Topic: DMD0268
Assign Nicknames
Nicknames can be created without having to first know what controller element the Nickname refers to. Nicknames created this way are referred to as ’unassigned Nicknames’. This gives the programmer the option of developing the ladder logic program using only Nicknames.
Creating an unassigned Nickname is done through the normal ladder editing functions. Add the required ladder component (contact, coil, etc.). Enter the desired Nickname in the Element field of the editor (note the red indicator in the editor that signifies an unknown Element reference).
Note: A Do-more Designer project that contains any unassigned Nicknames can be written to the disk, but that project cannot be saved to the controller. This is because the controller only knows how to use actual element references, it does not know how to use the Nicknames.
When the instruction editor is closed with an unknown Element reference, the programmer will be presented with the Create Nickname dialog.
Nickname - the Nickname to be created. Nicknames must be unique, and can be 1 to 16 characters in length and consist of any combination of alphanumeric characters and underscores ('_', 'a-z', 'A-Z', 0-9), no spaces or punctuation marks are allowed, and must begin with a letter or an underscore.
Associated Element - displays
the memory element that will be associated with the Nickname
Create nickname and ... - selects
what action to perform with the nickname
... assign to first unused element of specified type - select this option then use the Type drop-down menu to specify the data type to assign the nickname text to the first element in the range that is not currently being used in the project
... assign to specified element - select this option to assign the nickname text to a specific memory element
... leave unassigned - select which of the following types of controller element this Nickname will eventually refer to:
Bit (X, Y, C, etc.) - if this Nickname will be assigned to a BIT location
Numeric (D, R, V, etc.) - if this Nickname will be assigned to a numeric location
Structure (Counter, PID, etc.) - if this Nickname will be assigned to a structure element
If the ... leave unassigned option is selected an unassigned Nickname of the selected type will be created.
This is a how a contact with an unassigned Nickname appears in a Ladder view, notice that the Element reference is missing.
Before a Do-more Designer project containing unassigned Nicknames can be saved to the controller, the programmer must go through the process of assigning Element references to all of the unassigned Nicknames. This operation is performed with the Assign Nicknames dialog, allows the programmer to associate an unassigned Nickname with a controller element and optionally merge documentation from either source. It will perform a replace operation on the program to update all of the references to the unassigned Nickname.
The Assign Nicknames dialog can be invoked by any of the following ways:
Select the Tools -> Assign Nicknames Menu option
Right-click with the mouse on the unassigned Nickname and select Assign Nickname
Click the Nicknames button on the Tools toolbar
Click the Assign Nicknames button on the Element Browser (F9)
The Unassigned Nicknames list will display all currently unassigned Nicknames in the project.
Nickname - the name of the unassigned Nickname
Type - the data type of element that the unassigned Nickname references
Previous Usage - if the unassigned Nickname was created by a change to the System Configuration (for example, the nickname was for an element that has been deleted), this column will display the data type that was previously used.
Used - will have an asterisk if the unassigned Nickname is currently being used in the project
Select the Nickname in the list by highlighting the row containing the Nickname, then enter the desired Element reference for that Nickname in the Target Element column -or use the Element Browser (F9) or down-arrow (Auto-Complete) to select the element from the list provided.
If either the Unassigned Nickname or the Target Element already has existing Wiring Info or Description, the programmer can choose which pieces of the information to keep by selecting it with the appropriate radio button.
The Merged Result column will display the Element with the Nickname and any of the selected Wiring Info and Description text that will be assigned to it.
Click the Exit button to close the dialog without saving any changes.
Click the Assign button and a confirmation dialog will appear, click Assign to complete the assignment process.
Click the Delete... button to remove the unassigned Nickname from the list. Unassigned Nicknames can only be deleted if they are NOT used in the project.
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