Building a stand alone program for computers with no LabVIEW installed on them

[Aqua-]

Hi,

A new client is asking me to build a fairly simple application that communicate with a measurment instrument, takes the produced result text file and sort it nicely in excel (later, data analysis might be added).

I do not have a LabVIEW subscription and neither does my client. They are willing to buy a one year subscription for me to work on, only if the program can later work on any given PC without the need of LabVIEW environment.

I have built an app with LabVIEW before (my previous client had an add-on), but I am quite sure that executing the .exe file required LabVIEW installed on the computer.

My question - is there a way to build a stand alone app for my client to distribute in all of his PCs (windows) without the need of LabVIEW installed on them?

This is my first independent job as a LabVIEW prgrammer so I still don't know much on such matters.

Thanks for helping.

[wiebe@CARYA]

You don't need LabVIEW, you need the LV run time engine.

You can include the run time in the installer.

The RTE has no license cost.

Making a LV executable that runs without installing the RTE is hard (e.g. don't even try).

[AeroSoul · Accepted solution]

As @wiebe@CARYA said, you need runtime engine, which is free (and can even be installed on a PC using an installer you can make)

That said, you need a license that includes Application builder in order to make .exe files and installers. 

I think you can use base development license with Application builder add-on, but depending on other add-ons you might needs it would probably be worth it to buy professional edition. You should probably ask your local distributor about it.

[Aqua-]

Thanks @wiebe@CARYA and @AeroSoul for your reply.

As i mentioned in my OP I have already built an .exe file from a complex VI that included around 15 subVIs. However, I have'nt build a complete installer.

Can you please direct me or send me to a guide on how to create a complete stand alone installer for a program?

about the license - from the I've seen in the NI shop indeed the LabVIEW Base should be enough for my client in terms of features, with an additional add-on called LabVIEW Application Builder Module.

Since they count on me to tell them what is needed I want to be perfectly sure - do you know if I will be able to read a produced text file and export it as an xls file including formatting, headers, etc. with these LV packeges?

Thanks again for any replys

[AeroSoul]

How to make installer

Text files should be fine with base Labview, but the xls might need NI Report Generation Toolkit (i know for sure Word documents do).