When a cable is selected, some information is shown about it in the info panel. This would be similar to selecting a node, which shows info on this node. For a cable, this could be data type, event throttling.It might additionally include a simple version of Console, if possible. For example, showing the last 5 data points etc—saving the user from attaching a Console node for debugging purposes.
This panel could also expose the same right-click functionality, including ‘Insert Share’.
We have port popovers for showing data about values and events moving through cables. Popovers report data type, last event, and value. Popovers of trigger ports show event throttling. There is a feature request to Show a trail / history chart of data values in numeric port popovers.
Are there some use cases where you need something different than port popovers, or enhanced port popovers?
Thanks @jmcc
I do use the port popovers, and drag-off floating windows quite extensively, thanks!
I guess I’m hoping for a way to invoke those from anywhere on a cable (as well as the trail feature)
Perhaps a Command + click on anywhere on a cable to show the Value/etc, as if I had clicked on a port at this cable’s terminal.
We’d like to change the title of this to “Popovers for cables”. Our implementation would be to add an item to the existing context menu for cables, “Show popover” which would show the popover for the cable’s source.
Like the existing popovers, you could reposition it, and if you attempt to reopen a popover that’s already open, nothing would happen.
That sounds good with one small change: I suggest if you attempt to open a popover that’s already open, then it moves the popover/stops the other popover so that the outcome is the same — ie, when the user chooses the menu option, a popover appears in front of the user.
We’d like to keep this FR focused on showing popovers for cables. The additional suggestion fits more with Highlight / visual cue to show connection between port and detached port popover. Could you mention that suggestion there?
Thanks @jmcc, as always. I’m not sure which the ‘additional suggestion’ is?
If it RE: ‘if you attempt to reopen a popover that’s already open, nothing would happen.’—it’s the ‘nothing would happen’ part that seems odd to me because a user action that has no recognition from the system is, in Human Interface terms, unresponsive. It’s a small point though, happy to concede it. 
“if you attempt to reopen a popover that’s already open, nothing would happen…It’s a small point though, happy to concede it.”
Keith, please consider adding that to Highlight / visual cue to show connection between port and detached port popover.
We’ve changed the title and opened this for voting.