NI Package Builder - Using "Latest Build" of package

[J.C._Andersen]

Hi.

We have discovered what seems to be a bug when building an installer containing a package created in the same solution.

When you add a packages from you own solution to the installer, it shows up with the text "Latest Build" in the version column. However, when I build the solution (package + installer), and then try to run the installer, it says that it needs a newer version of the package. In the attached screen shot I have build the package in version 0.1.0.1 which is also the version build in to the installer. The package and installer a created in the same package builder solution. But as you can see the installer requires version 0.1.0.2, which has never been build, and thus dos not exist.

The only way to make my package install in version 0.1.0.1 from the installer is to build it on its own, then install it and then add it to the installer from "Additional sources".

I hope you can make a fix for this soon, thanks.

[Scott_Richardson]

Hey Jens, I believe the issue you are experiencing is fixed bug 137007 documented here, NI Package Builder Bug Fixes, so it is fixed in NI Package Builder 19.1 that was made available on Sept 19, 2019. 

[J.C._Andersen]

Hi Scott.

Thank you for your answer. Bug 137007 looks exactly like that what I experience.

I just do not understand why the new version of NI Package Builder does not appear under "Updates" in my NI Packages Manager? I would have expected that (see attached screen shot).

Also I am not able to download from the page you link to. When I press the "Download" button it just sends me to the top of the page, and no download starts.I tried this in both Chrome and Firefox.

I hope you can help me get the right version, thanks.

[J.C._Andersen]

Hi again.

We have now found a way to obtain version 19.1. One of my colleges discovered that if you open the NI Package Manager, click on the category "Add-Ons" and type "package" in the search field, the NI Package Builder shows up as the first item. When you click it you will be presented with version 19.1 as the install options.

The funny thing is that when you start to install it it will temporarily appear in the list of "Updates", and then of cause  disappear when the installation is done.

[CL_eisenwr]

I was wondering the same thing about why NI Package Builder (NIPB) update did not get "published" to NI Package Manager, particularly since it seems to mostly just be bug fixes.

[Scott_Richardson]

Bill and Jens, sorry for the delayed response. The Updates tab in NI Package Manager only shows software patches, i.e. changes in the third number field, i.e. 19.0.1 for products that are installed. Since NI Package Builder version was 19.1, it is considered a new minor release of the product, so it only shows up in the Browse Products tab of NI Package Manager. It is true that 19.1 did not have any obvious features and it only fixed bugs. Releases in the future will have features and you will need to use the Browse Product tab of NI Package Manager for those too. Hope that helps.

[J.C._Andersen]

Hi Scott.

That helps me understand why it did not show up as an update. But the rule of not having minor and major releases of packages show up as updates makes no sense to me. As you can see with the current example, I had no idea that a new minor release was out. I currently have 300+ packages installed on my system. I do not want to check if a new minor or major release was released by manually searching for it. I want to be notified at least as soon as I spin up the NI Package Manager. In case some users only want to be notified about bug fixes, you could have that as a filter option on the updates page, where you already have other filter options.

Having said that, I know that major releases almost always are released around the time of NIWeek. I know this because I have been using NI software in my work since 1998. But not everyone might know that. The high-profile products like LabVIEW and TestStand get enough marketing exposure for everyone to know that they are out. But less high-profile products could easily slip under the radar.

So, my conclusion is that I think we must have a way to get notification about new releases thru the NI Package Manager. A filter options could be great and maybe necessary.