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<document xmlns="http://cnx.rice.edu/cnxml" xmlns:md="http://cnx.rice.edu/mdml/0.4" xmlns:m="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:bib="http://bibtexml.sf.net/" id="None">
  <name>LabVIEW Documentation Resources</name>
  <metadata>
  <md:version>**new**</md:version>
  <md:created>2004/06/16 13:59:13.969 GMT-5</md:created>
  <md:revised>2004/07/01 11:31:29.039 GMT-5</md:revised>
  <md:authorlist>
      <md:author id="NationalInstruments">
      <md:firstname>National</md:firstname>
      
      <md:surname>Instruments</md:surname>
      <md:email>certification@ni.com</md:email>
    </md:author>
  </md:authorlist>

  <md:maintainerlist>
    <md:maintainer id="lizzardg">
      <md:firstname>Elizabeth</md:firstname>
      
      <md:surname>Gregory</md:surname>
      <md:email>lizzardg@rice.edu</md:email>
    </md:maintainer>
    <md:maintainer id="mshiralkar05">
      <md:firstname>Malan</md:firstname>
      
      <md:surname>Shiralkar</md:surname>
      <md:email>mshiralkar05@hotmail.com</md:email>
    </md:maintainer>
    <md:maintainer id="harika">
      <md:firstname>Harika</md:firstname>
      
      <md:surname>Basana</md:surname>
      <md:email>ilsai@rice.edu</md:email>
    </md:maintainer>
    <md:maintainer id="NationalInstruments">
      <md:firstname>National</md:firstname>
      
      <md:surname>Instruments</md:surname>
      <md:email>certification@ni.com</md:email>
    </md:maintainer>
  </md:maintainerlist>
  
  <md:keywordlist>
    <md:keyword>National Instruments</md:keyword>
    <md:keyword>LabVIEW</md:keyword>
    <md:keyword>Documentation Resources</md:keyword>
    <md:keyword>documentation resources</md:keyword>
  </md:keywordlist>

  <md:abstract>In this section, you will learn about documentation resources.
</md:abstract>
</metadata>
  
