Adding New VI's to existing library and modifying .mnu files

[Instrument Drivers]

I have a library of my Instrument Driver.
sometime later recently we had a maintenance release for it where we added a few more functions to it.
I need to update the earlier existing Library for the instrument driver along with the menu items for the new functions in the functions palette
How do i do it?

Thanks in advance
Rajesh

[Jim_Kring]

RTFM - The LabVIEW user manual (\manuals\lvuser.pdf) describes how this is done starting page 3-5. If you want more detail and some undocumented features clarified, you may want read an article that that is found at the OpenG.org website ( www.OpenG.org ) in the documents section of the site: http://www.openg.org/docs/docs.cgi ==> folow the link to Customizing the LabVIEW Development Environment.

-Jim Kring

[Instrument Drivers]

"Thanks for the answer That link was great help
but still my problem exists. here is what further i researched on that.

I have used the library manager as well as Edit LIbrary option. But both do not allow to add to existing library any new VI.
I have tried converting to Directory and then adding VI's and then reconverting to Library. In this case it does not add the .mnu files and hence cannot be navigated through the functions subpalette.
I can locally modify the Palette view using the "Edit Palette option" but then when I am distributing the LIbrary, the new function(additions) wont be available in navigation through menu in fucntions subpalette in the users machine.

Is there any way I can put info in the llb file about the .mnu files
or then can the .mnu files be updated to add the new functions so that the library can be distributed too.


Thanks in Advance
Rajesh"

[Jim_Kring]

If you want to add a VI to an LLB, just open the VI and then select "Save As" and save it inside the LLB. Then you want to delete the old .vi file. Each LLB has inside the .llb file a functions and control palette. You can add your new VI to this LLB's functions palette in the palette editor.

-Jim

[Instrument Drivers]

Hi,
Thanks again.
I tried that and yes it saves in the LLB file.I can add in functions palette. However it does not add any .mnu file. so If I am distributing this library then the new function does not come automatically in teh functions palette. I want to add the new VI's in sucha way that .mnu files fo navigations are created automatically or updated to reflect in the functions palette.

Regards
Rajesh

[Jim_Kring]

There is one more feature that you may be able to use. There is a setting called Synchronize with Directory. This causes the mnu file to dynamically (once, each time you start LabVIEW) add VIs to a palette. I describe this setting in the article at the OpenG.org website.

-Jim

[Bob_Schor]

Dear Jim,
     I'm also interested in this topic, as I received a .mnu file as part of a package.  You wrote " RTFM - The LabVIEW user manual (\manuals\lvuser.pdf) describes how this is done starting page 3-5. If you want more detail and some undocumented features clarified, you may want read an article that that is found at the OpenG.org website ( www.OpenG.org ) in the documents section of the site: http://www.openg.org/docs/docs.cgi ==> folow the link to Customizing the LabVIEW Development Environment."  Well, I tried to do this, and have been twice-frustrated!

     The second thing I did was to try to "RTFM".  I'm assuming that \manuals\lvuser.pdf is short for C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Labview x.y\manuals\lvuser.pdf.  The only problem is that no such file (no file at all with that name) exists on my PC, though I have fairly complete installations of LV 7.0 and LV 8.5 (with RealTime extensions).  I just realized, however, that I didn't check my entire CD/DVD set -- nope, not there either (though it might be "buried" inside another file).

     My first try was for the "more detail" option on the OpenG site.  However, when I tried going to www.openg.org/docs/docs.cgi, all I got was a script listing -- nothing executed, no links were displayed.  Fortunately, in the process of writing this e-mail, I called a colleague to ask "Why doesn't the script run?", and was told this might be a "server issue".  So, with fingers crossed, I tried the URL http://www.openg.org/docs/Customizing_LabVIEW.pdf (I got the name of the file from the script, and discovered that Case Is Extremely Important) -- this popped up your 2002 article "Customizing the LabVIEW Development Environment", complete with a LavVIEW User Manual Excerpt (3-5) that I have not (yet) been able to find!

     Ah, well, more to learn!  At least I'm having fun.

Bob Schor

[Jim_Kring]

---

@BOB Schor wrote:
Dear Jim,
     I'm also interested in this topic, as I received a .mnu file as part of a package.  You wrote " RTFM - The LabVIEW user manual (\manuals\lvuser.pdf) describes how this is done starting page 3-5. If you want more detail and some undocumented features clarified, you may want read an article that that is found at the OpenG.org website ( www.OpenG.org ) in the documents section of the site: http://www.openg.org/docs/docs.cgi ==> folow the link to Customizing the LabVIEW Development Environment."  Well, I tried to do this, and have been twice-frustrated!

     The second thing I did was to try to "RTFM".  I'm assuming that \manuals\lvuser.pdf is short for C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Labview x.y\manuals\lvuser.pdf.  The only problem is that no such file (no file at all with that name) exists on my PC, though I have fairly complete installations of LV 7.0 and LV 8.5 (with RealTime extensions).  I just realized, however, that I didn't check my entire CD/DVD set -- nope, not there either (though it might be "buried" inside another file).

     My first try was for the "more detail" option on the OpenG site.  However, when I tried going to www.openg.org/docs/docs.cgi, all I got was a script listing -- nothing executed, no links were displayed.  Fortunately, in the process of writing this e-mail, I called a colleague to ask "Why doesn't the script run?", and was told this might be a "server issue".  So, with fingers crossed, I tried the URL http://www.openg.org/docs/Customizing_LabVIEW.pdf (I got the name of the file from the script, and discovered that Case Is Extremely Important) -- this popped up your 2002 article "Customizing the LabVIEW Development Environment", complete with a LavVIEW User Manual Excerpt (3-5) that I have not (yet) been able to find!

     Ah, well, more to learn!  At least I'm having fun.

Bob Schor

---

Hi Bob,

Talk about bringing an old thread back from the dead -- the last post was from 2002!!!

Yes, the document you were after is located here:

• http://openg.org/docs/Customizing_LabVIEW.pdf

Speaking of dead... pretty soon you'll never have to think about MNU files again.  Check these out, for more info:

• Customizing the LabVIEW Palettes is (Ridiculously) Hard
• VIPM 2.0 - Build your own VI Packages

If you have an more questions/comments, please let me know.

Cheers,

-Jim

[Alhaidar]

Thank you
your reply was helpful

Hasan