LabVIEW
Path as part of the VI file name
My projects are simulations and therefore often have a structure that results in a number of identical VI trees. This is further complicated by the need for a further number of sets of near identical VI trees; these differences are small and generally, not always, result in sub-sets. Finally, just to make everything even more complicated I am required to keep a number of these simulations available and in sync with each other and with the controlled source documents over a period of years.
I have to be able to differentiate every VI because I use a dll to provide some of the lowest functionality. This functionality does not exist in LabView and I cannot see a way to build it in LabView that would not produce a large overhead or potentially make maintenance even more difficult. Think bidirectional signals throughout the model, it’s simple in C if a little slower than I desire.
In a more conventional language where the path to a file is significant and enforceable this is all achievable because the compiler does not go wandering around looking for files, it does as instructed, and does not care about file names being repeated or if it does it deals with it.
I have been using libraries since just after this discussion started and they are a partial solution. Further, the new object oriented programming model may also help but nether really address the problem in a clean way, version control also helps but I believe personally the problem is built in from the very bottom in that LabView assumes there is only one job and that all files belong to it! I personally would prefer an error message if a file is not where it is expected to be.
Sorry for the long time delay between postings but I have been working, thinking and looking for a solution that works in toto.
I won’t post again on this issue unless something significant happens. Thanks for your time and the conversation has helped.
Frank 
