LV7.0 and LV8.2 coexisting?

[CoastalMaineBird]

I am migrating a very large project (800+ VIs) from LV 7.0 (win) to LV 8.2 (win).

I want to maintain the 7.0 version intact so I can maintain it during the transition.

(If my client calls with a small bug, I'd like to fix it in 7.0 and return it quickly).

After clearing up the still-hellish OPEN LLB FILES IN EXPLORER fiasco (this feature crashes my computer and has never worked for me), I have successfully compiled a portion of the code.

However, when I tried to run 7.0, and load the main part, lots of things were broken.

Mostly, it's DAQ-mx VIs and NI-CAN VIs.

They're just gone.

The whole MEASUREMENTS palette is empty, except for MOTION and VISION.

The CLASSIC DAQ palettes are gone (I use those for the RT board).

The MX palettes are gone. The NI-CAN palettes are gone.

The only thing I did in LV 8.2 was: Compile a portion of my code (after fixing a small problem with a property node), and MASS COMPILE the whole folder of my code (about 30 minutes it took).

Unfortunately, I didn't test the 7.0 stuff BEFORE I mass compiled, so I don't know if the installation killed it, or the compilation.

Or maybe it was that idiot EXPLORER feature. (the machine crashed 4-5 times before I was able to recover).

So, it looks like I have to wipe out LV 8, re-install LV 7, and start over.

But what should I do differently?

How do you get them both to co-exist, or is it just impossible?

[paulmw]

You CAN have both version of labview installed on one machine.  The VI's will associate with which ever version was run last.  If you compile your VI's to labview 8 they won't open with LV 7.  If you need to keep a copy of the 7 version, save the entire heirarchy to a separate location and don't touch those files.  Just opening a VI in LV 8 will recompile it and its subvi's to LV 8, if you save it your LV 7 versions will be overwritten.

As for the mass complie you did do, did you install all the device drivers for LV 8?

Message Edited by paulmw on 01-29-2007 07:49 AM

[Ben]

Hi Coastal,

The short story is

If you want to do anything more than just the core LV stuff (Drivers etc) you have to use seperate machines.

When new version of the drivers etc are installed they go through and delete all support for any version of LV is more than two release back!

I have four machines on or under my desk to support all of the variations of LV that I support.

I wish I was wrong!

Ben

[paulmw]

Ben,

What do you mean by the "core LV stuff"?  I've had both the development suite for LV 7.1 and 8.2 running on one machine.  I had one application in both versions that could excersized the same test platform (no newer Daq mx stuff though).  Mostly ethernet and serial control and one legacy pci card.  Was I ok because I didn't excersize a buch of newer drivers, or because the version were not greater that two versions different?

Thanks,

Paul

[Ben]

LV 8.2 and 7.1 OK.

If you had LV 7.0 you would have seen the issue.

I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to be WRONG about this!

Ben

[tst]

To be more accurate, when you install a new version of a driver, the old version with all its support files is removed.

If the older LV version can only use the old version, then it is left unable to do anything, because it can not use the currently installed driver.

I'm not sure what happens if both versions of LV support the new driver. If I remember correctly, you do have an option when installing the driver of selecting support for specific LV versions, but it's also possible that you have to play with it manually by installing to the lowest version and copying the files to the directory of the new version.

[CoastalMaineBird]

You CAN have both version of labview installed on one machine. The VI's will associate with which ever version was run last. If you compile your VI's to labview 8 they won't open with LV 7. If you need to keep a copy of the 7 version, save the entire heirarchy to a separate location and don't touch those files. Just opening a VI in LV 8 will recompile it and its subvi's to LV 8, if you save it your LV 7 versions will be overwritten.

Yes, I know all that, but it has nothing to do with what I asked.

--MY-- code is OK, I'm wondering why LABVIEW's code has disappeared.

[CoastalMaineBird]

When new version of the drivers etc are installed they go through and delete all support for any version of LV is more than two release back!

Arrrrgh. That looks exactly like what's happened. DAQmx, and NI-CAN just disappeared from the 7.0 setup.

[CoastalMaineBird]

Has anyone had experience with a virtual machine? Can LabVIEW drivers access the hardware that way?

[tbob]

I once knew a guy that actually swapped out hard drives to avoid these kinds of problems.  One hard drive had LVx and the other had LVy.  Jeeez, what a lot of trouble.  I think a dual boot system would be easier than swapping hard drives if one cannot afford two different computers.