New Release of LabVIEW Data Tools and Variant Config

[JeanPierre]

These two OpenG packages offers powerful tools to manipulate variant data.
The tools don't make use of control references or properties but only use
variant data (data + type descriptor). Many useful features are available
such as:

LabVIEW Data Tools:
Get or Set data Name
Get data type as an enum
Convert a cluster to/from an array or an array of variants (no preset
cluster size).
Get or Set a cluster element by its name.
Get the number of elements in a cluster.
Index and replace element in a variant array (any datatype)

Variant Config Tools uses LabVIEW Data Tools to Read/Write in an ini file:
Enums using their string value
Numeric arrays of any number of dimensions

Clusters as ini sections
Clusters (and embedded clusters to any level) with expanded names
(e.g. ClusterName.ElementName=value)
Whole Front Panel data

The package eases the read/write operations for many variables. If you
have to write ten parameters on an ini file just bundle them in a
cluster and call "Write Key (Variant).vi" once. You don't have to make
ten write operations specifying the name of each parameter.

The tools are available for download at
http://sourceforge.net/projects/opengtoolkit

Download these three packages:
variantconfig
lvdata
error

Best of fun and enhanced wiring

Jean-Pierre Drolet
Jim Kring

[eh]

In a nutshell, what are the rules for using and distributing this code when used as part of my application? Can I use and distribute them in commercial applications? Can I develop applications for sale that are executables using these vi's. Will all my development be open source then? What would I have to include with the distribution? Thanks.

[Jim_Kring]

Yes, you can safely use OpenG VIs in your closed-source applications. If you use (without modifying) the OpenG VIs in your application, you don't have much to worry about. You only have to worry about distributing an executable. In this case you need to allow other people the ability to relink to upgraded versions of the OpenG VIs at a later date (or offer to make this available for up to three years). You can do this by distributing the source code (and password protecting your VIs) or by using the OpenG Application Builder to build the Application, which will segregate and preserve the source code of all OpenG VIs in the application.

This information will be added to the OpenG.org FAQ in a more explicit manor, but until then you can refer to the following documents:

Applying The LGPL to LabVIEW

GNU Lesser Public License

Good Luck,

Jim Kring

[Ben]

Hi Jim,

Don't know you are around.

As long as include the OpenG source
and
include your copyright stuff

I can do anything with the code I want. Is this correct?

I'm still trying get get clarification how the OpenG license affect my itellectual property if I decide to use your intelectual property.

Glad I never decided to do the law thing,

Ben

[Rolf]

OpenG software is LGPL. This means you can use OpenG software in any type of
application, as long as you provide the end user with the source code to the
OpenG
functions and allow him to replace the OpenG functions with never versions
which
may get available, by not linking statically to it.

Since LabVIEW always links dynamically to VIs, even in a runtime system,
there is
actually no problem with that if you take some steps in distributing your
app.

In general it is best to separate OpenG functions into a different
directory/llb and distribute them with diagram code, no matter what you do
with the rest of your
diagrams.

You should also acknowledge the use of OpenG VIs somewhere, and also
important
not misrepresent the origin of the functions
.

Rolf Kalbermatter

"Ben" wrote in message
news:50650000000500000050C60000-1042324653000@exchange.ni.com...
> Hi Jim,
>
> Don't know you are around.
>
> As long as include the OpenG source
> and
> include your copyright stuff
>
> I can do anything with the code I want. Is this correct?
>
> I'm still trying get get clarification how the OpenG license affect my
> itellectual property if I decide to use your intelectual property.
>
> Glad I never decided to do the law thing,
>
> Ben

[Ben]

Thank you Rolf!

It's always great to hear from one of my mentors.

There is something about the way you explain things that switch on lights for me.

I was having trouble understanding the generic wording of the license that made it hard for me to see how it fit with LV.

Ben

[AndyBE]

Hi!
I don't have a clue of OpenG. I Recently started labview and figured out that your Variant Config Toolset could be very useful to me. How do I integrate the Open G code into my Labview Application?
Andy