Labview runtime engine

[Gabi1]

Hello Guys,

i am in a bit of confusion when it comes to utilisation of runtime engines.
I have several programs which requires older runtime engines, i.e. 6.1. on my computer runtime 7.1 is installed, and seems to be incompatible with the program.
Do i need to install a runtime for every version dependant on the shipped program? where do i find old runtime engines (i need now 6.1).
Why cant i keep only the latest runtime?

related question: i received vis from a 7.1 version, while i run on this machine 8.0 (yes, the buggy one 😞 ). however there is an error opening the files, LV claims that the vi could not be converted since it has no diagram! what does that mean?

Thanks!

[MikeS81]

Hi Gabi,

yes you need always the runtime to the corresponding development enviroment. Here is the link for the version 6.1 http://joule.ni.com/nidu/cds/view/p/id/746/lang/de.

You can´t convert a vi, which has no diagram.

Mike

Message Edited by MikeS81 on 07-17-2008 09:53 AM

[Norbert_B]

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@Gabi1 wrote:
[...] however there is an error opening the files, LV claims that the vi could not be converted since it has no diagram! what does that mean? [...]

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Since you have to recompile the VI for the "new" version, you need the sourcecode. And in LV, the BD is the uncompiled sourcecode. So, if you have no BD or it is blocked by any means, you cannot recompile this VI.

And regarding the RTEs:
LV is not the only environment which needs a RTE. In fact, all programms need a RTE. It is only common, that many programming languages compile their applications in a way, the components of the OS work as RTE (this is true for e.g. ANSI C).
Other languages have their own RTEs, the most known example would be .NET where the .NET framework is the RTE. And just like LV, there are different versions of the .NET framework (1.0, 1.1, 2.0). And not all .NET assemblies can be executed with all framework-versions. So version-dependend applications are not as uncommon as some people might think.....

Norbert

[Gabi1]

Thanks Mike and Norbert.
installed and running.
For reference in future i will keep a runtime engine for all versions of LV.
About the block diagram: a locked diagram lead to unusability iff used in a future LV version? i find that problematic. shouldnt there be always backward compatibility? shouldnt it apply to all vis, even with locked diagrams?
i am then in a situation when i do not have on this computer a licence for 7.1 therefore unable to use the program. worse even, there would be no way to resave the program for use in applications created using 8 or 8.5.

[MikeS81]

Hi Gabi,

as Norbert said, without the blockdiagram (source code) you can´t compile it and a change to another version is not possible.

Mike

[Norbert_B]

Gabi,

i haven't checked out VIs which are passwordprotected. When the update of my testsystem is finished, i will check that.
What i meant by "blocked by any means" was in the first instance writeprotection from OS.....
I will get back on this when i can try locked VIs.

Norbert

[dan_u]

Password protected VIs can be opened and recompiled in a new LabVIEW version. The source code is there, you just can't look at it without the password. But LabVIEW can access it and recompile it and you can even save it in the new version.

Daniel



Message Edited by dan_u on 07-17-2008 11:59 AM

[Gabi1]

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@dan_u wrote:
Password protected VIs can be opened and recompiled in a new LabVIEW version. The source code is there, you just can't look at it without the password. But LabVIEW can access it and recompile it and you can even save it in the new version.

Daniel

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i see. So what would be the meaning of ' no block diagram' error, when there is clearly a fonctionality and a diagram to the vi?

[Norbert_B]

In LV 7.x and previous, you could save VIs without their blockdiagrams. If you have such a VI, it is still executable in the appropriate RTE, but you will never have the possibility to update it....
In LV 8.x, it is more complicated (sourcedistribution), but still you can remove the BD from the VI.
The advantage of this is a smaller size on HD and therefore improved loading times. Disadvantage: You are bound to a certain LV version.

If you load the VI in the correct LV developement environment and can open the BD, it should be updateable. Even if there are functions used which are not available in the newer LV version, you still can open the VI. You will get loading errors, but not the error you are observing.

Norbert

PS: I think Dan is correct; i was unsure if you have to enter the PW in order to update or not. But since my "updatemachine" will be the same as the one which created the VI, i doubt that even this will be aksed for (if LV does at all)....

[Gabi1]

Thanks!

i was totally unaware that one could save the vi withouth the diagram. it does make sense then that it is bound to a RTE and LV version. It seems the developer from whom i inherited this code was pretty possesive about his code source  

talk about making twice the work...