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File organization outside of labview project interface

I'm creating virtual folders from within the project interface and organizing that way, but obviously these virtual folders aren't being created within the folders on my computer's operating system. So everything is neatly organized when looking at my LV project tree, but the local files are a big melting pot.

 

Do you guys normally go in and create local folders manually that are the same as the virtual folders, or do you just leave everything as is?

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Message 1 of 8
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I can't speak for what everyone does, but on the initial creation of a file I always make sure to do my best to put it on disk in the best spot possible, and then put it in a virtual folder that makes sense too.

 

Afterwards, if I feel that it was placed incorrectly, I will move the file around virtually as much as I need to in the project, but almost never on disk.  The reason for this is that most source control software sees a file being moved on disk as a deletion and a creation instead of a move, so any history tracking I had on that file is not in source control if I move it in LabVIEW.

 

One thing that does help organize things is if you start putting things into classes or libraries more often.  Anything in a class or library that you create and save on disk for the first time should automatically try to save to the same folder that the .lvclass or .lvlib file is saved to.

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My approach is that most things don't go in the project at all. As suggested, definitely focus on where the file goes on disk. For the project, I would generally only have things which are absolutely required (like things you're going to include in builds) or things that you want easy logical access to. I would also use auto populating folders only very rarely.

 

Other than that, you can use the dependencies section or the files tab in the project window to see the items.


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@tst wrote:

My approach is that most things don't go in the project at all. As suggested, definitely focus on where the file goes on disk. For the project, I would generally only have things which are absolutely required (like things you're going to include in builds) or things that you want easy logical access to. I would also use auto populating folders only very rarely.

 

Other than that, you can use the dependencies section or the files tab in the project window to see the items.


What do you mean?  Do you mean that most things appear as dependencies?  I never thought about it before, but that is usually how my projects end up.  i.e., most things in dependencies.  Sometimes the project might contain less than ten VIs.  Autopopulating folders are useful when you want to include whole folders in your installer.  You can include the whole autopopulating folder and all its files without having to manually add new files.

Bill
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@billko wrote:

What do you mean?  Do you mean that most things appear as dependencies? 


Well, "most" would depend on the size of the project and how many things you decide to explicitly add to the project, but generally yes, I would expect that most things would be in the dependencies (assuming they're static dependencies of things which are in the project or in memory).

 

I just don't see the point in maintaining another thing and I don't see the point of using the auto-populating folders when you have the files tab, unless it's something which needs to be included in a build or you want easy access to. I would say that if you want to use the project to access things, then use it just for the things you really want from there.


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@David99999 wrote:

I'm creating virtual folders from within the project interface and organizing that way, but obviously these virtual folders aren't being created within the folders on my computer's operating system. So everything is neatly organized when looking at my LV project tree, but the local files are a big melting pot.

 

Do you guys normally go in and create local folders manually that are the same as the virtual folders, or do you just leave everything as is?


It depends. If it's an old style LV program i often try to organize the files and use Automatic folder in the project

If it's class based the classes have their own folders, but i often just use the classes in the project, not their folders. Those classes might organized in some virtual folder, like Instruments.

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@tst wrote:

@billko wrote:

What do you mean?  Do you mean that most things appear as dependencies? 


Well, "most" would depend on the size of the project and how many things you decide to explicitly add to the project, but generally yes, I would expect that most things would be in the dependencies (assuming they're static dependencies of things which are in the project or in memory).

 

I just don't see the point in maintaining another thing and I don't see the point of using the auto-populating folders when you have the files tab, unless it's something which needs to be included in a build or you want easy access to. I would say that if you want to use the project to access things, then use it just for the things you really want from there.


Yes, that is pretty much exactly how I do things as well.

Bill
CLD
(Mid-Level minion.)
My support system ensures that I don't look totally incompetent.
Proud to say that I've progressed beyond knowing just enough to be dangerous. I now know enough to know that I have no clue about anything at all.
Humble author of the CLAD Nugget.
Message 7 of 8
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I tend to keep every control and VI that is used exclusively in that project in auto-populating subdirectories dedicated to that project. 

 

  • Top level directory (named for the project)
    • Sub-VI contains sub vis used in only this project
    • ctl contains controls and type defs used only in this project

Instrument drivers are all in instr.lib

 

All VIs that is used in more than one program are in user.lib or a sub directory of that.

 

 

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