SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FREE FORM COMMENTS FOR A PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER
A method of annotating a specification of a programmable logic controller is provided that includes displaying a graphical element in a first graphical language for programming the programmable logic controller, and displaying a comment associated with the graphical element. A method for converting a specification for a programmable logic controller in a first language to a second language is provided that includes converting a first instruction in the first language to a second instruction in the second language, and converting a first comment associated with the first instruction to a second comment associated with the second instruction. A computer-readable recording medium is provided.
1 . A method of annotating a specification of a programmable logic controller, comprising:
displaying a graphical element in a first graphical language for programming the programmable logic controller; and
displaying a comment associated with the graphical element.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical element represents at least one of an input, an output, an operation, an operand, a function, an instruction, a comparison, a test, a wire, a network, a branch, a rung, and a code.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the comment explains at least one of an identity, a purpose, a task, an activity, a status, data, and an arrangement of the graphical element.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the comment is arranged in a bubble attached by an anchor line to the graphical element.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of a size of the bubble and one of a font and a font size of the comment is adjustable.
6 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising displaying a second comment with one of the graphical element and a second graphical element, the second comment being in a second bubble attached by a second anchor line to the one of the graphical element and the second graphical element.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the comment and the second comment overlap, an order of the first comment and the second comment being adjustable front to back.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a transparency of the comment is adjustable.
9 . A method for converting a specification for a programmable logic controller in a first language to a second language, comprising:
converting a first instruction in the first language to a second instruction in the second language; and
converting a first comment associated with the first instruction to a second comment associated with the second instruction.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising associating the comment with the first instruction.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein one of the first and second languages is a graphical language.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the comment is displayed in a bubble when the one of the first and second language is the graphical language.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the first language is a text-based language and the second language is a graphical language; and
the converting of the first comment to the second comment includes identifying a graphic equivalent of the first instruction and displaying a bubble for the second comment, the bubble being visually associated with the graphic equivalent.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein:
when the first instruction is one of a load instruction and a transfer instruction, the bubble for the second comment is associated with a wire;
when the first instruction is a main instruction, the bubble for the second comment is associated with a box; and
when the first instruction is an ENO handling instruction, the bubble for the second comment is merged to the box.
15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the first language is a graphical language and the second language is a text-based language; and
the converting of the first comment to the second comment includes identifying a text equivalent of the first instruction and displaying the second comment on a line immediately following the text equivalent.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
when the first instruction is a wire, the second comment is displayed proximate to one of a load instruction and a transfer instruction; and
when the first instruction is a box, the second comment is displayed proximate to a main instruction.
17 . A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon an executable program, the program when executed causing a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
displaying a graphical element in a first graphical language for programming the programmable logic controller; and
displaying a comment associated with the graphical element.
18 . A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon an executable program, the program when executed causing a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
converting a first instruction in the first language to a second instruction in the second language; and
converting a first comment associated with the first instruction to a second comment associated with the second instruction.