octal. This option is not available if the representation of the numeric object is floating-point.
  • Binary—Displays the numeric object in base-2 format. Valid digits are 0 and 1. For example, 60 in floating-point notation equals 111100 in binary. This option is not available if the representation of the numeric object is floating-point.
  • Absolute time—Displays the numeric object in terms of time elapsed since 12:00 a.m., January 1, 1904, Universal Time. You only can set absolute time with the time stamp control.
  • Relative time—Displays the numeric object in terms of hours, minutes, and seconds starting from zero. For example, 100 in floating-point notation equals 1:40 in relative time.
• Digits—If Precision Type is Digits of precision, this field contains the number of digits to display after the decimal point. If Precision Type is Significant digits, this field contains the number of significant digits to display. This option is not available if Format is Hexadecimal, Octal, or Binary. For single-precision, floating-point numbers, National Instruments recommends that you use values from 1 through 6 in this field if the Precision Type is Significant digits. For double-precision and extended-precision, floating-point numbers, National Instruments recommends that you use values from 1 through 13 in this field if the Precision Type is Significant digits.
• Precision Type—Sets whether to display digits of precision or significant digits. Select Digits of precision if you want the Digits field to indicate the number of digits to display after the decimal point. Select Significant digits if you want the Digits field to indicate the number of significant digits to display. This option is not available if Format is Decimal, Hexadecimal, Octal, or Binary.
• Hide trailing zeros—Removes zeros at the end of the number. If the number has no fractional part, this option also removes the description part. This option is not available if Format is Hexadecimal, Octal, or Binary.
• Exponent in multiples of 3—Formats the number in engineering notation, where the exponent is always a multiple of three. This option is not available if Format is Floating Point, SI Notation, Hexadecimal, Octal, or Binary.
• Use minimum field width—Pads any excess space to the left or right of the number with zeros or spaces to reach the minimum width you enter in Minimum field width.
• Minimum field width—Width to which you want to pad the number.
• Padding—Sets whether to pad with spaces on the left or right or to pad with zeros on the left.
• Time Type—Sets the format of the time displayed in the control or indicator.
  • Custom time format—Uses the format you configure in this dialog box.
  • System time format—Uses the format of the operating system.
  • Time unused—LabVIEW does not display time in the control or indicator.
• Hour type—Sets whether to use a 12-hour clock with AM/PM notation or a 24-hour clock.
• HH:MM or HH:MM:SS—Sets whether to display hours and minutes or hours, minutes, and seconds.
• Digits—If you select HH:MM:SS, this field contains the number of digits to display after the decimal point in the seconds.
• Date Type—Sets the format of the date displayed in the control or indicator.
  • Custom date format—Uses the format you configure in this dialog box.
  • System date format—Uses the format of the operating system.
  • Date unused—LabVIEW does not display the date in the control or indicator.
• Month/day/year—Sets the order in which to display the month, day, and year.
• Year—Sets whether to display the year and whether to display it as 2 or 4 digits.
• Format string—Format codes to use to format the number. This field appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
• Format Codes—Displays the format codes you can use in the Format string. Double-click a format code to insert it in the Format string. This field appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
• Insert into Format String—Inserts the selected format code into the Format string. This button appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
• Format Code Type—Sets the type of format codes to display in the Format Codes list. This pull-down menu appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
• Valid—Indicates whether the syntax of the Format string is valid. This LED appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
• Revert—If the syntax of the Format string is not valid, click this button to revert Format string to the last version with valid syntax. This button appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
• Editing mode—Sets whether to edit the format and precision using the default view of the page or using format codes.

Documentation

Use this tab to describe the purpose of the object and to give users instructions for using the object.

• Description—Contains a description of the object. Descriptions for controls, indicators, and constants appear in the Context Help window when you move the cursor over the object. You can enter a description for a VI or function located on the Functions palette but you can only view the description in this dialog box. The description will not appear in the Context Help window. You can format the text in the description to appear bold in the Context Help window. If you want to display a carriage return in the Context Help window, you must separate paragraphs with two carriage returns.
• Tip strip—Brief description of the object to display when you move the cursor over an object while a VI runs.

Data Binding

Use this tab to bind front panel objects to network-published project items and to PSP data items on the network.

• Data Binding Selection—Specifies the server you want to use to bind the object.
  • Unbound—Specifies that the object is not bound to a network-published project item or to an NI Publish-Subscribe-Protocol (PSP) data item on the network.
  • Shared Variable Engine (NI-PSP)—(Windows) Binds the object to a network-published project item or to a PSP data item on the network using the Shared Variable Engine.
  • DataSocket—Binds the object to a data item on the network using the DataSocket Server, an OPC server, an FTP server, or a Web server. If you want to establish or save a URL for an object, create a shared variable rather than using front panel DataSocket data binding.
• Access Type—Specifies the type of access LabVIEW sets for the object you are configuring. You can choose from the following options:
  • Read only—Specifies that the object reads data from a network-published project item or from a PSP data item on the network.

