SmartDashboard not connecting to robot.

[jtrv]

Might as well highjack this instead of making a new thread for a tiny question and its related to SmartDashboard.

If I have a display() method that just puts values on the Dashboard, ex:

public void display(){
		SmartDashboard.putNumber("FrontLeft  PWM:", Robot.eboard.frontLeftSlot);
		SmartDashboard.putNumber("BackLeft   PWM:", Robot.eboard.backLeftSlot);
		SmartDashboard.putNumber("FrontRight PWM:", Robot.eboard.frontRightSlot);
		SmartDashboard.putNumber("BackRight  PWM:", Robot.eboard.backLeftSlot);
	}

Do I need to constantly call that method throughout teleopPeriodic()? Or do I only need to call it once during teleopInit()? In other words, do I have to update Dashboard manually, or will it update automatically as time goes on?

ps i understand the pwm slots sure well aren't going to change its just an example of a display method that is only temporary...

[fsilberberg]

Based on your code there, where you're putting a number, you'll need to call that regularly. If you put smarter things to the dashboard such as Commands, they update their status on their own.

[jtrv]

what would an example of a command be?

if i put SmartDashboard.putNumber(encoder1.get()); will it auto update or is that a command?

[fsilberberg]

Commands are part of command-based programming, which is one of the WPILib-supported programming paradigms. See in the ScreenSteps here: http://wpilib.screenstepslive.com/s/...ed-programming.

[jtrv]

Oh, right. I always forget about Command based

thanks for your help ^^