Compatibility between VIs: Version 6i and 7.1

[M_Sure]

I wish to share some of my LabVIEW 7.1 VIs with a friend who uses LabVIEW6i.
How do I save my files for 6i version?

Again I wish to know if I could build applications in 7.1 for running
under Runtime version6i. Is this possible? If so how?

Any help in this regard is highly appreciated. Thanks.

[tst]

You can't save your files for 6i. Each version of LV can save one version backwards (in File>>Save with options).
That means if you want to save for 6i, you'll have to save it for 7.0 and then find a computer with 7.0 and save it there for 6i. Obviously, you can't have any of the newer features in the old version.
In order to run EXEs built in 7.1 you have to have the 7.1 Run-Time engine, but that's not a problem. It's free, and you can create an installer with the application builder.

[M_Sure]

Hi,
The codes (LV 7.1) that I created are not having any 7.1 specific features.
Actually, the codes were sent from 6i system for review, and after moderate
changes (on 7.1) are required to be run on the original 6i system. Is there
not any easier method of porting the codes from 7.1 to the older 6i without
first converting to 7.0 and then onwards to 6i?

[tst]

To answer the question, no. But if the changes were moderate enough, maybe you can do them again on the original system.

[waldemar.hersacher]

There is no easier way. If you have not the chance to make the conversion of your own and the amount of changed VIs is below something like 12 or 15 and zipped smaller than 5 MByte send it to nidevzone at hersacher.de and I will convert it for you.

[Joe_Guo]

why the heck does NI not offer such functionality? Their current "save for previous version" sucks anyway. Many people will love to have a new and improved one. I never liked the idea to put multiple labview versions on my computer.

-Joe

[THailey3]

Hi M_Sure,

Everybody is correct in saying that there is not an "easy" way of down converting a VI multiple versions. You can only save for one previous version, and continue this process iteratively. As newer versions of LabVIEW release, certain code is handled in different and more optimal ways. The process of downconverting to a previous version of LabVIEW is not an insignificant task. Also, there are many features in newer versions of LabVIEW that are not supported by previous versions. These reasons (and I'm sure there are others) are reasons why the "line" was drawn at 1 previous version. However, you could probably make a good argument for 2 previous versions. If you'd like to make a product suggestion on this, you can do so at the link below:
http://digital.ni.com/applications/psc.nsf/default?OpenForm&temp1=&node=

Hope this helps!

Travis H.
National Instruments

[M_Sure]

I would then possibly have to do the following:
I think the only possibility is for me to convert from 7.1 to 7.0,
further from 7.0 to 6.1 and then 6.1 to 6i.
And this is tedious & troublesome.
And I do not have
any LV6.1 version with me.
Why did NI do this? OR could NI help in this case?

[THailey3]

Hi M_Sure,

I previously posted to add some information, but for some reason it got posted in the middle of the thread. Maybe you didn't see it because of this reason.

===========================================================================
Hi M_Sure,

Everybody is correct in saying that there is not an "easy" way of down converting a VI multiple versions. You can only save for one previous version, and continue this process iteratively. As newer versions of LabVIEW release, certain code is handled in different and more optimal ways. The process of downconverting to a previous version of LabVIEW is not an insignificant task. Also, there are many features in newer versions of LabVIEW that are not supported by previous versions. These reasons (and I'm sure there are others) are reasons why the "line" was drawn at 1 previous version. However, you could probably make a good argument for 2 previous versions. If you'd like to make a product suggestion on this, you can do so at the link below:
http://digital.ni.com/applications/psc.nsf/default?OpenForm&temp1=&node=

Hope this helps!

Travis H.
National Instruments

===========================================================================