Make LVdiff and LVMerge available for all labview versions

[Arun_Persaud]

To be able to use 3rd party version control tools such as Git effectively, you need to be able to have a program that merges files and can compare files. Unfortunately LVdiff and LVmerge are only available in the professional labview version, but being able to use a VC system of your choice is such a basic need that it should be available for everyone. That way  you would be able to use the basic VC features, better integration with labview could still be integrated in the professional package.

[AristosQueue (NI)]

xl600... this idea hasn't been ignored. It should have been declined because it has been discussed and rejected. National Instruments continues to need a lower-end version of our software that serves lower-end niche markets where they aren't doing substantial software development. Those target markets may use source code control, but strictly as a backup tool, not as a team development environment. It is a full version of LabVIEW (i.e. the language features are all present), but it does not include all of the software engineering tools that a professional software team needs.

NI publishes the functional differences are between Base and Full and Pro. I'm sorry whoever forced you to buy Full did not check the feature list.

[xl600]

How about providing a way to add in this functionality to LabView Full, without having to re-purchase LabView Professional?  For my company, I would be able to purchase an add-on far easier than being able to get agreement to switch to a new suite.

And yes, NI should most certainly keep the status of the idea exchange items up-to-date.  If it's been rejected, then it would save a lot of time for others to have that shown.

Thanks,

XL600

[AristosQueue (NI)]

We try to keep the status up-to-date... sorry, this one fell through the cracks.

> How about providing a way to add in this functionality to LabView Full, without having to re-purchase LabView Professional?

I am in R&D, not Marketing/Sales, so I do not make such decisions. It would surprise me if that would be a good move... if we started providing the tools piecemeal, it has a lot of downsides. It would significantly increase our costs (lots more testing to make sure that any given tool actually works without the other tools). It also would dilute the value of buying LV Pro.

But, as I say, this isn't my area of expertise. There might be a way to make it viable. I'll mention your suggestion to Marketing.

[eframx]

We a re a startup and it is very difficult or justify, or see it as an investment, to pay that high price for a very important tool for software development.

For us, in the long run is more convenient to migrate to c++ or .NET, but little by little.

This definetely doesn't help NI to get start ups on board, I wouldn't recomend it. Nevertheless, I recomend labview to peolple/companies with unlimited budget.

[AristosQueue (NI)]

eframx: Talk to your area NI Field Sales Engineer. I've heard of various discounts being applied depending upon the hardware purchases that you're making. I have no idea what flexibility exists in the pricing, but it would seem to me to be worth asking if you find LV to be valuable.

[Darren]

Declined for reasons listed here: http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/Make-LVdiff-and-LVMerge-available-for-all-labview-vers...

[xl600]

It would be wonderful if NI could create a diff tool for VIs and Ctls that could be used without LabView installed.  This would provide the ability for viewing labview diffs in applications such as github, bitbucket, etc.  That would be a perfect tool for code reviews by reviewers which do not have separate LabView licenses.

[cbutcher]

For future readers, step by step (despite being declined some 7 years ago) this is now completed (as of ~1yr ago): https://www.ni.com/docs/en-US/bundle/upgrading-labview/page/labview-2022q3-changes.html

(And in case the link breaks, the quote):

Released July 2022

Compare VIs within LabVIEW

Compare VIs feature is now available with all editions of LabVIEW 2022 Q3 (Base, Full, and Professional) and not limited to a Professional Edition license.