LabVIEW features and converting to C or C++ codes

[NiCoder]

I am new user to LabVIEW, but many my coworkers are refusing to use the LabVIEW on any new project.  The reason is very hard to do design review when the application is adding new features or fix the bugs.  Is there anyway we can convert LabVIEW code into LabWindows and/or C/C++ codes?  Why LabVIEW is more popular than LabWindow/CVI in the industries?  How are other companies doing design or code reviews?

[Dennis_Knutson]

No, you cannot convert to c.

I don't think it is any harder to do a code review of a LabVIEW program than with any other language. I actually think it is easier as long as you are an experienced LabVIEW programmer. You also need to follow some basic guidelines in writing the LabVIEW program. A badly written LabVIEW program is as hard to understand as a badly written c program.

I really don't want to get into the pros and cons of LabVIEW vs text based languages. That has been endlessly debated here and on other forums. Do a search.

[Albert.Geven]

Within research, LabVIEW is much easier to develop changing applications.

For experienced programmers both reviews are doable.

With the LabVIEW Unit Validation toolkit it is even automated and much easier.

[Norbert_B]

I think you confuse some things here:

a) Design review:

Design reviews should be part of the design phase in the development process. It is strongly suggested to perform this phase without use of programming languages (famous pen'n'paper phase!).

"Design" could incorporate flow charts, data charts or object oriented design (OOD). All those are concepts independent of any programming language.

You might refer to "code reviews" which are done during implementation phase and they have to check if the code matches

- style guides (code layout, documentation, ...)

- modularity

- desired design

They are done on code implemented in *any* programming language. LV is a programming language, just like C/C++. The basic rules for reviews is true for both. Reviews can be done with both.

b) Conversion of programming languages:

LV is a complete, self-contained programming language called "G". It is different to C/C++ in regard of syntax and semantic. Porting G-code to C-code is possible (using a module). BUT: Do you write C/C++ code just to convert it to .NET code later on? Most probable not. So why doing this to G-code???

c) Complexity of adding/changing features:

Again, this is a pen'n'paper task in the first instance. Starting of implementing changes works for small projects, but large projects suffers badly by this. Simply make it a rule: Implementing this is only small "routine work" within a project. Desinging modularization and algorithm is something which has to be done "offline" and independent of the used programming language.

LabVIEW is popular in academic and even industries since it is very easy to implement certain design desicision (e.g. flow charts, since THIS essentially is LV code!). So the "routine work" of implementation is getting shorter/faster....

Norbert