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pjtanz

LabVIEW should tell me what toolkits, modules, and drivers are required for a VI

Status: Completed

Functionality available with Load Warning feature that identifies missing drivers and add-ons when loading a project.

I distribuute a lot of code, and sometimes it's difficult to tell my users what they need to install in order to run that code.  It would be nice if I (or a user) could run a built in LabVIEW utility that tells me what a given VI needs to run.

 

For example, do I need DAQmx, Mathscript, Robotics?

13 Comments
Knight of NI

If you're the developer shouldn't you know what you need, by definition? Are you creating installers? This allow you to include the required installers.

AristosQueue (NI)
NI Employee (retired)

But, smercurio_fc, what if I'm not the developer? What if I am given a VI and it is broken because subVIs are missing? That happens to me all the time with VIs attached to bug reports. I can see the value in a feature like this.

Mads
Active Participant

I would like this feature in the application builder's "Additional Installers" section.

 

Even if you are the developer it is difficult to always know when a requirement kicks in. Does the math in the code I wrote two years ago require the math kernel libraries? Or how about the locked VI that I got from the net? If the application builder could select the modules that are needed, and only those, then I would not need to uncheck things like NI Logos all the time, nor would I forget to include the NI-VISA RunTime.

 

(This auto-selection could be ON by default, but should be possible to turn off if you happened to want an additional module for other reasons.)

RayFarmer
Trusted Enthusiast

I agree with Aristos, the number of times I've clicked open a VI only to find its broken because something is missing. So I can see this could be very useful.

Regards
Ray Farmer
ChrisReed
Member

I have to agree with this idea, since we just came across a situation when trying to build an executable with VI's from the NI Report Generation Palette.  Little did I know (until I searched on the NI Forums) that I had to manually add two folders from vi.lib (LVClass & NIReport.llb).

David S.
NI Employee (retired)

Nice idea. I completely agree.

David Staab, CLA
Staff Systems Engineer
National Instruments
SimonH
NI Employee (retired)

Does VI Analyzer count as a built in tool?  Along with hundreds of other tests, it can check for NI Toolkit and Driver usage:

 

Screen Shot 2011-07-21 at 4.04.37 PM.png

 

It doesn't cover modules yet but it may help some people who have this need today.

 

chembloke
Member

Not just identify which modules are required to make a project work, but also provide links to download the modules/packages installers.

 

Better yet provide a package manager like the Linux distributions use so I can engage in one stop shopping

Olivioloyer
Member

Totally Agree, it is a needed feature, and apparently still not implemented in LabVIEW 2013

TomOrr0W
Member

I believe NI has implemented this with the Load and Save Warning List since the last comment was made.

 

See the discussion on https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/Auto-detect-and-install-required-add-on-software-auto...