Documents written in labview by our engineer, now left company, cannot be read

[mrkped]

DOK,

Very many thanks. There are though some 1370 files (615mb) of data so I question how we could do this.

Do you know of a .exe program or similar - sorry if I got that wrong - which we could download locally and run the files and thus refile them as word / excel documents please?

Thanks agains for your collective responses.

[DeOdderKeith]

With that many files, this is not an insignificant undertaking.

The LabView environment has a method for "publishing" the VI's into text files. However, this would be a fruitless undertaking unless your engineering department, or a consultant (like me), would take the files and make sense of what the software (and perhaps hardware) is trying to accomplish, at the system level.

It is akin to printing blueprints, and then trying to say what kinds of people use the building.

DOK

[Coq_Rouge]

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mrkped wrote:

Very many thanks. There are though some 1370 files (615mb)

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615 megabyte that is very large Labview program. Is all this Labview program files or is data files to? Anyway it looks like your company need some Labview knowledge. I suggest you hire a consultant for a day or so. Then you will know better how the code situation is.

[MattWhitlock]

I would bet that these files are innocuous and are just remnants of that engineer learning or doing something on the side.  I agree that a consultant (search here for one in your area) would be able to help you out.

I know that the underlying need is to determine what is in these files, how it could affect your company, and how you can transfer the knowledge. Installing LabVIEW and trying to decode the files yourself would be a waste of your time when you really need someone to assist in post-mortem / electronic forensics. I would have one of your engineering managers or possibly an IT manager contact a local consultant to clean up the mess.

It is important to note however that there is likely little useful information in these files that can be translated into Word / Excel as these files are essentially source code to software programs, not documents per se.

[Ben]

I have to echo the suggestions made above.

If these documents have some value to your company, then you should look into getting someone experieinced in recovering LV applications to assist you.

Your local NI rep should be your first contact since they will often work for free. If they can not help then ask them to recomend an experieinced developer in your area.

Warning:

I have done this type of work and is neither simple or easy particularly if the orginal developer saved them in the wrong way or password* protected them. So please have an idea in your head of what the value of the LabVIEW apps are to your company so you can decide if it worth walking that path.

Ben

* Passwords could be the bigest stumbling block that will slow down the work or possibly (  )  prohibit it.

Message Edited by Ben on 10-21-2009 01:44 PM

[mrkped]

All,

Many thanks for the clear and prgmatic guidance you have collectively shared with me.

I will undertake this task by ascertaining colleague opinion and considering the value of fhe files, asking whether we are in a shape to address the task - be that using complimentary, low cost or high cost consultancy time and, in the light of that decision, to evaluate the implications (good and bad) of knowing what we know now about th content of the files - which is nothing.

I now know our options and for that I am very appreciate of this message board. If an action arises from a suggestion made here...in the words of Arnie, "I'll be back"  Thanks again.

[smercurio_fc]

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mrkped wrote:

Do you know of a .exe program or similar - sorry if I got that wrong - which we could download locally and run the files and thus refile them as word / excel documents please?

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It seems that you've basically been given the best advice: contact a consultant who knows LabVIEW if there is nobody in your company that knows it. As for the specific query of "refiling" them as Word/Excel this is simply not possible. As noted before, the files you have are not documents. They are source code, but not text-based source code - it's graphical source code. Furthermore, it's been compiled. As such they cannot be converted to Word/Excel. It's like asking "can I convert Internet Explorer to a Word document?"