1.1 Labview environment  (Page 2/6)

Opening an existing vi

You load a VI into memory by selecting File>>Open . In the Choose the VI to open dialog box that appears, navigate to the VI you want to open.

The VIs you edit in this course are located in the C:\Exercises\LabVIEW Basics I directory.

As the VI loads, a status dialog box similar to might appear.

The Loading section lists the subVIs of the VI as they are loaded into memory. Number Loaded is the number of subVIs loaded into memory so far. You can cancel the load at any time by clicking the Stop button.

If LabVIEW cannot immediately locate a subVI, it begins searching through all directories specified by the VI Search Path . You can edit the VI Search Path by selecting Tools>>Options and selecting Paths from the top pull-down menu. The Searching section lists directories or VIs as LabVIEW searches through them. You can haveLabVIEW ignore a subVI by clicking the Ignore SubVI button, or you can click the Browse button to search for the missing subVI.

Saving vis

Select Save , Save As , Save All , or Save with Options from the File menu to save VIs as individual files or group several VIs together and save them in a VI library. VIlibrary files end with the extension .llb . National Instruments recommends that you save VIs as individual files, organized in directories,especially if multiple developers are working on the same project.

LabVIEW uses the native file dialog boxes so they act similar to other applications on the computer. You candisable this feature by selecting Tools>>Options and selecting Miscellaneous from the top pull-down menu. If you disable native file dialogs, LabVIEW uses its ownplatform-independent file dialog boxes with some convenient features, such as providing a list of recent paths andreducing the steps necessary to save VIs in VI libraries.

Moving vis across platforms

You can transfer VIs from one platform to another, such as from Mac OS to Windows. LabVIEW automatically translates andrecompiles the VIs on the new platform.

Because VIs are files, you can use any file transfer method or utility to move VIs between platforms. You can port VIsover networks using FTP, Z or XModem protocols, or similar utilities. Such network transfers eliminate the need foradditional file translation software. If you port VIs using magnetic media, such as floppy disks or a moveable externalhard drive, you need a generic file transfer utility program, such as the following:

• ( Windows ) MacDisk and TransferPro transfer Mac OS files to the PC format and vice versa.
• ( Mac OS ) DOS Mounter, MacLink, and Apple File Exchange convert PC files to the Mac OS formatand vice versa.
• ( Sun ) PC File System (PCFS) converts PC files to the Sun format and vice versa.

Refer to the Porting and Localizing LabVIEW VIs Application Note, available by selecting Help>>Search the LabVIEW Bookshelf , for more information about porting VIs.