Build New Application (.app)

[LarsUlrich]

I am running LabVIEW 8.5.

I would like to be able to create programs that run on a mac as well as a PC, and this page makes it look like I can do it by just changing the extension from .exe to .app under the target file name, though every time I try and do that, it automatically changes it back to .exe

Also, when I right click Build Specifications, it says "New -> Application (exe)" so it kind of looks like the version I have can only do .exe

Is there an application builder add-on I possibly need to download and/or buy seperately?

[RavensFan · Accepted solution]

Changing the extension isn't going to magically make it possible for a Windows .exe file to run on a Mac.  They need to be built separately on each operating system.

So build your application on a Windows PC running LabVIEW to create an executable.  Then transport your VI's to a Mac running LabVIEW and build an application there to create an executable that can run on a Mac.

[LarsUlrich]

Well, I was trying to name the extension before I built it, not after it was compiled, but it sounds like you are saying that the PC version on LabVIEW will only make PC applications and the Mac version of LabVIEW will only make Mac applications.

That's pretty rough, especially when I only have LabVIEW for a PC, but have a Mac laptop that is much easier to carry around the lab to test out my programs.

[RavensFan]

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@LarsUlrich wrote:

Well, I was trying to name the extension before I built it, not after it was compiled, but it sounds like you are saying that the PC version on LabVIEW will only make PC applications and the Mac version of LabVIEW will only make Mac applications.

Correct.

That's pretty rough, especially when I only have LabVIEW for a PC, but have a Mac laptop that is much easier to carry around the lab to test out my programs.

I'm not certain, but wouldn't creating executables in a Visual Basic, C, C+, or any other programming enviroment be the same way?

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[paul_a_cardinale]

Cross compilers used to be fairly common.