    Note  If you are using a network-published Shared Variable node that is configured to read data, you must run each Shared Variable node before the node subscribes and starts receiving buffered values.

  • Write only—Specifies that the object writes data to a network-published project item or to a PSP data item on the network.
  • Read/Write—Specifies that the object reads data from and writes to a network-published project item or a PSP data item on the network.
• Path—Specifies the path to the shared variable or data item to which you want to bind the shared variable you are configuring. The path to a shared variable in the active project consists of the computer name as it appears in the project, the name of the library in which the shared variable resides and the shared variable name: computer\library\shared_variable. The path to a shared variable in a separate project or on a separate computer consists of the DNS name or IP address of the computer preceded by \\, the name of the library in which the shared variable resides and the shared variable name: \\computer\library\shared_variable. The path to a shared variable in another project consists of the computer name, the name of the library in which the shared variable resides, and the shared variable name: \\computer\library\shared_variable. The path to an NI-PSP data item consists of the computer name, the name of the process in which the data item resides, and the data item name: \\computer\process\data_item.
• Browse—Displays a file dialog or the Select Source Item dialog box, from which you can browse to the shared variable or data item to bind the object to. The value you select in the Data Binding Selection field determines which dialog this button launches.

Key Navigation

Use this tab to set keyboard shortcuts for controls.

• Focus—Assigns a shortcut key to navigate to this control. Valid key names include <Clear>, <Delete>, <End>, <Escape>, <Home>, <Insert>, <Mute>, <PageUp>, <PageDown>, <Play>, <Return>, <VolumeUp>, <VolumeDown>, and function keys <F1> to <F24>.

  Note  Some keyboards and platforms may not support the <Clear>, <End>, <Home>, <Mute>, <PageUp>, <PageDown>, <Play>, <VolumeUp>, <VolumeDown>, and function keys <F13> to <F24>. (Mac OS) Keyboard shortcuts for the function keys work only if the function keys are not assigned as shortcut keys for Exposé.

• Shift key—Selects the <Shift> key as a modifier key to the key assignment.
• Control key—Selects the <Ctrl> key as a modifier key to the key assignment.
• Increment—Assigns a shortcut key to increment this control. Valid key names include <Clear>, <Delete>, <End>, <Escape>, <Home>, <Insert>, <Mute>, <Page Up>, <Page Down>, <Play>, <Return>, <Volume Up>, <Volume Down>, and function keys <F1> to <F24>.

  Note  (Mac OS) Keyboard shortcuts for the function keys work only if the function keys are not assigned as shortcut keys for Exposé.

• Shift key—Selects the <Shift> key as a modifier key to the key assignment.
• Control key—Selects the <Ctrl> key as a modifier key to the key assignment.
• Set to focus on increment—Causes the Increment key assignment to navigate to this control.
• Decrement—Assigns a shortcut key to decrement this control. Valid key names include <Clear>, <Delete>, <End>, <Escape>, <Home>, <Insert>, <Mute>, <Page Up>, <Page Down>, <Play>, <Return>, <Volume Up>, <Volume Down>, and function keys <F1> to <F24>.

  Note  (Mac OS) Keyboard shortcuts for the function keys work only if the function keys are not assigned as shortcut keys for Exposé.

• Shift key—Selects the <Shift> key as a modifier key to the key assignment.
• Control key—Selects the <Ctrl> key as a modifier key to the key assignment.
• Set to focus on decrement—Causes the Decrement key assignment to navigate to this control.
• Existing Bindings—Lists the key assignments already in use. If you select a key combination already in this listbox, LabVIEW assigns that key combination to the current control and deletes the previous key assignment.
• Tab Behavior—Controls the behavior of the <Tab> key when you navigate to this control.
• Skip this control when tabbing—Causes the key focus to skip over this control when you use the <Tab> key.

  Note  LabVIEW skips hidden controls when you tab through a front panel. You do not need to place a checkmark in this checkbox for hidden controls.

Security

Use this tab to configure security for front panel controls and indicators. This tab appears only if you have the LabVIEW DSC Module.

• Access Control List—Displays the access rights granted to specific users and groups. If a user and a group that the user is a member of both appear in the list, LabVIEW uses the setting granting the greatest level of access.
• Add—Launches the Add New Host/User dialog box, in which you can select a domain, host, user, and group.
• Remove–Removes the currently selected user or group from the Access Control List.
• Access—Specifies the access rights of the user or group selected in the Access Control List.
  • Full Access—The selected user or group can view and interact with the front panel object.
  • Disabled (View Only)—The selected user or group is able to view the object on the front panel but cannot interact with it.
  • Disabled & Grayed Out—The front panel object is grayed out, and the user or group cannot interact with it.
  • No Access (Hidden)—The front panel object does not appear on the front panel.