datafinder Labview API

[aartjan]

I would like to tap the file searching capabilities of Datafinder with labview. I figured out already that I can create Diadem scripts to perform datafinder operations, but that's not really what I want. I want to know whether Datafinder has any direct Labview API, or MUST I take the route of calling diadem VBS? And if so; if my datafinder query returns, say, 6 file matches, how would I get those file paths back into Labview?
Thanks for any suggestions!

[Brad_Turpin]

Hi aartjan,

At the moment DIAdem is the only client for the DataFinder.  LabVIEW must issue its queries and receive its search results by interfacing with DIAdem via ActiveX.  So you have two options for passing the query information to DIAdem and receiving the search results from DIAdem-- using File I/O (i.e. ASCII or TDM or TDMS) or alternatively, passing global DIAdem variables through ActiveX.

Brad Turpin
DIAdem Product Support Engineer
National Instruments

[Brad_Turpin · Accepted solution]

Hi again aartjan,

Today LabVIEW 2009 went Beta2, and it now includes a new "DataFinder Toolkit" set of VIs that provide the direct link from LabVIEW to the DataFinder that you were asking for.  Now we have 2 clients for the DataFinder, DIAdem and also LabVIEW.  Please go to th www.ni.com/beta website and request access to the LabVIEW Beta program, if you don't already have access.  Please let me know if you have any trouble either getting access to the VIs or using them.

Hope you like them,

Brad Turpin
DIAdem Product Support Engineer
National Instruments

[aartjan]

Well, that is a very cool new feature!

Did I set you guys on to this or haveother people been requesting this also?

Next feature request would be to make it possible to incorporate Diadem functions in Labview executables! Hehe, I am pretty sure I am pushing it now.. 🙂

[Brad_Turpin]

Hi aartjan,

We had quite a few customers requesting this connection, but you were one of the early ones.  Note that you will need to download the whole platform installer (10 GB) from the Beta site, not just the LabVIEW-only installer (800 MB) in order to get the DataFinder Toolkit.

Brad Turpin
DIAdem Product Support Engineer
National Instruments

[aartjan]

Wow! my ISP will think I am downloading movies. hehe