Application navigator as an alternative to the project explorer
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:
The application navigator is visible, if you open the →perspective Application Creating (Application Navigator).
If the application navigator is not visible in your logi.CAD 3, you can add it to the current perspective: Select Window – Show View – Other – Other... – 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 |
Difference to the project explorer The application navigator does not display PLC-objects (with icon
) that you might know from the project explorer. |
|
resource-name |
IEC-resource; see →resource |
|
task-name |
|
|
instance-name |
instance of the →program |
|
folder name |
a namespace folder |
|
folder name |
a USING
instruction (usually included below a namespace folder) |
The following resources already exist within the application navigator after you have created a project:
Resource (with icon) |
Meaning |
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|
Globale variables |
folder with global-objects from the project, if they are located under the folder globals The best practice is to create new global-objects below Global variables so that the global variables are created in the subfolder globals of the project and the global variables in these global objects are displayed in a structured way. |
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|
Libraries |
folder with →libraries |
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|
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
|
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|
Variants |
folder with local variants, if they are located under the folder src |
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|
Templates |
folder with templates, if they are located under the folder templates The purpose of the templates logi.CAD 3 does not check/validate the content of the template and does not report any errors, problems, or rule violations for them (e.g. in the Problems view
)
. The advantage is that you can prepare some content – without being "disturbed" by reported errors, problems, or rule violations.
Exception: If a template is opened in an editor, rule violations are reported by a validation. As soon as the editor for the template is closed, the messages are removed from the view.
If logi.CAD 3 should not check/validate 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. See "Moving resources" how to drag an object from the original location to the new location . |
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|
Sources for configurationand |
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 |
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|
Configuration-Global Variablesand |
→global variables that are declared within a configuration or resource or within a global-object
(in case of the required reference to the GLOBALS section) |
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.
The application navigator provides the possibility to declare external variables and to have the declarations based on the already existing global variables. This is done when you drag the global variables from a global-object onto a →POU. Details: See "Declaring external variables by dragging and dropping global variables into POUs".
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)".
You are able to create the references to a global-object for a configuration or resource within the application navigator as detailed under "Creating and using a global-object".
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".