How to Remove Old VIs from LLB?

[YohanShminge]

Hi Everyone,

I've been working with some older LabVIEW code, and I've discovered that a number of files inside this LLB are no longer used.  I'd like to get rid of them to improve size and performance.  Does anyone know of a quick way to do this?  Perhaps I can filter them by date modified?  Or is there a way I can figure out what the top-level VIs use and delete everything else?

Thanks,

-Yohan

[smercurio_fc]

Is there a particular reason for keeping the LLB? LLBs in general should be avoided. Their best use is when trying to do a source distribution. Note that's my own opinion, and not an official NI recommendation. Other than that, I can't think of a good reason to use them. It is better to use lvlibs. You can convert an LLB to an lvlib, allowing you greater flexibility in managing it.

Message Edited by smercurio_fc on 02-09-2010 08:17 PM

[YohanShminge]

Well the reason for the LLB, I suppose, is that there are probably a hundred or more VIs involved in this application (yes, it's a mess - the original programmers didn't have much concept of neatness or organization).  But I didn't realize LLBs could be converted; I'm not really familiar with lvlibs either.  I wonder what NI's official stance on LLB usage is at the moment?  The LLB I have now actually came from LabVIEW 5.1 and was only recently converted to LV2009.

Thanks!

-Yohan

[smercurio_fc · Accepted solution]

LLBs were initially used to get around the filename limitations of operating systems. They also allow you to have illegal characters in the filenames. Of course, this wreaks havoc when you go an try to build an application with one of these VIs that has a name the operating system considers illegal. Also, with LLBs if just one VI gets corrupted, the entire LLB is toast. When you've got that many VIs in an LLB the risk is greater. Not so with lvlibs. Also, lvlibs have the added benefit of namespacing, allowing you to have two VIs with the same name, since the lvlib name is prepended to the name of the VI.

Message Edited by smercurio_fc on 02-09-2010 08:46 PM

[ian_fung]

The following is based on the premise of LLB and with your LV5.1...

• Use  "VI Library Manager..." Or
• Open the main VI in that LLB, and save it as <different name>.LLB

[JeffL]

Hi Yohan,

I do not know of a better way then just opening the LLB in the LLB Manager and blowing away the ones you don't want.

[YohanShminge]

Thanks everyone!  This morning I converted the LLB into a directory.  Doing that allowed me to sort the files by date modified and size.  The combination of those two things let me dump most of the files I don't want.  Turns out the old LabVIEW 5.1 VIs are much larger than newer ones.

-Yohan

Message Edited by YohanShminge on 02-10-2010 10:30 AM

[Diana85]

Hi,

open new VI -> Go to file -> Edit VI Library, Open the LLB which you want to delete VI's from, select the VI's and click on delete Icon.

Thanks,

Kalpana