Connection Labview/c++ program. What choices do I have ?

[Oliv]

Hi,
I need to connect Labview to a C++ network client program.
The user want to be able to easily modify the Labview part (ex : adding other components that follows a well defined interface) without having to touch to the network part.
The solution is to develop a kind of "driver" (code that links 2 softwares, not soft/hard) between the labview part and the network one.

I thought at first to the following solution : connecting labview and the network through a DLL of my own.
What other possibilities do I have ?

Can I make a real Labview driver, and make it interact with my network code, as if the network code was a piece of hardware, (I'm not sure I'm clear, there :)) since the network code and the hard
ware would have the same comportement : giving me arrays of bytes ?

I just begin discovering the Labview world and this is quite a hard project, so my ideas are perhaps totally stupid 🙂 Please tell me what you think I could do.

[mikeporter]

First, if the application utilizes networking then the commmunications should use some standard protocol. It shouldn't matter what's at the other end of the wire.Second, could you say a little more about what you men by "adding other components"?Mike...ps: feel free to contact me directly at mlportersr@webtv.net

[Oliv]

In fact, the global application is divided in three parts : a GUI made with Labview, fully customizable by the user (he should then recompile the GUI after each modification), a 2nd program that handles networking with a server.

Labview <-> network client <==========> Server
Local | Remote

I need to find a way to connect Labview to the network client : these are 2 programs, running on the same PC at the same time.

Here are the ideas I have :

I first think to create an IVI driver, and to switch the VISA hardware calls by external function calls.

Or

If I find a way to put my network client into a DLL, I need to make Labview call that DLL. But it must work in both way : labview calling the DLL, and t
he DLL calling Labview.

Or

Connect Labview and the network client threw another network code : sockets on both sides.

Is my overall problem a little bit clearer for you ?
Thx anyway for answering.

[JeanPierre]

If the remote server application receives and replies requests thru TCP/IP, the client application can be written with LabVIEW. The server sends a series of bytes that LabVIEW can handle.

If the client application is already written and debugged in C++ then you need to build a LabVIEW interface to the client then what is the interface available for the client? LabVIEW can call DLL functions, use ActiveX, DDE, etc. to operate the client. Check out; as long as LabVIEW is concerned, it may be as easy/difficult interfacing to the client app than the server app.

[FightOnSCTrojan]

I have some experiences in Labview, and I am currently exploring on the use of C++ code to handle some of my time-critical applications.
While I cannot give you an enlightening solution you your problem (since I am also in the exploring stage), I think I know where you can find help: http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/370109a.pdf . I think if you could establish a CIN and if your C++ parameters and variables are compatible with Labview, you should be able to take advantage of your already written code, without having to start from scratch.
Reading the manual has been a great help for me, I hope it could provide you the same as well!!!
Santiago

[Oliv]

In fact, Labview v6 can't handle the type of communication I want : web services 🙂
I should have told it before, but I need to handle web services, which are a way to connect 2 applications object-oriented, that enables methods calls as if there was no network. Its compatible between C++/C# (Microsoft) and Java !!! it works quite well. Check on google for better explanations 🙂
I've got an existing server, that provides web services (Tomcat), running under Linux. Labview, running under Windows, must use these webs services. But web services are available only in a java or C# or C++ program. That's why I'm wondering how to connect Labview with a 2nd program (C# or C++, I don't want java).

I can't put the web service handle code in a DLL that Labview could
call. This doesn't work since web services are designed for object oriented languages). DDE or basic socket seem to be the 2 only options I have.

[Oliv]

thx for the link. I already read this pdf before posting messages on the forum. I'm not sure to understand everything about CIN code.

What are the languages supported ? It speaks about C code, but it does not solve my problem : indeed, I need to program in C# or in C++ managed language : the languages of the new Visual Studio.NET, which supports web services (read my answer to Jean-Pierre's message).

Do you think I can use CIN ? I don't understand everything 🙂

[RavensFan]

Altaf,

It isn't necessary to spam multiple messages with a link to your video.  Particularly a message thread such as this which is over 9 years old.