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what are the disadvantages of labview?

when compared to other languages such as C, can anyone tell me the disadvantages of Labview
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Message 1 of 36
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Please do a search. This question comes up every few months. For example labview vs visual basic vs visual c.
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Message 2 of 36
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Here are just a few of what I think are disadvantages of LabVIEW as I use it:

 

For me LabVIEW takes up a lot of space on the desktop - open windows everywhere - especially when debugging.

A text based system doesn't have this problem. It is concise.

 

While in a breakpoint (using LabVIEW 2009) you can't zoom up and down the stack looking at variables and structures easily.

In the text based (LabWindows, C# etc.) environment everything is available down as far as the breakpoint for easy viewing.

(I mean once a breakpoint has been reached).

 

In C# you can change the code while in a breakpoint and then continue with the code change made. LabVIEW has nothing like this.

 

In a LabVIEW FOR LOOP there is no concept of step size. It is always 1.

 

LabVIEW crashes sometimes....

 

All dev. systems have their disadvantages, but these are for me the main ones for LabVIEW that I have found.

 

TestStand 4.2.1, LabVIEW 2009, LabWindows/CVI 2009
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@Believer wrote:

 

In a LabVIEW FOR LOOP there is no concept of step size. It is always 1.

 

 


Vote for this idea.

- tbob

Inventor of the WORM Global
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It's not really taken seriously in the in the industry I'm in.  Serious programmers chuckle at it.  Mostly, i see it used in schools, small companies that don't have a lot of staff, and R+D.

For myself, I use it as a tool like a screwdriver or a solder iron . It's not how i make my money.

Haven't encountered anyone making good coin becoming an LV expert, and given the level of knowledge you need to obtain to be an expert, doesn't really seem worth it.   Just my take - no offense to anyone.

 

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You could at least mention the industry you are in.

 

And what do you define as small companies? I know for a fact that companies with tens of thousands of employees, in the Fortune 500, and manufacturing millions of units per year use LabVIEW exclusively.

 

Same goes for you definition of 'good coin'. What is it?

 

 

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ou could at least mention the industry you are in.

>Semi Dennis

 

And what do you define as small companies? I know for a fact that companies with tens of thousands of employees, in the Fortune 500, and manufacturing millions of units per year use LabVIEW exclusively.

>Just my perspective - you've seen something i haven't.  Don't doubt you but curious  - what companies?  

 

Same goes for you definition of 'good coin'. What is it?

 

Like i said - it would be relative to the amount of knowledge needed to become proficient like yourself but as a ballpark,  how about starting at 100k+? Seems like a reasonable expectation for the work.

 

Really don't want to belabor the point though Dennis - if your view and experience is different, that's fine- I have no problem with that, just giving my own.

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One company is the where the Test Engineer of the Year works. I used to work down the hall from her. I know of some aerospace, medical, and even some semiconductor companies. Can't divulge their names, sorry,

 

Yes, expert LabVIEW programmers can make a six figure income.

 

I don't want to belabor the point either. Just wanted to bring a perspective of 35 years in the electronics business to the discussion.

 

 

Message 8 of 36
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Labview is used very much, and thought of very highly, in the Test & Measurement world.  I've worked in manufacturing test for over 25 years, and Labview is by far the best software tool around for this purpose.  Like Dennis said, many top rated companies use Labview.  Its becasue of the ease of use, quick development time, ease of maintenance, and other reasons.  Labview is not a joke in this industry.  Serious programmers use Labview here.  Serious enough to earn 6 figures.

 

I would not use Labview to write applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, internet apps, and such.  C++ is much better suited for these.  But Labview does have a serious place in this universe.  Labview is preferred over C++ when it comes to Test & Measurement by many serious programmers.

- tbob

Inventor of the WORM Global
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Message 9 of 36
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Companies:

GE, TRW, Lockheed Martin, Corning, Inc.(they don't just make glass!), Moog, ITT, NASA to name a few (and ones where I have actually worked). It is predominently used in the Test and Measurement sector, that is what it was basically developed for. Oh, by the way, a fair chunk of large Hadron Collider at CERN is using both LabVIEW and National Instruments hardware. Neither was the cause of the failure last fall, I might add, apparently it was someone using the soldering iron tool. 😉 

 

I won't mention what I make, and as a contract engineer it really isn't a particularly applicable comparison to "in house staff" rates, but being a truly skilled LabVIEW programmer allows for reasonable coin. The biggest problem I have in that regard is reminding my clients that I am also a fairly competent electrical engineer, with both a broad knowledge base and a LOT of experience (there is a reason why I have a trilobyte (sp) as my avatar). As with any programming knowledge, having subject matter knowledge about what the program is being written for is probably as important in most cases.

 

As to LabVIEW's strengths and weaknesses, they have been discussed, at length, over many years of this forum, and most of that is still valid. The biggest weakness I have seen, at least from my business prospective, is its apparent ease of use, something too often promoted by NI's sales staff. That make it much harder for me to quote projects to prospective customers, particularly those who haven't traveled that road, sometimes they think a full featured data-acquisiton system shouldn't take more than a week.

 

 

Putnam
Certified LabVIEW Developer

Senior Test Engineer North Shore Technology, Inc.
Currently using LV 2012-LabVIEW 2018, RT8.5


LabVIEW Champion



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