Reflect - LabView

You've just powered through a significant chunk of what Labview can do, and if you stuck with it, you also stepped through a tutorial and took a look at a handful of videos designed to clarify the critical mechanisms of the language and it's display. Now is a good time to step back and make sure that you see the forest through the trees (i.e., to remind you why this module is important, to think about the big picture).

Think a little about the following questions and answers:

• Why use Labview?
  To allow input of data to programs, and to view the subsequent effect (Output) of that data. Remember, this course is about building simulations on the computer. You'll want to vary the initial data and see how that affects the simulation. Labview provides tools to allow you to do both.
  
• What does Labview have that traditional programming languages lack?
  Labview provides a graphical mechanism for inputting and processing data and displaying results; this mechanism allows the programmer to visualize the processes that operate on the data.
  
  Conventional programming languages are textual in nature and provide nothing to help the programmer visualize whats happening.

While we've covered a great deal of information in this introduction to Labview, it was still only that; an introduction. The next few modules will help you get acquainted with more advanced Labview features.

So, try to remember when you're hip deep in one esoteric Labview function or another, what we're really doing here. We're learning about a tool that will help us in our quest to simulate physical systems.