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klessm1

Source Distribution Option to Save For Previous Version of LabVIEW

Status: New

It would be great to have a save for previous option in the source distribution build spec.

 

I have an API distribution that is written in 2011 and I have customers as far back as 8.5 which I would assume is a common occurrence (not everyone has SSP).  The main reason I would like it in the build spec is that then I could include the output in an install that includes more then just the API distribution (I have an ActiveX EXE that is called by the Thin API distribution).  Since the API and EXE must match up by version it is nice to distribute them together.  It is also nice to have them all in the same version of LabVIEW during development as some of the type defs must be the same.

 

Currently I use a post build callback workaround involving building a temporary project and using keyboard emulation to save that project for previous version...nasty!  You could try to save everything using a post callback and VI server, but the complexity of making sure everything is linked wouldn’t be fun…That’s what the build spec is for! Smiley Happy

 

2 Comments
SteveChandler
Trusted Enthusiast

I think in the situation you describe it would be far better to have multiple versions of LabVIEW. Saving for previous is a shot in the dark and occasionally requires some tweaking. If I were supporting multiple customers I would use the oldest version of LabVIEW for development and upconvert to the version that other customers use. Upconverting seems to be much more reliable.

 

But Kudos. I still think this would be useful, but only if this idea is implemented.

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LabVIEW 2012


klessm1
Member

Thx for the kudos.

I do a build once or twice a week...sometimes more.  Switching versions and trying to build an install would be a nightmare.

I use features not supported in 8.5 in the main software (EXE but not the API) but like I said I want to share changes for communication between the API and EXE. Right now it is typedefs and in an upcoming version it will be classes...so I want to be able to keep that source shared.

 

I am able to make it work but I had to write about a weeks worth of code to do so.

 

I agree with your idea on the warnings.