Configuring Dynamic Text Lists in WinCC TIA Portal V14

Dynamic text lists in WinCC (TIA Portal) provide a string-multiplexing mechanism: a single HMI text field displays one of several predefined strings based on the runtime value of a connected PLC tag. This mechanism is essential for state indication, error code translation, mode displays, and multilingual operator feedback without rebuilding screens. The technique has existed since WinCC flexible 2008 and is fully supported in TIA Portal V14 through V20 with the WinCC RT Unified and WinCC Comfort/Advanced engineering paths.

This article consolidates the field-proven configuration procedure, the precise field-reference syntax, the three reference types available inside a text list entry, the platform-compatibility matrix (Basic Panel vs. Comfort Panel vs. Advanced RT vs. RT Unified), the migration steps for the V13 sample project published under Siemens application note 57025748, and the parallel implementations in Beckhoff TwinCAT and Schneider EcoStruxure Machine Expert for cross-platform reference. Every URL links only to vendor documentation portals.

1. Overview: What a Dynamic Text List Does

A text list (German: Textliste) is an HMI object that maps an integer index to a list of strings. The index is read from a tag at runtime; the string at that index position is then displayed wherever the text list is referenced. The mapping can be parameterized in three ways:

1. Bit (0/1) — index range 0..1, used for boolean status (e.g. OFF/ON).
2. Bit (0..31) — index range 0..31, used for 32-valued bit fields.
3. Decimal — integer index in the configured range, default 0..9, freely resizable.

A dynamic text list goes further: inside the displayed string you can embed a second-level field that is itself substituted at runtime. This produces formatted output such as Piece_Code: 20 or Status: 0x0A (Running). The dynamic part is created with the field-reference syntax <FieldType:Tag:Width,ListName> or, in older V14 dialogs, the simplified form Text<Tag : 20, Piece_Code>.

The result is functionally equivalent to a CASE statement executed inside the HMI runtime: the HMI parses the tag value, looks up the matching entry, formats the optional embedded field, and renders the resulting string to the screen.

2. Prerequisites

3. The Field-Reference Syntax in Detail

The full syntax for an embedded field inside a text list entry is:

<[Format]:[Tag]:[Width].[Decimals]:[TextList]>

Each positional segment is optional. The minimum useful form is <Tag:TextList>, which means: take the value of Tag, look it up in TextList, and substitute the resulting string. The complete grammar and segment semantics are listed in the table below.

The example discussed in the source thread — Text<Tag : 20, Piece_Code> — uses the V14 dialog's compact notation: Tag is the source PLC tag, the literal "20" is a width specifier, and Piece_Code is the second text list whose string is substituted in place. Modern TIA Portal (V17+) renders the same intent as <decimal:"Piece_Tag":20:"Piece_Code"> in the configuration grid.

4. The Three Reference Types Inside a Text List Entry

When you right-click inside a text list entry string and choose Insert > Field, TIA Portal offers three reference kinds. They are not mutually exclusive — you can stack them within the same entry to produce compound output.

4.1 Tag Value Reference (with Formatting)

Inserts the runtime value of a tag, formatted as a numeric or string type. The format dropdown supports signed decimal, unsigned decimal, hexadecimal (with 0x prefix on V16+), binary, floating-point, date, and time. The width and decimals parameters control padding and precision. Example output on a value of 26: 26, 0x1A, 00011010.

4.2 Text List Reference

Inserts a string retrieved from a different text list, selected by the current tag value. This is the "string multiplexing" mode. The referenced text list must already exist in the project with a matching index type. Example: index value 7 in the main list points to entry 7 of the Mode_Names list, which contains the string "Heating".

4.3 Control Tag Value Reference

Inserts the value of the control tag — that is, the tag that selected the current entry. This is useful for echoing the index back to the operator next to the descriptive string. Example: State [3] = Pressure_low where the 3 is the control tag value formatted as a decimal.

4.4 Compound Example

Consider the text list Alarm_Text with three entries for control-tag values 0, 1, 2. Entry 1 might read:

Motor {Tag:motor_speed:5} rpm — state: {TextList:State_Names}

At runtime, with motor_speed = 1450 and State_Names[1] = "Running", the panel renders Motor 1450 rpm — state: Running. The two spaces before 1450 are the result of the width specifier 5 applied to a 4-digit number.

5. Step-by-Step Configuration in TIA Portal V14

1. Open the HMI device configuration for the Comfort Panel or PC RT. In the project tree, expand the HMI device and double-click Text and Graphic Lists.
2. Add a new text list. Click Add new in the toolbar. Name it, e.g. Mode_Text. Choose Decimal as the list type and set the range to 0..15.
3. Populate the entries. Fill columns Value (0, 1, 2, …) and Text ("Off", "Manual", "Automatic", …). You can also enter alternative text rows for additional languages under the <Add new language> column.
4. Create a second text list named Code_Text with entries 0..9 mapping to "OK", "E-Stop", "Low pressure", etc. This is the second-level list used in compound references.
5. Insert a dynamic field into an entry. Select the row whose text should include the dynamic value, click into the Text cell, and place the cursor where the field should appear. Right-click and choose Insert > Field > Tag value. In the dialog, pick the HMI tag (e.g. PLC.MotorSpeed), set format to Decimal, width 5, and click OK.
6. Add a text list reference. Move the cursor to the end of the same entry. Right-click and choose Insert > Field > Text list reference. Pick Code_Text from the dropdown. TIA Portal will write {TextList:Code_Text} into the entry.
7. Wire the list to a screen object. Drag Mode_Text from the project tree onto a text field, symbolic I/O field, or button label. The Properties pane shows the Text list selection; leave it as Mode_Text.
8. Assign the control tag. In the Properties pane of the screen object, expand General and set Process value to the HMI tag that drives the index, e.g. PLC.Mode (INT).
9. Compile and download the HMI project to the panel or PC RT. Use Compile > Software (rebuild all) to force regeneration of the text list database.
10. Verify in RT by forcing PLC.Mode to 3 in the PLCSIM or real PLC and confirming the panel displays entry 3 with the embedded field correctly formatted.

