We're happy that you love the idea of packaging your library of reusable VIs into modular VI Packages and taking advantage of the powerful yet easy-to-use features of VIPM. You're probably wondering what's the best way to get started. So, we've outlined our thoughts on the process, below.
By following these simple steps, you'll spend more time working on creating (re)useful VIs and finishing your LabVIEW projects instead of wasting time reinventing the wheel and searching for VIs.
Step 1: Organize Reusable VIs in your past and current projects.
- Organize the reusable VIs into category folders that will become "VI Packages".
- Give each category folder a name like "Array", "File", "String", etc.
Step 2: Build VI Packages from each of your reusable VI folders using VIPM
It's easy to build a package.- Select a reusable VI category folder (e.g., "Array", "File", "String", etc.) as your VI Package Source Folder.
- Customize how your VIs will look in the palettes using the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) palette editor.
- Add descriptive information about your package, such as author, company, package homepage URL, etc.
- Build your package.
- Repeat for each reusable VI category folder.
See the Building your First Package exercise for a detailed tutorial.
Step 3: Install your VI Packages into the LabVIEW palettes and use them in projects
- Use VIPM to install your VI Packages into the LabVIEW palettes.
- Use your VIs in LabVIEW projects.
Step 4 (optional): Create a VI Package Configuration for each LabVIEW project
If you're using VI Packages in your projects, you can ensure that you've always got the right packages installed when you- Scan your LabVIEW project using VIPM to create a VI Package Configuration file and add it to your project folder.
- Save your VI Package Configuration (*.vipc) file in your project folder (and check it into source code control).
- Apply your VI Package Configuration when you start working on a project to ensure that all your reusable VI Packages that are needed by your project are found in the palettes.
Up: VI Package Building Guide
Comments
1 comment
It would be good if under Step 2 there was an Advanced option with detailed information on how to have all the smaller packages be installed as part of a larger package, like OpenG or MGI. Similarly, the details required for when creating the sub-palettes to have them all install under a single main category palette. In addition, how to handle inter-dependencies between the individual packages. And, also the details for handling the configuration if this Main category is yet a child of an even larger palette set.
I'm struggling to split my shared tools (over 700 VIs and 200 Custom controls, plus template VIs, Glyphs, Icon Templates, Tools menu (scripting) items, etc.) into smaller packages. Although, I did move installation of QD tools into its own package since none of those VIs end up in the palettes.
I love VIPM and just need to learn what I don't yet know how to do.
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