2012 Source Control "Exclude vi.lib" apparently not working

[PiMaster]

I recently upgraded to LabVIEW 2012, and we use Visual SourceSafe for Source Control in my company.  I've managed to get LabVIEW working fairly well with it in the past, but there's a new nuisance in 2012.  I have it checked to include the hiearchy when adding files, but to exclude vi.lib and instr.lib.  Now whenever I place some VIs from the vi.lib, I get a prompt asking if I want to add them to SourceControl.  It's happened for each config file VI I've placed.  If I decline, it's fine while the VI is in memory.  But if I close the project and reload the project and the VI, I get the prompt for all of the config VIs that I had placed.

This happens when I try to open my VI that reads a configuration file:

I never had this problem in LabVIEW 2010 or 2011.  I haven't seen it happen yet with any other VIs aside from those in config.llb.

I'll update if I see it happen with any other kind of VIs.

[tannerite]

Are you receiving this prompt from LabVIEW 2012, or is this prompt from Visual SourceSafe? Can you layout step-by-step on how to reproduce the prompt you are seeing, just to make sure we are all on the same page.

Regards,

[PiMaster]

Start LabVIEW 201x
Open Options
Confirm the options are as follows:

Create new project
Save C:\LV201xSourceControlTest\LV201xSourceControlTest.lvproj
Create new VI
Save C:\LV201xSourceControlTest\LV201xSourceControlTest.vi
Add Open Config Data.vi
- There is no prompt
Add each of the other config file VIs
***Get LabVIEW source control prompts asking me to add files***

Save and close with all the VIs on the block diagram
Close project and quit LabVIEW 201x
Restart LabVIEW 201x and open the project
Open the VI
***See a list of all the config VIs asking if I want to add them to source control***

I repeated this test with LabVIEW 2011 and 2012, and as I said all the settings were the same. I see the source control prompts in LabVIEW 2012, but not 2011. And they appear to be LabVIEW prompts given they have the LabVIEW icon at the top of the window. I haven't seen this behavior when adding any other vi.lib VIs to my block diagram, but I've only been using LabVIEW 2012 for a limited amount of time now.

[tannerite]

Hi PiMaster,

I have been investigating Visual SourceSafe and it looks like Microsoft has stopped mainstream support as of July 10, 2012. Since Visual SourceSafe is third-party software that interfaces with LabVIEW, it is out of National Instruments control whether SourceSafe interfaces correctly with the current version of LabVIEW. LabVIEW 2012 may have altered the interface with third-party version control, and since LabVIEW 2012 came out in early August of 2012, it is very possible that SourceSafe has not adapted. 

Tortoise SVN, an alternative third party version control, is known to be compatible with LabVIEW 2012. Thank you for bring this to attention with great step-by-step documentation for anyone else who has similar issues.

[PiMaster]

I understand.  Thanks for looking into this.  I just now remembered that about SourceSafe.  I think our IT guys are looking into another option right now.

[DAD]

I see the same problem using Surround SCM from Seapine Software.

[tannerite]

Hi,

Are you getting the exact same behavior as mentioned before? Were you using Surround SCM successfully in past versions of LabVIEW?

Regards,

[DAD]

Not quite, I'm not getting a prompt to add the item to source control when I place a new vi.lib item.  I'm getting a prompt window when I open a project informing me that the items from vi.lib are not in source control and asking if I'd like to add them.

This is unique to 2012.  I continue to use the same source control client with 2011 without this prompt appearing.

[tannerite]

Hi DAD,

Are you checking the "Exclude vi.lib" in the general section of Source Control within LabVIEW? Unfortunately, since both of the source control programs are third party, we do not support their functionality. Surround SCM mentions on its website that it does not test it's software for LabVIEW compatibility. 

Because both versions of source control functioned properly in LabVIEW 2011 and not in LabVIEW  2012, I am speaking with our R&D team to see if there was a change for version control integration. I will keep you updated with the progress.

Best, 

[tannerite]

Hello,

One thing you can try is separating compiled code from source code; this is a popular option when using third party source control programs. You may also be able to circumvent this phenomena by physically exlcuding vi.lib from your source control program, instead of using the "Exclude vi.lib" checkbox. Please let me know the outcome of these actions.

Best,