VI Toolbar Buttons

The toolbar contains the following tools, which you can use to run and edit a VI.

Note  Many of these toolbar buttons provide functionality that is also available through keyboard shortcuts.

	Run runs the VI. LabVIEW compiles the VI, if necessary. You can run a VI if the Run button appears as a solid white arrow, shown at left. The solid white arrow also indicates you can use the VI as a subVI if you create a connector pane for the VI.
	While the VI runs, the Run button appears as shown at left if it is a top-level VI, meaning it has no callers and therefore is not a subVI.
	If the VI that is running is a subVI, the Run button appears as shown at left.
	While the VI is reserved for call as a subVI, the Run button appears as shown at left. This situation can occur if the VI is a subVI of a VI that is already running or if the VI has a strictly typed VI reference open to it. When the VI is reserved, you cannot run it directly.
	The Run button appears broken, shown at left, when the VI you are creating or editing contains errors. Click the broken Run button to display the Error list window, which lists all the errors. If the Run button still appears broken after you finish wiring the block diagram, the VI is broken and cannot run.
	Run Continuously runs the VI until you abort or pause execution.
	Abort Execution aborts execution of the top-level VI. If more than one running top-level VI uses the VI, the button is dimmed. You also can use the Abort VI method to abort the execution of the VI programmatically.

Note  The Abort Execution button stops the VI immediately, before the VI finishes the current iteration. Aborting a VI that uses external resources, such as external hardware, might leave the resources in an unknown state by not resetting or releasing them properly. Design VIs with a stop button to avoid this problem.

	Pause pauses or resumes execution. When you click the Pause button, LabVIEW highlights on the block diagram the location where you paused execution. Click it again to continue running the VI. The Pause button appears red when execution is paused.
	Highlight Execution displays an animation of the block diagram execution when you click the Run button. If the Highlight Execution button appears yellow, execution highlighting is enabled.
	Retain Wire Values saves data values. When you click the Retain Wire Values button, LabVIEW saves the values at each point in the flow of execution so that when you place a probe on a wire, you can immediately obtain the most recent value of the data that passed through the wire. This debugging tool can impact the performance of your VI.
	Step Into opens a node and pauses. When you click the Step Into button again, it executes the first action and pauses at the next action of the subVI or structure.
	Step Over executes a node and pauses at the next node.
	Step Out finishes executing the current node and pauses. When the VI finishes executing, the Step Out button becomes dimmed.

Text Settings changes the font settings for the VI.

Note  When a VI stops at a breakpoint, the Call list pull-down menu appears in the location of Text Settings if other VIs call the stopped VI. You can select a VI from the Call list pull-down menu to go to the block diagram of that VI.

	Align Objects aligns objects along axes.
	Distribute Objects spaces objects evenly.
	Resize Objects resizes multiple front panel objects to the same size.
	Reorder moves objects relative to each other. Select the Reorder pull-down menu when you have objects that overlap each other and you want to define which one is in front or back of another.
	Clean Up Diagram reroutes all existing wires and rearrange all existing objects on the block diagram automatically.
	Show Context Help Window displays the Context Help window.
	Enter appears to remind you that a new value is available to replace an old value. The Enter button disappears when you click it, press the <Enter> key, or click the front panel or block diagram workspace.
	Warning appears if a VI includes a warning and you placed a checkmark in the Show Warnings checkbox in the Error list window.
	Synchronize with Other Application Instances applies changes to the VI in all application instances. You cannot undo changes made to the VI after you click this button. This button is available only if you edit a VI that is open in multiple application instances.