LabVIEW Developers Feature Brainstorming

[Noel]

Note (August 2008):  Thanks to all of the users who have provided feedback on these proposals.  At this time, NI is likely to proceed with the proposed LabVIEW API to access system directories.  However, NI has suspended plans to implement the proposed changes to the LabVIEW directory structure.  The proposed LabVIEW directory changes originated internally based on anticipated demand for NI to adhere to Microsoft Vista's directory recommendations. Since imposing a new directory structure impacts Alliance members and many of our other customers, we have decided to suspend these changes until there is a greater customer demand.

Forum post:   System directory access and LabVIEW directory changes

Proposal:  Access to System Directories from LabVIEW

Question: 

The above proposal defined a set of Directory Types to represent special operating system directories.   Do you agree that we have the right set of directories in the Directory Type list?  If not, what should be added or removed?

Message Edited by Support on 08-21-2008 01:42 PM

[tst]

I don't have any other directories in mind, but I wonder whether this should a ring (as it is in the example) or a typedef enum for forward compatibility (if the OSs add more directories).

Since it's unlikely people will upgrade to a new LabVIEW version and then decide to change the used directory in existing code, an enum is probably not required (the user can just delete the current ring and recreate it to get the new values), but I just wanted to raise the point.

[wireman]

I would like to see a way to lookup directories that are specified by the Build Specification. For instance, the build spec has a default support directory named <app name>/data. I like to place my config files in this directory, but there is nothing that I know of in LabVIEW that will give me the path to this directory (at least not directly).

If the build spec or install spec specify multiple support directories, it might be nice to be able to determine what those are when my LabVIEW application runs. If this is too labor intensive, then at least provide the single <app name>/data directory.

The key is to be able to change a directory in the build or installer properties and have the resulting application automatically know where to look for support files.

[tst]

Since the directories are relative to your app, why not do this yourself? OpenG, for example, has some VIs in its file package that can help with this, but it's fairly easy to write yourself.

Of course, you should note that if those config files are modifiable by the program, it's a problem having them under the executable's location because Vista doesn't like this. That's part of the point of the suggestions made by NI.