how should I move a LabVIEW project to another computer?

[jt_fuw]

Hello. I have a lot of LabVIEW project on an old computer, and I don't have LabVIEW on it now. I want to move these projects to another computer, which has LabVIEW. The new computer has a different directory structure, and limited disk space - I cannot use the same directory names as on the old computer, I cannot copy everything at once - I need choose a few projects, copy them to the new computer, then work on these projects.

he problem is that LabVIEW project references many files and contains their paths, which are to change. I need: (1) to find and copy all necessary files, and (2) to make them accessible for LabVIEW (fix paths in the project). What are rules of doing it? Are they described somewhere? Or is there a program for moving a LabVIEW project, not requiring a paid license?

Thanks in advance.

[santo_13]

The right way is to maintain these on Source Code Control (like Git, SVN etc.,), looks like you did not.

Now, this is not going to be a one-shot way, but iterative way to copy and check what is missing, find it and copy it.

[jt_fuw]

I suppose using Source Code Control could only tell me which files that I consciously created belong to the project - assuming every time when I created a file I added it to the SCC. With the same result I could write the file names to some document.

However, LabVIEW may create files without my knowledge - of course, I can examine directory for new files each time I use LabVIEW and find these automatically created files, then yet another problem is to distinguish which of them contain cached data which can be restored automatically, and which are really needed for the project.

And seems this doesn't solve yet another problem: on the destination computer, these files will be in other directory, than they originally were; LabVIEW has original directory names and looks for files there. I need to change it somehow - but how can I do it?

The LabVIEW project file (.lvproj) contains names and paths of the project files. Maybe they can be used (and modified) to adapt the project to the new computer? But I don't know if all needed files are specified there.

[billko]

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@jt_fuw wrote:

I suppose using Source Code Control could only tell me which files that I consciously created belong to the project - assuming every time when I created a file I added it to the SCC. With the same result I could write the file names to some document.

However, LabVIEW may create files without my knowledge - of course, I can examine directory for new files each time I use LabVIEW and find these automatically created files, then yet another problem is to distinguish which of them contain cached data which can be restored automatically, and which are really needed for the project.

And seems this doesn't solve yet another problem: on the destination computer, these files will be in other directory, than they originally were; LabVIEW has original directory names and looks for files there. I need to change it somehow - but how can I do it?

The LabVIEW project file (.lvproj) contains names and paths of the project files. Maybe they can be used (and modified) to adapt the project to the new computer? But I don't know if all needed files are specified there.

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I think you really need to understand just how source control works.

[santo_13]

When you properly organize your source code in lvproj and manage the external dependencies (ideally VI packages or NI Packages), you will not have automatically created files that you need to manage.

When a lvproj is launched first, and all the depedencies are within the project or in a central search location, despite change in exact path, the VIs and dependencies will re-link during a mass compile operation, and hence it wouldn't affect based on the location you put the lvproj or its files.

[Taggart]

yes you should learn how to use source code control, but that is a separate discussion.

to your immediate problem,

the files tab in the project explorer will show you where you are pulling files from.

The vis in vi lib  or basically anything under "C:\Program Files/National Instruments/" you typically don't have to copy over. In general those ship with LabVIEW. Opening code on the new machine should just relink automatically.
You may also find some VIs in vilib. that you installed via VIPM.  If you look in VIPM, you can get a list of installed packages and versions and then install those same packages and versions on the new machine.

Also on the new machine there is a menu item somewhere IIRC right click on the project and it something like "Find Missing Items" That will tell you what it is missiing. LabVIEW will also detect missing VIPM packages for you (assuming you are running a newer version).

[Taggart]

"However, LabVIEW may create files without my knowledge - of course, I can examine directory for new files each time I use LabVIEW and find these automatically created files, then yet another problem is to distinguish which of them contain cached data which can be restored automatically, and which are really needed for the project."

Not sure what you are doing, but that isn't normal. 

as to cached data, for what you are doing that shouldn't matter. 

[thols]

"However, LabVIEW may create files without my knowledge"

Files I can think of that LabVIEW creates, you don't have to care about, since LabVIEW will create them if needed. Examples are side-files to the project file (.alias, .lvlps) and files in your documents folder (like crash reports, channel wire VI's etc). If you have your code in a (or some) folder(s), you should only need to copy that and LabVIEW should do the rest.

[Taggart]

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@thols wrote:

"However, LabVIEW may create files without my knowledge"

Files I can think of that LabVIEW creates, you don't have to care about, since LabVIEW will create them if needed. Examples are side-files to the project file (.alias, .lvlps) and files in your documents folder (like crash reports, channel wire VI's etc). If you have your code in a (or some) folder(s), you should only need to copy that and LabVIEW should do the rest.

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yes I stand corrected. LabVIEW does create the .aliases and .lvlps files, but as @thols points out, you can safely ignore those.

[softball]

Hi

I support the statement that you should start by thinking about SCC.

Not any specific SCC, but SCC is the idea that you keep everything within one top-folder. Nothing required for a project is outside that folder. SCC then tracks the changes according to your liking.

There is a well known fellow in the community named Jörg Hampel who has set up a wiki for his company :

I suggest you look into it and consider the advices.

Unless you know better, of course. 

Regards