Opening Multiple Instances When Launching Different Project (.prj) Files

[NeluF]

I am feeling that LabWindows/CVI lacks a feature that leads to confusion and to minor lack of productivity. When opening the Project File from Windows Explorer or another manager, CVI will start and open that particular project. However, if an instance of CVI is currently running, it will close the project that’s opened and open up the new project. This doesn’t seem right. Let’s say your’re working on a project and you want to open a reference project or an example from ‚Samples’ in order to find some information. Your project automatically closes and you must open it again. You have to search the project on the disk and wait for it to load each time you want to look for something in another project. But you only want to take a look at that example (or reference project), you don’t want to work on it! A workaround exists: open up an instance of LabWindows/CVI and then open your second project. And you must do that for each supplementary project you want to open, while not losing you project of interest.

The feature I think should be implemented would allow the following behavior: when opening a project, LabWindows/CVI will check to see if that project is opened in one of its running instances. If it is, that particular instance is brought into view. If it isn’t, a new instance of LabWindows/CVI will be started and the project will be opened. That way you reduce waiting times (especially when a big project is involved in this switch) and increase productivity.

[RobertoBozzolo]

While it's true what TheWriter says, I can suggest two alternatives that may com in handy:

• If you have a shortcut to a specific project either on the desktop or in start menu, it will launch a new instance of CVI with the correct project loaded. For your reference, I have created several shortcuts to the projects I'm working on all with the following command line:
  "C:\Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\CVI2009\cvi.exe" <pathname to my .PRJ file>
• If you drop a .PRJ or .CWS file from some windows explorer windows to a CVI icon in start menu, it will open it in a new instance