Using Texts

You can have text displayed in an element by assigning a string in the property Texts ‣ Text . For example, all basic elements have this property. You can also have a text shown as a tooltip (element property Texts ‣ Tooltip ). Texts assigned in this way are static. They are managed in the GlobalTextList object in the POUs view and can be changed neither programmatically nor by user input during the runtime of the visualization.

However, you can expand a static text by (exactly) one placeholder with a formatting specification in order to output the content of a variable at this point. The current value of the variable that you have assigned in the Text variable property will then be output at runtime.

Note

For the possible formatting specifications, see: Placeholders with Format Definition in the Output Text.

You can animate the purely visual text display through dynamic configuration.

You can localize the static texts if you have set up multilingualism in the project.

For a few examples of the text configuration of visualization elements, see the sections below.

See also

Labeling an image element with a static text

Requirement: A project is open with a visualization. You have an image file for a stop symbol.

  1. Under the application, insert an Image Pool object named ImagePool_A.

  2. Add an image with the Stop ID to ImagePool_A.

    ⇒

  3. Open the visualization and drag an Image element to the editor.

    ⇒ The input assistant opens. ImagePool_A is listed in the Category tab.

  4. Select the Stop image and click OK to close the dialog.

  5. Configure its Text property: ImagePool_A, Stop

  6. Configure the property Text properties ‣ Horizontal alignment : Left.

  7. Configure the property Text properties ‣ Vertical alignment : Bottom.

    ⇒

Text output: Element outputs the result of an ST code executed upon a mouse click in text form.

Requirement: A project is open with a visualization.

  1. Open the visualization and added a Button element.

    ⇒ The Properties view opens for the new button.

  2. Configure the Text property: Number of clicks: %i.

    ⇒ The string contains the placeholder %i.

  3. In the application, declare a variable with matching type in the PLC_PRG POU: iClicks : INT;.

  4. Configure the Text variable property of the button as PLC_PRG.iClicks.

    ⇒ The variable value is output instead of the placeholder at runtime.

  5. In the Input configuration property, click the Configure button in the OnMouseClick line.

  6. Select Execute ST Code from the list of possible actions.

  7. Program the code for the action in the editor in Execute ST Code:

    PLC_PRG.iClicks := PLC_PRG.iClicks + 1;

  8. Click OK to close the dialog.

    ⇒ The user input is configured.

  9. Compile, download, and start the application.

    ⇒ The application runs. The visualization opens. The element is labeled and the number of clicks is output. The number is increased if you as the user click on the button.

Text output: Dynamic from a text list

You can dynamically output text with the help of the Text Field element. You can implement a text output by a user input or programmatically.

Requirement: A project is open with a visualization.

  1. Open the visualization and add a Text Field element.

    ⇒ The Properties view shows the configuration of the element.

  2. Below the application, add a text list with text list entries: TextList_A.

    ⇒

  3. In the application in the POU PLC_PRG, declare the text variable: strTextID : STRING := '0';

  4. Also declare there the variable strTooltipID : STRING := '0';

  5. Also declare there the variable iText : INT;

  6. Configure the property Dynamic texts ‣ Text list with 'TextList_A'.

  7. Configure the property Dynamic texts ‣ Text index with PLC_PRG.strTextID.

  8. Configure the property Dynamic texts ‣ Tooltip index with PLC_PRG.strTooltipID.

  9. In the application in the POU PLC_PRG, program the CASE instruction as shown below.

    ⇒ The variables in the Dynamic texts property are programmed.

  10. Configure the property Input configuration ‣ OnMouseclick for Execute ST Code with PLC_PRG.iText := (PLC_PRG.iText + 1) MOD 4;

    ⇒ A user input is configured for the Text Field element.

  11. Compile, download, and start the application.

    ⇒ The application runs. The visualization opens. The text None is output in the text field. If you as the user click on the element, the text changes to Dynamic_ File_A. In addition, the matching tooltip is shown: Information A. The text changes with each click according to the CASE instruction.

CASE instruction 

CASE iText OF
0:  strTextID := '0';
    strToolTipID := '0';

1:  strTextID := '1';
    strToolTipID := '4';

2:  strTextID := '2';
    strToolTipID := '5';

3:  strTextID := '3';
    strToolTipID := '6';
ELSE
    strTextID := '0';
    strToolTipID := '0';
END_CASE;

Text output: Configure static + dynamic text output

You can define a text in Texts ‣ Text in order to output it statically. A text in Texts ‣ Tooltip is shown as a tooltip. You can configure the text in such a way that the content of a variable is output with it.

