Summary
This chapter has introduced concepts behind using structured data in the form of structs and UDTs. It has highlighted the benefits of using structures, and also some of the pitfalls and issues that can be faced in large projects by using them. Remember that a structured project is far easier to navigate through, standardize, and work with in the future.
After reading this chapter, the asset-oriented approach should make sense from a structural perspective: containerizing data so that data that is only relative to a particular asset lends itself to structures (structs or UDTs).
Identifying what is needed in structures is always the hardest part, as structures can be difficult to keep updating in a system that is already operational, so it's best to try and plan for common use cases first.
TIA Portal offers a robust and highly flexible solution to managing data using structures. With two different types of structured data (struct and UDT), programmers can simplify...