Once you've packaged your reuse library, you might wonder how to share all the VI Packages with your team members. Here are some great ways to share VI Packages with your team over the Internet or local network:
VI Package Shared Repositories
The best way to share packages with your team is by publishing your packages to a VI Package Repository, using VIPM Pro. This will allow other members of your team (and other computers with VIPM) to subscribe to the repository, so that they can download an install those packages directly from within VIPM. Every time these VIPM clients run, they will check for updates to installed packages that are available from this shared network repository (that can be on an internal file server or even on the web). You can manage which packages get published to the repository and you can provide updates to those packages, so your team always has access to the tools they need to get the job done.
Repositories also have a built-in RSS feed where team members can subscribe using their favorite tool and get updates that way as well.
VI Package Configurations
Whenever you use VI Packages on your projects, create a VI Package Configuration (*.vipc) file and save it in your project folder along side all your project's source code. VI Package Configuration files store all the packages that are being used in your project (the actual VI Packages are stored inside the *.vipc file).Add your project's *.vipc file into your source code control system, along with all of your project source files (VIs, CTLs, etc.) so that it's available to all of your team members. When you utilize a networked source code control system like Visual Source Safe, Perforce, Subversion, CVS, etc., then the packages that are being used on a project are available to the entire team team that is working on the project, regardless of where they are in the world. When they get the latest files from source code control, they will receive all of the VI Packages inside the *.vipc file. They can use VIPM to Apply the VI Package Configuration and install all the VI Packages into thier LabVIEW palettes.
When you're using a networked Source Code Control system, you can share your VI Packages with your team, over the network, by creating a VI Package Configuration and adding it to your project source files.
Web-based Collaboration Tools website, wiki, discussion forums, etc.
A great way to share VI Packages with your team members is to use one of a variety of web-based collaboration tools. For example, you can use a wiki, content management system, or discussion forum. When users click on a hyperlink to download and open a VI Package from your web-based collaboration tool, VIPM will ask them if they wish to install the VI Package in LabVIEW. It's as easy as that!Up: VI Package Building Guide
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.