Cross-compiling for other platforms

[m-s]

My first few attempts to build a standalone application (LabVIEW 2010 / Mac) have ended in failure (lack of write permissions). A build directory gets made, all the dependent VIs are imported and the build goes on for a long time, but at the last moment, it fails with a permissions problem. My drivers are installed in the /Applications folder and are (presumably) owned by root. The build directory is owned by me. Any ideas where I should start looking ?

Further, I want to deploy this application for a few Windows users who do not have LabVIEW. How does one cross-compile ?

[smercurio_fc]

Can't help you with the first.

As for the second, you cannot cross-compile. You'd need the Windows version installed on a Windows OS and you'd need to recompile on there.

[m-s]

Thanks for the response.

Makes the application builder pretty useless then.

[smercurio_fc]

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@m-s wrote:

Thanks for the response.

Makes the application builder pretty useless then.

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Based on what? Would you say the same thing about, say, Microsoft's compilers? Which can't create an application for Macs. Or Linux machines?

[m-s]

A few points:

Microsoft's compilers (taking Visual C++ for instance) make no pretensions about being cross-platform applications (such as LabVIEW).

Linux/Mac gcc have been cross-compilers for about as long as I can remember.

A feature like application builder should logically contain (since LabVIEW is a cross platform product) methods for a developer to compile for other platforms. The code is totally portable. The generated application can't be targetted to be portable. Seems like a lacuna to me.

Followup question - can I use the evaluation version for windows to generate the application ? I could use a virtual machine running XP.

[smercurio_fc]

The evaluation version will create an executable, but it will have a watermark on the front panel.

[m-s]

Ok. Other than the watermark, will the executable be limited in any way ?

[smercurio_fc]

Not as far as the built application it shouldn't. The Application Builder does not allow use of "Additional Exclusions" in the evaluation version. You can read more here: Limitations of the LabVIEW Evaluation Version.

[Joshua_N]

Agree that it would be really handy if a cross-platformish LabVIEW also would compile (and pack) projects for Mac and Linux. I'm developing for all kinds of customers, regardless of their OS preferences. Anyone NI-staff or responsible or in power who would like to comment on that?

/Joshua

[Dennis_Knutson]

You should post this to the LabVIEW Idea Exchange. And remember, the compiler is not the app builder. The compiler is the development environment.