6. Migrating the V13 Sample Project to V14

Siemens application note How do you create dynamic text lists in WinCC (TIA Portal)? ships a sample project built in V13 SP1. The file format is forward-compatible with V14 SP1, but two manual changes are required.

1. Open the .ap13 file in TIA Portal V14 SP1. The migration wizard detects the older version and offers Migrate to current version. Click OK; this rewrites the project to .ap14. Compilation may surface warnings about deprecated function-block versions — accept the proposed update for each FB.
2. Update the HMI image version. If the target Comfort Panel firmware (HMI image) is older than V14, open Devices & Networks > HMI device > Device Properties > General and select a matching image. Mismatched image versions are a common source of the "the field reference is shown as literal text" fault.
3. Re-import the text list. The V13 sample stores the text list under Texts and Graphics. In V14 this node is renamed to Text and Graphic Lists (singular). Drag the list from the migrated project tree into the new location if it did not migrate automatically.
4. Re-bind the screen object. Screen objects pointing to the migrated text list lose the binding during migration. Re-select the list name in the Properties pane under Miscellaneous > Text list.
5. Re-compile and simulate with the V14 PLCSIM and the V14 RT simulator. The behavior should match the V13 sample identically.

7. Panel-Compatibility Matrix

8. Cross-Platform Reference: Beckhoff and Schneider

The same conceptual pattern exists on other controllers but with vendor-specific terminology. The mapping is useful when porting screens between platforms.

8.1 Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

Beckhoff's Managing Dynamic Text in a Text List describes a TwinCAT visualization text list created under Visualization > Text list. The list has a Variable property (the index source) and per-value Text properties. Multilingual support is provided by the Text-id field. TwinCAT supports nested text lists by binding the index variable of one list to the current entry index of another, but it does not use the Siemens <…> placeholder syntax — the nesting is configured via the property grid rather than in-line.

8.2 Schneider EcoStruxure Machine Expert

Schneider's Text List help topic documents the Magelis/HMI configuration object. The text index (ID) is a string of characters and must be unique within the list; in contrast to Siemens, Schneider lets the index be a string rather than an integer, which simplifies keyed lookup. Online modification of dynamic texts is supported without recompile, which is the main practical advantage over the Siemens model.

8.3 Conceptual Comparison

9. Troubleshooting Matrix

10. Best Practices

• Centralize text lists in a single library master. Reuse the same list (e.g. State_Global) on every screen instead of duplicating per screen. This guarantees consistent terminology and reduces translation effort.
• Reserve a sentinel value (e.g. 255) for "Unknown" or "Out of range" so that an unexpected PLC value does not leave the operator looking at a blank field.
• Avoid embedding fields wider than 8 characters on Comfort Panels with 4" or 7" displays; long output clips or wraps.
• Document the index mapping in the PLC code with named constants (e.g. STATE_OFF = 0; STATE_MANUAL = 1; ...) and import them as a data block to the HMI.
• Test with the exact target firmware. A text list that compiles and runs in V18 may still behave differently on a TP700 with a V14.0.0.5 image due to a known limit on the maximum number of entries (320 on early V14 images, 32 000 from V14.0.1 onward).
• Use WinCC RT Unified for new projects if the deployment target is a Unified Comfort Panel (MTP700..MTP2200). The configuration dialog is reorganized but the semantics are identical; the Unified dynamization reference documents the differences.
• Validate language fall-through. For every entry, fill the Text[default] column first, then the language columns. If a translation is missing the runtime falls back to the default column; if the default is also empty the panel shows the raw index value.

11. Verification Procedure

1. Static compile: Right-click the HMI device, choose Compile > Software (rebuild all). No errors or warnings should remain in the Info pane under the Text and Graphic Lists category.
2. PLCSIM loop: Start S7-PLCSIM (or PLCSIM Advanced) with the PLC, start the WinCC RT, and force the control tag through the entire valid range (0..n). Confirm every entry displays with the correct embedded field.
3. Out-of-range test: Force the control tag to a value above the configured range (e.g. n+1). Confirm the panel shows the configured fallback (sentinel or default text).
4. Language switch: In the RT, change the project language from English to German. Confirm every entry resolves to the German string and that the embedded fields remain formatted identically (numeric value, not translated).
5. Round-trip to panel: Transfer the compiled RT to the physical Comfort Panel, repeat the PLCSIM-equivalent forcing via the panel's Tag simulator, and confirm parity with the RT test.

12. Frequently Asked Questions