LabVIEW 8.0 project save for previous version

[Heinrich-Hans]

   Hello all,

I have a LV8 project, and I want to save the VIs for a previous LV version. Do I have to save every VI in my project manually, or is there an "exporting" function for the complete project available?
If available, where can i find this function?

Regards
Heinrich

[smercurio_fc]

The "Save for Previous Version" seems to be available only when for VI windows, and not projects. You would only need to open the top-level VI, as performing that action will save all subVIs.

[Heinrich-Hans]

Hello again,

I think my worst nightmare became true

But this would be a great feature for the future, maybe.

Thanks for your help
Heinrich

[devchander]

First, save the top level VI as a "development distribution" in File>>save with options.

Next, save this top VI for "previous version" in "save with options" and you will have teh Top VI and all its sub VI's in a single development distribution in the previous version

Hope this helps

Dev

Message Edited by devchander on 04-07-2006 07:35 AM

[Tomi_Maila]

What if there is not a single top-level VI? This sucks...

[rolfk]

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@Tomi M wrote:
What if there is not a single top-level VI? This sucks...

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Then you create one that contains all other top-level VIs. Not that much work and simple to do!

Actually it's how I have all my projects setup, with a AllVIs.vi vi in the top level directory of the project that contains all other dynamic and other top level VIs and if I develop the application I usually open that VI as the first one when starting to make changes or open it for further development. Makes also sure you do not end up with crosslinks after the application is actually normally started, that did not happen during development.

Rolf Kalbermatter

Message Edited by rolfk on 04-23-2006 03:41 PM

[Tomi_Maila]

I agree that ALLVIs.vi is a way around the problem. I however have found it hard to keep the ALLVIs.vi up to date since you have to keep double book keeping of all VIs. I am mostly working on libraries, that is I have plenty of top level VIs and also dynamically linked VIs. LV projects ease the maintainance task a lot. Therefore it is a pity that the project management tool is laking some important features. I especially miss a feature to the application builder using which it would be easy to build a library of multiple top-level VIs, dynamic VIs, .mnu files, external files especially DLL files and install all this to user.lib or similar place.

Yesterday I needed the feature to save for older version. I got code from a fellow using LV 7.1. I was using LV 8.0.1. The thing is that I was able to make a new project of the source distribution in 10 seconds. I modified a few files a little bit and wanted to save to project back to 7.1 format. It however wasn't that easy any more. I had to find out which VIs are top level and which VIs are dynamic and collect these to a single top-level VI and save that VI for old version. I was lazy and saved only the files I had modified one by one, because it was easier. It would be quite easy to make such a tool that would save the whole project hierarchy as older version. I really don't see why it was decided not to make it that way. I hope that NI will consider developing still better project management tools similar to those that are in use with other integrated development systems (like Visual Studio .NET). To be honest I am using Visual Studio .NET to make installers on my LV source distributions since it's much easier that way and there are some bugs in the way LV 8.0.1. application builder handles libraries nested inside other libraries. VS doesn't make any mistakes.

Regards,

Tomi

[Les.embrey]

I am trying to work from home with anothers code and trying to figure out how to fix what they have done.
I go to transfer a project to  my home computer (bigger faster better monitors ) and I can not due to the fact that they are using shared vi libraries on other computors with no clean way to collect all sub vi's  Documents notes and rev versions under the project.  So I end  up with the broken arrow and no way to get the shared vi's untill the next day.
I think I have them and bingo NO WAY
Worse the Labtop they gave me is on a wireless net work and I have no way of getting the shared files.


BRING BACK "SAVE PROJECT AS"    That will collect all the information and zip it up for transfer to another system.

PLEASE

if you have to put it under password ok  My boss would like that.

[rolfk]

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@Les.embrey wrote:
I am trying to work from home with anothers code and trying to figure out how to fix what they have done.
I go to transfer a project to  my home computer (bigger faster better monitors ) and I can not due to the fact that they are using shared vi libraries on other computors with no clean way to collect all sub vi's  Documents notes and rev versions under the project.  So I end  up with the broken arrow and no way to get the shared vi's untill the next day.
I think I have them and bingo NO WAY
Worse the Labtop they gave me is on a wireless net work and I have no way of getting the shared files.


BRING BACK "SAVE PROJECT AS"    That will collect all the information and zip it up for transfer to another system.

PLEASE

if you have to put it under password ok  My boss would like that.

---

Upgrading to 8.20 should also help a long way. The project shortcomings in LabVIEW 8.0 that are almost inherent to a new feature of that size have been considerably made better there.

It is very unlikely that NI is going to develop a standalone tool for LabVIEW 8.0 to be distributed as addon, now 8.20 is out and I do not see someone from the outside stepping up to write such a tool as that is a major task to do and quite thankless since it is already more or less unneccessary on LabVIEW 8.20.

Rolf Kalberamatter