Any .NET improvements in LabVIEW?

[klessm1]

Does anyone know if NI is planning on improving their .NET interface for LabVIEW in LabVIEW 8?  The issue I have with the current setup is that it requires you to put the .NET assembly in the same directory as the vi calling it.  This is not realistic if I want to install the assembly as reuse on a system and have multiple applications call it.  Can't it find the assembly using default dll search paths (system 32 and system directories), or the path you select when you add the assembly?

[Lycangeek]

I'd recommend reading the entries on my blog on this topic. Here are the key ones

• Background on .NET assemblies (such as why the search path is ignored in .NET) http://detritus.blogs.com/lycangeek/2005/03/labview_and_ass.html
• How it works in LV7 http://detritus.blogs.com/lycangeek/2005/03/labview_7_and_a.html
• How it works in Constellation http://detritus.blogs.com/lycangeek/2005/03/psst_can_you_ke.html
• A bit more info on Constellation http://detritus.blogs.com/lycangeek/2005/04/constellation_c.html

I can't say what Constellation will be versioned, but it is the next version.

To summarize: If you want an assembly (DLL) to be found by multiple applications and you don't want to copy it for each application, then you must store it in the GAC (global assembly cache). This isn't a LV Interface thing but the fundamental rules for how .NET works.