LabVIEW String Control Does Not Update Value While Entering Characters

Updated Aug 29, 2023

Reported In

Software

  • LabVIEW

Issue Details

Whenever I enter text into a string control, LabVIEW will not read the text in the string control until I click outside the string control or the control loses focus. What can I do to get LabVIEW access to the text in my string control or update its value?

Solution

In order to update the string control immediately, you can right-click on your string control in the front panel and select Update Value While Typing. With this selected, every character typed in a string control will be available in LabVIEW immediately after it is typed.
Figure 1. Right clicking on the String Control will allow you to select Update Value while Typing

Additional Information

You also can right-click a string control and select Limit to Single Line from the shortcut menu. With this option selected, you can enter your entire line of text and hit the Enter key on the keyboard. Instead of going to the next line, the text in the string control will now be accessible, just as if you clicked the Enter Text button.

You also can perform these operations programmatically through a Property Node for the string control by right-clicking on your control in the block diagram and navigating to Create >> Property Node >> Update While Typing? or Create >> Property Node >> Limit to Single Line?