  <content>
    <section id="section1">
      <name>LabVIEW Documentation Resources</name>
      <para id="para1">
	Use the <code>Context Help</code> window, the <cite>LabVIEW
	Help</cite>, and the NI Example Finder to help you build and
	edit VIs. Refer to the <cite>LabVIEW Help</cite> and manuals
	for more information about LabVIEW.
      </para>
      <section id="section2">
	<name>Context Help Window</name>
	<para id="para2">
	  <media id="m1" type="image/png" src="helpbutton.png"/> The
	  <code>Context Help</code> window displays basic information
	  about LabVIEW objects when you move the cursor over each
	  object. The <code>Context Help</code> window is visible by
	  default. To toggle display of the <code>Context Help</code>
	  window, select <code>Help&gt;&gt;Show Context Help</code>, press
	  the <code>Ctrl-H</code> keys, or click the <code>Show
	  Context Help Window</code> button, shown in <cnxn target="m1"/>, on the toolbar.
	</para>
	<para id="para3">
	  When you move the cursor over front panel and block diagram
	  objects, the <code>Context Help</code> window displays the
	  icon for subVIs, functions, constants, controls, and
	  indicators, with wires attached to each terminal. When you
	  move the cursor over dialog box options, the <code>Context
	  Help</code> window displays descriptions of those
	  options. In the window, required connections are bold,
	  recommended connections are plain text, and optional
	  connections are dimmed or do not appear. <cnxn target="f1"/>
	  shows an example <code>Context Help</code> window.
	</para>
	<figure id="f1">
	  <media type="image/png" src="conthlp.png"/>
	  <caption>Context Help Window</caption>
	</figure>
	<para id="para4">
	  <media type="image/png" src="simphlp.png"/>
	  Click the <code>Hide Optional Terminals and Full Path</code>
	  button located on the lower left corner of the <code>Context
	  Help</code> window to display the optional terminals of a
	  connector pane and to display the full path to a
	  VI. Optional terminals are shown by wire stubs, informing
	  you that other connections exist. The detailed mode displays
	  all terminals, as shown in <cnxn target="f2"/>.
	</para>
	<figure id="f2">
	  <media type="image/png" src="dethlp.png"/>
	  <caption>Detailed Context Help Window</caption>
	</figure>
	<para id="para5">
	  <media type="image/png" src="lckhlp.png"/>
	  Click the <code>Lock Context Help</code> button to lock the
	  current contents of the <code>Context Help</code>
	  window. When the contents are locked, moving the cursor over
	  another object does not change the contents of the
	  window. To unlock the window, click the button again. You
	  also can access this option from the <code>Help</code> menu.
	</para>
	<para id="para6">
	  <media type="image/png" src="morehlp.png"/>
	  If a corresponding <cite>LabVIEW Help</cite> topic exists
	  for an object the <code>Context Help</code> window
	  describes, a blue <code>Click here for more help.</code>
	  link appears in the <code>Context Help</code> window. Also,
	  the <code>More Help</code> button, shown at left, is
	  enabled. Click the link or the button to display the
	  <cite>LabVIEW Help</cite> for more information about the
	  object.
	</para>
      </section>
      <section id="section3">
	<name>LabVIEW Help</name>
	<para id="para7">
	  You can access the <cite>LabVIEW Help</cite> either by
	  clicking the <code>More Help</code> button in the
	  <code>Context Help</code> window, selecting <code>Help&gt;&gt;VI,
	  Function, &amp; How-To Help</code>, or clicking the blue
	  <code>Click here for more help.</code> link in the
	  <code>Context Help</code> window.
	</para>
	<para id="para8">
	  The <cite>LabVIEW Help</cite> contains detailed descriptions
	  of most palettes, menus, tools, VIs, and functions. The
	  <cite>LabVIEW Help</cite> also includes step-by-step
	  instructions for using LabVIEW features. The <cite>LabVIEW
	  Help</cite> includes links to the following resources:
	</para>
	<list id="list1">
	  <item>
	    <cite>LabVIEW Bookshelf</cite>, which includes PDF
	    versions of all the LabVIEW manuals and Application Notes.
	  </item>
	  <item>
	    Technical support resources on the <link src="http://ni.com">National Instruments Web site</link>,
	    such as the <link src="http://zone.ni.com/zone/jsp/zone.jsp">NI Developer
	    Zone</link>, the <link src="http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/MainPage?OpenForm&amp;node=133020_US">Knowledge
	    Base</link>, and the <link src="http://digital.ni.com/manuals.nsf/MainPage?ReadForm&amp;node=132020_US">Product
	    Manuals Library</link>.
	  </item>
	</list>
      </section>
      <section id="section4">
	<name>NI Example Finder</name>
	<para id="para9">
	  The <code>New</code> dialog box contains many LabVIEW
	  template VIs that you can use to start building
	  VIs. However, these template VIs are only a subset of the
	  hundreds of example VIs included with LabVIEW. You can
	  modify any example VI to fit an application, or you can copy
	  and paste from an example into a VI that you create.
	</para>
	<para id="para10">
	  In addition to the example VIs that ship with LabVIEW, you
	  also can access hundreds of example VIs on the <cite>NI
	  Developer Zone</cite> at <link src="http://www.ni.com/zone">ni.com/zone</link>. To search
	  all examples using LabVIEW VIs, use the <code>NI Example
	  Finder</code>. The <code>NI Example Finder</code> is the
	  gateway to all installed examples and the examples located
	  on the <cite>NI Developer Zone</cite>.
	</para>
	<para id="para11">
	  To launch the <code>NI Example Finder</code>, select
	  <code>Help&gt;&gt;Find Examples</code> from the front panel or
	  block diagram menu bar. You also can launch the <code>NI
	  Example Finder</code> by clicking the arrow on the
	  <code>Open</code> button on the LabVIEW dialog box and
	  selecting <code>Examples</code> from the shortcut menu.
	</para>
      </section>
    </section>
  </content>
  
</document>
