HS/FS 14 Byte Text

[Warichet]

Hello,

I've an understanding problem about the 14 Byte Texte (and others as well, I guess)
Experte
Dynamische Texte
Texte
Werte
14 Byte Texte
What is the correct usage ?
Is this only a "Type" definition (the same can be re-used multiple times) or
should I create one instance for each usage ?
While creating a 14 Byte Texte variable, I saw a Key number, this triggered the question and makes me think it should be unique
Yeh, I know, having a HS since all those years and now asking such fundamental questions.

Thank you

[bramlangen]

'Yes', a particular dynamic text can be used as often as you want. Keep in mind:

• If you use the plain vanilla' dynamic text, then the field 'Text control' typically will be a KO of type 14ByteText. Whatever value the KO has will be displayed where you have positioned that dynamic text field. In other words: if you have the same dynamic text element on your visu page in 10 places, each with a different text control KO, you will see 10 different texts on that page.
  To state the obvious: if the element specifies a prefix or suffix, then you can reuse this element only where you need that same customization.
• If you want to use pre-defined dynamic texts, then the element is controlled by a KO with a numeric value (for instance, a 1bit to display 'On' or 'Off' dynamically). The 'Text control' field then must be a KO that represents that value. For every combination that you want to make, for instance 'On/Off' or 'Open/Closed' you will need a separate dynamic text element (assuming you use 1-bit KOs to control it). Here again, you can re-use that element as often as you like.
  (There can be as many conditions as you like when defining the texts, so if you want to display 'low-low', 'low', 'normal', 'high' and 'high-high' then specify the five numeric ranges that correspond with those words.)

The attachment shows an example of the difference between them.
Bram

[Warichet]

Thanks for the explanation.
Any example/good practice as to when use the one over the other ?
One small argument is that each instantiation of the type uses a bit of memory, but on a "Pimped" HS I guess this no more relevant.
Maybe another argument ?

[bramlangen]

The principle I use:

• If the text to be displayed can be 'anything', then I use the generic dynamic text display. This is for instance the case when the information is coming from a website such as the weather forecast.
• If the text depends on a variable which the HS already knows (say, a window is open or closed - the corresponding GA is 0 or 1), then I use the dynamic text with a condition - controlled by that GA. This then 'translates' the 0 or the 1 to the text 'Open' or 'Closed'.

I have an old HS3, and have not noticed that these dynamic texts have any ill effects on the memory being used. Personally, I think that having one dynamic element for Open/Closed, controlled by the existing GA that monitors the window or door state, is more efficient then when you use an additional and separate GA for each window that either contains 'Open' or 'Closed'.