Patent ID: 7287230

Claim:
A method for configuring a graphical user interface (GUI) element to subscribe to a data source, the method comprising: during creation of a graphical program, displaying a first GUI element in the graphical program on a display of a first computer system, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the graphical program; receiving user input specifying a data source with which to associate the first GUI element; in response to said receiving user input, automatically configuring the first GUI element to receive data from the specified data source; executing the graphical program, wherein said executing comprises: receiving data from the specified data source, wherein the data includes information specifying a first data type of the data; automatically determining that the first GUI element cannot display data of the first data type; automatically displaying a second GUI element in the graphical program in place of the first GUI element in response to said determining that the first GUI element cannot display data of the first data type, wherein the second GUI element can display data of the first data type, wherein the first GUI element is no longer displayed; and displaying the received data from the specified data source on the second GUI element.