You can expand a static text by (exactly) one placeholder with a formatting specification in order to output the content of a variable at this point at runtime. The variable that you have assigned in the Text variable property is output. If the variable changes in the application code, then its output in the visualization changes at the same time.

Requirement: A project is open with a visualization.

  1. Open the visualization and add a Text Field element.

    ⇒ The Properties view shows the configuration of the element.

  2. Configure the property Texts ‣ Text : File name: %s

    ⇒ The text contains the placeholder %s.

  3. In the application in the POU PLC_PRG, declare a type-compliant variable strFileName : STRING := 'File_A';

  4. Configure the Text variable property of the button with PLC_PRG.strFileName.

    ⇒ The content of the variable will be output instead of the placeholder at runtime.

  5. Compile, download, and start the application.

    ⇒ The application runs. The visualization opens. The element outputs the text: File name: File_A

See also

Text input in the text field

You can drag the Text Field element into your visualization in order to display text in it or to give the user an option to input to this variable.

In addition, you can configure a text input. Upon a user input, an input field then appears in the window area of the Text Field element. This necessitates configuring a user input in the Input configuration property.

Note

You can find a sample project for using text fields in visualizations in the CODESYS Store.

See also

Showing text as a tooltip

Requirement: A project is open with a visualization.

  1. Open the visualization and add a Text Field element.

    ⇒ The Properties view shows the configuration of the element.

  2. Configure the property Texts ‣ Text : File name: %s

    ⇒ The text contains the placeholder %s.

  3. Configure the property Texts ‣ Tooltip : Storage location: %s

  4. In the application in the POU PLC_PRG, declare a type-compliant variable strFileName : STRING := 'File_A';

  5. In the application in the POU PLC_PRG, declare the variable strFileDir : STRING := 'D:/Data';

  6. Configure the Text variable property of the text field with PLC_PRG.strFileName.

    ⇒ The content of the variable will be output instead of the placeholder at runtime.

  7. Configure the Tooltip property of the text field with PLC_PRG.strFileDir.

  8. Compile, download, and start the application.

    ⇒ The application runs. The visualization opens. The element outputs the text: File name: File_A When the mouse pointer moves over the text field, the tooltip appears: Storage location : D/Data.

See also

Configuring a Text Field element for text input

So that the user can enter text in a text field, configure an input of the type Write a Variable to a text output variable. This text output variable will save the user's input and display it the output text in place of the placeholder ( %s in the example below). You specify the text output variable in the property Text variables ‣ Text variable .

Requirement: A project is open with a visualization.

  1. In the application in the POU PLC_PRG, declare a string variable: strInput : STRING;

  2. Open the visualization and add a Text Field element.

    ⇒ The Properties view shows the configuration of the element.

  3. Configure the property Texts ‣ Text with Input: %s.

  4. In the Input configuration property for the OnMouseClick mouse action, click on Configure to open the Input Configuration dialog. Select the Write a variable action in the dialog and activate the Use text output variable option for this purpose. Click OK to close the dialog.

  5. Now assign the text output variable PLC_PRG.strInput in the property Text variables ‣ Text variable .

  6. Compile, download, and start the application.

    ⇒ The application runs. The visualization opens. The element outputs the text: Input:. Click on the element. An input field then appears in which you can enter a string. The text is accepted when you press the Enter key.

Animating a text display

You can configure the Font variables property in order to animate the display of text. All basic elements have this property as well as tables, scrollbars and text fields.

See also

Configuring an element 'Label'

Requirement: A project is open with a visualization.

  1. Open the visualization and add a Label element.

    ⇒ The Properties view opens with its default properties.

  2. Configure the property Texts ‣ Text : Visualization A.

Hiding an element

You can configure the property State variable ‣ Invisible in order to hide an element.

Requirement: You have a text field in the visualization that is shown only if a specific application variable is TRUE. For example, in order to display instructions or an explanation for a specific state only.

  1. Configure the property Texts ‣ Text for the text field with Error detected: Do the following....

    Configure the property Text property ‣ Font color with Dark red.

  2. In PLC_PRG, declare the variable bIsInvisible : BOOL : TRUE; (the initialization here for the example; otherwise the variable is set to TRUE by the application program under certain conditions.

  3. Configure the property State variables ‣ Invisible with PLC_PRG.bIsInvisible.

  4. Compile, download, and start the application.

    ⇒ The application runs. The visualization opens and the text field is invisible. If you now set bIsInvisible to TRUE, the text field appears.

3.5.16.0

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