LabVIEW

Quick Reference Card

Take advantage of the following resources to help you during each phase of using
LabVIEW from installation through advanced development. Use the following
resources for the most comprehensive documentation.

Online Resources
HELP MENU
For the simplest, most integrated approach to using the
LabVIEW Help, select HelpShow Context Help or
press Ctrl-H and move your cursor over an object.

Search the LabVIEW Help

Select HelpSearch the LabVIEW Help to access information about LabVIEW programming
concepts, step-by-step instructions for using LabVIEW, and reference information about
LabVIEW VIs, functions, palettes, menus, and tools.

Find Examples
Select HelpFind Examples to browse hundreds of example VIs. You can modify an example
VI to fit an application, or you can copy and paste from one or more examples into a VI you
create.

Web Resources
Select HelpWeb Resources to access links to LabVIEW resources on ni.com including
upgrades, training and seminars, customer solutions, example VIs, LabVIEW support and
documentation, user groups, and discussion forums.
LabVIEW Navigating the LabVIEW Environment
Keyboard Shortcuts Ctrl-E Displays the block diagram or front panel window.
Enables or disables grid alignment.
Ctrl-# (Mac OS) Press the Command-* keys.
Objects and Movement
Ctrl-/ Maximizes and restores the window.
Shift-click Selects multiple objects; adds an
object to the current selection. Ctrl-T Tiles front panel and block diagram windows.
Moves the selected objects one pixel Ctrl-F Finds objects or text.
(arrow keys)
at a time.
Ctrl-G Searches VIs for next instance of object or text.
Moves the selected objects several
Shift- pixels at a time. Ctrl-Shift-G Searches VIs for previous instance of object or text.

Shift-click (drag) Moves the selected objects in one axis. Ctrl-Shift-F Displays the Search Results window.

Ctrl-click (drag) Duplicates the selected objects. Ctrl-Tab Cycles through LabVIEW windows.
Duplicates the selected objects and Ctrl-Shift-Tab Cycles through LabVIEW windows in reverse order.
Ctrl-Shift-click (drag)
moves them in one axis. Ctrl-Shift-N Displays the Navigation window.
Resizes the selected object while
Shift-resize maintaining aspect ratio. Ctrl-I Displays the VI Properties dialog box.
Ctrl-L Displays the Error list window.
Ctrl-resize Resizes the selected object while
maintaining center point. Ctrl-Shift-E Displays current VI in Project Explorer window.
Resizes the selected object while Ctrl-Y Displays the History window.
Ctrl-Shift-resize maintaining center point and aspect
ratio. Ctrl-Shift-W Displays the All Windows dialog box.
Ctrl-drag a rectangle Adds more working space to the front Ctrl-Space Displays the Quick Drop dialog box.
in open space panel or block diagram. (Mac OS) Press the Command-Shift-Space keys.
Selects all front panel or block diagram
Ctrl-A
items. Navigating the VI Hierarchy Window
Performs last alignment operation on
Ctrl-Shift-A objects. Ctrl-D Redraws the window.

Performs last distribution operation on Ctrl-A Shows all VIs in the window.
Ctrl-D
objects. Displays the subVIs and other nodes that make up
Ctrl-click VI the VI you select in the window.
Adds a free label to the front panel or
Double-click open space block diagram if automatic tool Enter Finds next node that matches the search string.
selection is enabled.
Shift-Enter Finds previous node that matches the search string.
Scrolls through subdiagrams of a Case,
Ctrl-mouse wheel
Event, or Stacked Sequence structure. After initiating a search by typing in the VI Hierarchy window.
Disables preset alignment positions
Spacebar (drag) when moving object labels or captions. File Operations
Ctrl-U Reroutes all wires and rearranges Ctrl-N Opens a new, blank VI.
block diagram objects automatically.
Ctrl-O Opens an existing VI.
Ctrl-W Closes the VI.
Debugging
Ctrl-S Saves the VI.
Ctrl- Steps into node.
Ctrl-Shift-S Saves all open files.
Ctrl- Steps over node.
Ctrl-P Prints the window.
Ctrl- Steps out of node.
Ctrl-Q Quits LabVIEW.

Basic Editing Help

Ctrl-Z Undoes last action. Displays the Context Help window.
Ctrl-H
Ctrl-Shift-Z Redoes last action. (Mac OS) Press the Command-Shift-H keys.

Ctrl-X Cuts selected objects. Ctrl-Shift-L Locks the Context Help window.

Ctrl-C Copies selected objects. Ctrl-? or F1 Displays the LabVIEW Help.

