wish list

Here are the shortcomings I've found in STEP 7 Basic V10.5 SP2 Update 1.

Serious:

1. PLC simulator.

2. SCL programming language.

3. Undo function in editors.

4. CSV export/import of PLC/HMI tags, hardware configuration and Project texts (Languages & Resources).

5. Online program change.

6. Multi-instance FB (static variable of FB type).

7. Web server.

8. Dynamic indexing of arrays - array[variable]. - Found it among hidden instructions: FieldRead and FieldWrite.

9. Dynamic access to memory STL-style: LAR1, DBW, DIW etc.

10. Blockmove source and destination cannot be of different data types (it may be called a feature, but without dynamic access to memory it can be the last hope to do some efficient conversion).

11. Arrays of string and arrays of structures.

1. Rows cannot be dragged in DB and in Interface declaration table; changing the order of rows is quite a pain; also not possible to move rows from one area to another (e.g. from Temp to Static) neither by dragging, nor by cut/paste.

2. Copied rows cannot be pasted in DB and in Interface declaration table over a blank row, only over another existing row or the area title (e.g. Temp, Static) - not intuitive.

3. When blocks (DB, FB, FC, OB) are copied their numbers are not changed automatically, hence a compilation error (https://www.automation.siemens.com/tf/WW/en/Posts/47970#top).

4. Not possible to jump through networks with Up and Down arrow keys when the cursor is over the network number (although compensated by Close all networks).

5. No hot keys for "Go to next/previous usage". Also this function is not there for the variables in Interface declaration table.

6. "Replace all" button is constantly disabled.

7. Not possible to copy all HMI tags into WinCC Flexible runtime simulator: neither by copy/paste, nor export/import (only AutoHotkey keyboard macro helps).

D-DNRN

It shuts down at several points

I've never experienced any shutdowns, so maybe there's something wrong with your OS. Anyway, I think you should specify more exactly which points, otherwise it will be too difficult to fix it.

D-DNRN

2) save more settings of all these small windows in the IDE also state of the collapsed networks in PLC-editor is always set to see the first 6 networks an all others are closed.

Yeah, would be nice, although I don't find it critical.

D-DNRN

3) very important: a possibility so save and restore the actual values in DBs.

Do you mean save/restore (export/import) variable names and their default and actual values to/from file?

D-DNRN

and better don't restart with DB-init after eatch software change!

I didn't understand that. Chances are the developers will not to either. Could you explain it in more details and maybe somebody will suggest a solution.

DrewBuld

D-DNRN

It shuts down at several points

I've never experienced any shutdowns, so maybe there's something wrong with your OS. Anyway, I think you should specify more exactly which points, otherwise it will be too difficult to fix it.

D-DNRN

2) save more settings of all these small windows in the IDE also state of the collapsed networks in PLC-editor is always set to see the first 6 networks an all others are closed.

Yeah, would be nice, although I don't find it critical.

D-DNRN

3) very important: a possibility so save and restore the actual values in DBs.

Do you mean save/restore (export/import) variable names and their default and actual values to/from file?

D-DNRN

and better don't restart with DB-init after eatch software change!

I didn't understand that. Chances are the developers will not to either. Could you explain it in more details and maybe somebody will suggest a solution.