PLC Variable Name Input Support via Prefix Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
In programming for PLCs, using variable names as operands is inefficient due to the need for long character strings, especially when multiple operands share the same meaning, requiring users to input entire strings to confirm the correct variable name, which slows down the programming process and increases the risk of errors.
Innovation Solution
An input supporting method that narrows down variable names as each character is inputted, using forward matching to extract potential candidates, allowing users to confirm the target variable name without inputting the entire string, thereby reducing the number of character inputs required and improving operability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If variable names with long character strings are used to avoid duplication and convey meaning, then the clarity and maintainability of the program improve, but the input time and programming efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically narrowing down variable names as each character is input, extracting candidates that match the input prefix, and displaying them in advance. This allows the user to confirm the target variable name before completing the full input, thereby reducing input time while maintaining program clarity through meaningful variable names.
2Ease of operation
If the autocomplete function extracts one variable name by taking the smallest character in alphabetical order, then the candidate selection process is simplified, but the correct variable name may not be displayed when multiple valid candidates exist
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by differentiating the display presentation of variable name candidates based on their matching status. Characters that match the input are displayed in a first (non-highlighted) mode, while non-matching characters are displayed in a second (highlighted) mode. This allows users to visually distinguish between confirmed and unconfirmed portions of variable names, enabling accurate selection even when multiple candidates exist.
3Reliability
If all variable names must be fully input before confirmation, then the risk of selecting the wrong variable is reduced, but the programming speed deteriorates significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously narrowing down variable names as each character is input and displaying the narrowed-down candidates to the user. This real-time feedback mechanism allows users to confirm the target variable name early in the input process, reducing the number of characters that need to be typed while maintaining high selection accuracy through visual confirmation of matching characters.
Data Source
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AI summary
This invention enables a target variable name to be confirmed without inputting all the character string even when a method of giving a name such as allocating a number to the end of the name is performed from the necessity to allocate a variable name having the same meaning to a plurality of different addresses. If narrowed down variable name exists in plurals and one or two or more continuous next character strings match each other among the variable names, the series of character strings without any choice are automatically adopted and confirmed as the character string of the target variable name without waiting for the input of an operator.