Ctrl-V Pastes last cut or copied objects. Refer to the LabVIEW Help for keyboard shortcut variations on other
system locales and keyboard layouts.
Tools and Palettes Text
Ctrl Switches to the next most useful tool. Double-click Selects a single word in a string.
Shift Switches to the Positioning tool. Triple-click Selects an entire string.
Ctrl-Shift over open Switches to the Scrolling tool. Ctrl- Moves forward in string by one word.
space
Ctrl- Moves backward in string by one word.
Toggles between the two most common
Spacebar tools. Moves to the beginning of current line in
Home string.
Shift-Tab Enables automatic tool selection.
End Moves to the end of current line in string.
Cycles through the four most common
tools if you disabled automatic tool Ctrl-Home Moves to the beginning of entire string.
Tab selection by clicking the Automatic Tool Ctrl-End Moves to the end of entire string.
Selection button. Otherwise, enables
automatic tool selection. Adds new items when entering items in
enumerated type controls and constants,
Navigates temporary Controls and Shift-Enter ring controls and constants, or Case
Functions palettes.
structures.
Enter Navigates into a temporary palette.
Esc Cancels current edit in a string.
Esc Navigates out of a temporary palette. Ctrl-Enter Ends text entry.
Displays a temporary version of the
Shift-right-click Tools palette at the location of the Ctrl-= Increases the current font size.
cursor. Ctrl-- Decreases the current font size.
If automatic tool selection is disabled. Ctrl-0 Displays the Font Style dialog box.
Ctrl-1 Changes to the Application font.
Ctrl-2 Changes to the System font.
SubVIs
Ctrl-3 Changes to the Dialog font.
Double-click subVI Displays the subVI front panel.
Ctrl-4 Changes to the current font.
Ctrl-double-click Displays the subVI block diagram and front
In the Font Style dialog box.
subVI panel.
Drag VI icon to block Places that VI as a subVI on the block
diagram diagram.
Wiring
Places that VI as a subVI on the block
Shift-drag VI icon diagram with constants wired for controls Ctrl-B Deletes all broken wires in a VI.
to block diagram
that have non-default values.
Esc, right-click, or Cancels a wire you started.
Ctrl-right-click block click terminal
diagram and select Opens the front panel of that VI.
VI from palette Single-click wire Selects one segment.
Double-click wire Selects a branch.
Triple-click wire Selects the entire wire.
Execution Temporarily disables automatic wire
A
Ctrl-R Runs the VI. routing.

Ctrl-. Stops the VI. Tacks down wire without connecting

Double-click
it.
Ctrl-M Changes to run or edit mode.
Switches the direction of a wire
spacebar between horizontal and vertical.
Ctrl-Run button Recompiles the current VI.
Ctrl-Shift-Run button Recompiles all VIs in memory. spacebar While moving objects, toggles
automatic wiring.
Ctrl- Moves key focus inside an array or cluster.
Ctrl-click input on function Switches the two input wires.
Ctrl- Moves key focus outside an array or cluster. with two inputs
Navigates the controls or indicators Undoes last point where you set a
Tab Shift-click
according to tabbing order. wire.
Navigates backward through the controls While wiring.
Shift-Tab or indicators.
While the VI is running. Note: The Ctrl key in these shortcuts corresponds to the Option or
Command key on Mac OS and the Alt key on Linux.
Manuals
INSTALLATION USAGE

LabVIEW Release Notes Getting Started with LabVIEW

Provides additional installation Complete quick tutorials to learn about
instructions for LabVIEW. Also describes building data acquisition and instrument
the system requirements for LabVIEW, control applications.
including the LabVIEW Application
Builder.
SUPPORT

UPGRADE LabVIEW Readme

Last-minute information about LabVIEW
LabVIEW Upgrade Notes that did not make it into other resources.
Describes new features and issues you Includes bug fixes, possible installation or
might encounter when you upgrade compatibility issues, and changes from
LabVIEW to the latest version on previous versions of LabVIEW.
Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.

National Instruments, NI, ni.com, and LabVIEW are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation. Refer to the Terms of Use section on
ni.com/legal for more information about National Instruments trademarks. Other product and company names mentioned herein are
trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. For patents covering National Instruments products/technology, refer to the
appropriate location: HelpPatents in your software, the patents.txt file on your media, or the National Instruments Patent Notice at
ni.com/patents. For copyright notices, conditions, and disclaimers, including information regarding certain third-party components used in
LabVIEW, refer to the Copyright topic in the LabVIEW Help.
19972009 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved. 373353C-01 Jun09