Command 'Input Assistant'

Symbol: ; keyboard shortcut: [F2]

Function: This command opens the “Input Assistant” dialog which helps you to select one of the possible programming elements at the current cursor position.

Call: Menu bar: “Edit”; context menu.

Requirement: A POU is open in the editor and the cursor is at a program line.

Dialog 'Input Assistant' - Tab 'Categories'

The input assistant provides all program elements that you can insert at the current cursor position in the editor.

The elements are sorted by “Categories”. In the category “Variables”, you can also set a “Filter” for the scope, for example “Local variables”, “Global variables”, or “Constants”.

“Structured view”	: The elements are displayed in a structure tree. You can show/hide the columns “Type”, “Address”, and “Origin” by right-clicking the column title and selecting/clearing the column name in the dropdown list. : The elements are displayed in a flat structure.
“Show documentation”	: The dialog is extended with the “Documentation” field.
“Insert with arguments”	: Elements that include arguments (for example, functions) also insert with these arguments at the cursor position. Example: If you insert the function block `‎fb1‎`, which contains an input variable `‎fb1_in‎` and an output variable `‎fb1_out‎`, "with arguments", then this appears in the editor as follows: `‎fb1(fb1_in:= , fb1_out=> )‎`.
“Insert with namespace prefix”	: Inserts the selected element with the appended namespace. In the case of library modules, the check box remains disabled if the requirement for a namespace has been defined in the library properties.

If you create objects with the same name in the same category, whether globally (“POUs” view) or assigned to an application (“Devices” view), then only one entry appears in the input assistant. The usage conforms to the usual call priority (application assigned before global).

Dialog 'Input Assistant' - Tab 'Text Search'

This tab allows you to search for specific objects. When you begin typing a search string into the search field, the names of all objects are listed whose names include the search string. Double-click an object to insert it at the current cursor position in the editor.

“Filters”

Limits the search to a specific variable category