The Application Navigator →view (alias just "application navigator") is an alternative to the project explorer of logi.CAD 3. The application navigator provides a different view onto the →projects, →folders and →objects. Use the application navigator as you use the project explorer to create projects, folders, objects and to open them for editing.

A typical application navigator looks as follows:

images/download/attachments/443057654/ApplicationNavigator_EN-version-2-modificationdate-1586857076846-api-v2.png

If the application navigator is not visible in your application, you can add it to the current perspective: Select Window – Show View – Other – Other... – Application Navigator.

More to follow in this arcticle

Components of application navigator
- Resources in application navigator
- Toolbar for application navigator
Actions in application navigator

Components of application navigator

Resources in application navigator

The application navigator displays the resources similar to the project explorer. The following table is only listing the different resources.

Icon of resource	Name of resource	Meaning
	configuration-name	→configuration Difference to the project explorer The application navigator does not display PLC-objects (with icon ) that you might know from the project explorer. Instead, configuration, resource, task and instance from a PLC-object are displayed without the level of the PLC-object. The advantage is that you are able to manipulate these elements directly within the application navigator (e.g. renaming the configuration) without having to open the PLC-object.
	resource-name	IEC-resource; see →resource
	task-name	→task
	instance-name	instance of the →program
	folder name	a namespace folder See "Turning a folder into a namespace folder" for i nformation on creating a namespace folder .
	folder name	a `USING` instruction (usually included below a namespace folder) See "Assigning USING for accessing a different namespace folder" for information on creating a namespace folder.

The following resources already exist within the application navigator after you have created a project:

Resource (with icon)		Meaning
	`Libraries`	folder with →libraries
	`Project blocks`	folder with →POUs, →interfaces and →data types from the project, if they are located under the folder `src` Difference to the project explorer The application navigator does not display ST-objects (with icon ), FBD-objects (with icon ) and LD-objects (with icon ) that you might know from the project explorer. Instead, the folders `Libraries`, `Project blocks` and `Variants` contain the elements from these objects but without the level of the object itself. The advantage is that you are able to manipulate these elements directly within the folders `Project blocks` and `Variants` (e.g. renaming a POU) without having to expand or open the object. If the object is declared in a namespace and this object is not located in a namespace folder, the application navigator displays a namespace behind the name of the object in (). Example: The item `Motor1 (myPOUs)`indicates that the object `Motor1` is declared within the namespace `myPOUs`.
	`Variants`	folder with local variants, if they are located under the folder `src`
	`Templates`	folder with templates, if they are located under the folder `templates` Usually, templates are objects for the application (e.g. ST-/FBD-objects) that are not mature enough. The a dditional decorator behind the object name informs that the object is a template. The purpose of the templates logi.CAD 3 does not check the content of template and does not report any errors/problems for them (in the Problems view ) . The advantage is that you can prepare some content – without being "disturbed" by reported errors/problems. Restriction: You cannot use objects in these templates (e.g. an ST function block) in the application. If you try to do so anyway, the usage will be reported as an error in the Problems view. If logi.CAD 3 should not check an object: Drag the resource from the respective folder within the application folder into the default folder `Templates` of the project. If you want to use the object in the application, drag the resource from the `Templates` folder of the project to another folder. Result: logi.CAD 3 checks the content of this resource. If errors/warnings are reported, fix them accordingly so that you can use the object in the application without errors or warnings. See "Moving resources" how to drag an object from the original location to the new location .
	`Sources for configuration`and `Sources for resource`	folder with POUs, interfaces and data types from the project, if they are located under the folder `src\configuration-name` and `src\configuration-name\resource-name` respectively
	`Configuration-Global Variables`and `Resource-Global Variables`	→global variables that are declared within a configuration or resource and for which a corresponding →external variable has been declared and used within the application Details: see "Declaring global variables for resource or configuration and using them"

Context menu for application navigator

Right-clicking inside the application navigator opens a context menu. This context menu allows you to perform actions, such as copying, moving, creating resources. See "Actions in application navigator" for details.

Toolbar for application navigator

The application navigator also provides a toolbar with buttons to speed up your work in the application navigator. See "Project explorer to manage project" for these possibilities.

Actions in application navigator

The application navigator provides actions to create, copy, move resources that are also provided in the project explorer. See " Actions with projects/resources ".

Enhancements for the application navigator

If you want to open an object with the →instance context from within the application navigator, use the command Open Instance that is provided in the context menu of the object.
If you want to build the application from within the application navigator, use the command Build Application that is provided in the context menu of a configuration or resource. See "Loading the built application onto PLC" for details on the building of an application.

More notes/restrictions

You are able to create new instances of a program within the application navigator as detailed under "Assigning more program types (= creating new instances)".
The copying/pasting of tasks is not possible within the application navigator. If you want to copy and paste tasks, perform the steps as described in "Declaring more tasks within PLC-object".