Using a List for other than specified purpose...

Discuss issues and ideas you have to configuring displays with PowerVision
ronaldbroth
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2017 12:45 pm

Using a List for other than specified purpose...

Post by ronaldbroth » Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:02 pm

Good afternoon,

As you might guess - I am working on graphing and of course a bunch of questions come to mind.

I am graphing a significant amount of data (or have the potential to do so). There are 10 unassigned lists that I am currently using. I think that is enough BUT the questions comes to mind which is the following:

Can I use a list (that has an assigned name) for a purpose other than what it is supposed to be used? Example: I am not going to use the PhoneBook in my application so can I highjack it (and modify it??) Are certain ones reserved but other ones I can use (other than the unassigned ones??)
11-29-2017 12-15-38.png
11-29-2017 12-15-38.png (47 KiB) Viewed 87 times
Thanks!

Ron Roth
EControls, LLC
boyce
Enovation Controls Development
Enovation Controls Development
Posts: 322
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 5:09 pm

Re: Using a List for other than specified purpose...

Post by boyce » Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:02 am

I asked one of the PowerVision developers this:

There is a question on the forum asking if the predefined lists can be used for something else? He is using all of the CustomLists and needs more (PV1200 configuration).

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1588

Would you say if it is safe to use like the PhoneBook list for something else?



His reply:

Yes, I believe he can use it. I don’t think the Bluetooth app will write to that list unless a phone is paired, so it should be safe. He’d have to test it though. Since the apps “know” about those lists, there is always the risk that an app will overwrite his data.

Some of the columns on the predefined lists are hidden from scripting, so he wouldn’t be able to use the column offset enums for those. He’d have to manually enter an integer offset.

Other than that I don’t think there is any risk to using them. I know we have an item on our backlog to implement real read-only columns, so in the future his implementation might break if we mark one of the columns on a predefined list that he is using as read-only. Currently, the only restriction we have on lists is hiding columns from scripting.
Boyce Schrack
Enovation Controls
ronaldbroth
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2017 12:45 pm

Re: Using a List for other than specified purpose...

Post by ronaldbroth » Tue Dec 05, 2017 2:52 pm

You guys are too nice to say maybe. Most companies would say "... absolutely no!"

I understand the risks. Thanks for the review!

Ron