Objects supported for searching with object browser

The general rule is: The object browser searches for all objects (elements) within the application that are declared with a name (an →IEC-identifier) (e.g. a →variable, a →POU). But there are some restrictions.

Hence, the following table informs which of the possible objects/elements will be considered for the search action (icon images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/check.svg within column Supported?) and which of them are not considered (icon images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg within column Supported?). Moreover, the table contains some notes that might assist you in a succesful search action.

Object or element

Supported?

Note

→SFC element, in particular:

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg

→user-defined data type, in particular:

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/check.svg

The column Type displays the text Typ for such data types (instead of the actual data type, e.g. INT).

→named element of a data type with named values

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg

the following user-defined data type:

→structured data type

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/check.svg

The column Type displays the text Structure data type for such data types.

the structure elements of a structured data type

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/check.svg

The column Type displays the data type of the structure element.
Observe the special cases as mentioned for the variables (see below within this table).

GLOBALS section of a global-object

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg

global variable of a global-object

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/check.svg

These globale variables are only found, if there is a reference to the GLOBALS section within the application (e.g. in a resource).
The column Type displays the data type of the variable.

→configuration (within a PLC-object)

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/check.svg

The column Type displays the text Configuration.

→namespace itselft

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg


element of a →namespace
(e.g. a function that has been declared within a namespace)

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/check.svg

The column Type displays the text of the appropriate element.

→POU, in particular:

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/check.svg

Depending on the type of the POU, the column Type displays the following text:

  • Program or Program instance

  • User function block, System function block or Interface for user C/C++ function block

  • User function, System function or Interface for user C/C++ function

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/information.svg Best practice is to enter the text User in the column Type, if you want to find "just user-defined function blocks and user-defined functions". Or enter the text System for "just system function blocks and system functions". Or enter the text Interface for "just ST-interfaces".
At present, the object browser identifies the system functions for the I2C elemente as user functions by mistake.

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/information.svg If a function is declared with a return value and you are searching for this function, there will be 2 matches – one match for the declared function and one match for the return value.

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg A →call of a function (e.g. of AND) or of a function block (e.g. by RS) is not found by the object browser. See "Workaround: Searching for calls of a function or function block".

→interface

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/check.svg

The column Type displays the text Interface.

→method

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg Language elements in methods (e.g. variables) are also not found by the object browser.

→project, →folder or →object within the project explorer

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg

→resource (within a PLC-object)

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/check.svg

The column Type displays the text Resource.

→task (within a PLC-object)

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg

→variable (within a supported element), in particular:

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/check.svg

The column Type displays the data type of the variable.
Observe the following special cases, if you want to restrict a search action based on the type:

  • If the data type is a multi-dimensional →array, the data type is not specified with the syntax used in the ST-editor. Example: Data type ARRAY [1..2, 1..3] OF INT according to ST-editor is specified as type ARRAY[1..2] OF ARRAY[1..3] OF INT by the object browser.

  • In case of a reference variable, the type is not specified is not specified with the syntax used in the ST-editor. Example: Data type REF_TO INT according to ST-editor is specified as type ^INT by the object browser.

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg A usage of a variable is not found by the object browser. See "Workaround: Searching for calls of a function or function block".

→variable, in particular:

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg

"specific" →FBD-element, in particular:

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/error.svg

images/s/b2ic8e/9012/1ca6q62/_/images/icons/emoticons/information.svg The object browser finds a variable or function block instance that are declared within an FBD-object (see above within this table).