Use project-dependent XNET aliases

[cbacchiani_ges]

I've got a Veristand project using NI-XNET to run the CAN communications. There, I have a number of database files defining messages and signals, each one with its own alias.

Now, I would like to have different projects (or, more precisely, different 'flavors' of the same project) with the same aliases but with different database files.

The problem is that the aliases are defined in a file in C:\Users\All Users\National Instruments\NI-XNET\nixnetAlias.xml, which seems to be shared between all projects on the same machine. Is there a way, beside using different sets of aliases with different names (with all the complications), to switch alias paths depending on the project?

[JefeL · Accepted solution]

I would recommend using the XNET database API for LabVIEW to create or alter the system wide database aliases. Once you have a VI that configures the database alias for the system, you can then try using a VeriStand service to call that VI prior to deployment.

[cbacchiani_ges]

Indeed, I've received confirmation that aliases are global, and it is not possible to have same-name, different-path depending on the project.

Possible workarounds are:

• Use a Veristand tool to reassign the aliases upon opening of the project
• Use different alias for different projects
• Have multiple copies of the XNET xml file and switch between them to 'trick' it

Each solution has its own drawbacks, but depending on the situation one may suit better than the others.