How can I include external code in an Installer?

[Ken_Brooks]

My LabVIEW program calls some external code using a Call Library Function Node. The external code takes the form of a DLL, and it needs to be located in the same directory with the executable that LabVIEW builds. However, when I look in the installer properties under Source Files, it won't let me, even under My Computer, except .vi files and a few related types that LabVIEW knows about. I can't select my DLL! And if that's true, this installer spec can't build a complete installer for my program. Is there anyway around this, to get my DLL included?

Thanks,

Ken

[smercurio_fc]

The DLL should already be included when you build the application, not the installer. The DLL would have been copied into the "data" folder where the application was placed. When you add the application to the installer, the whole folder gets copied. Are you simply specifying the name of the DLL in the CLFN call, or are you specifying a path, or are you specifying a path using a block diagram constant?

[rolfk]

To elaborate on smercurio's answer:

If you only specify the DLL name in the Call Library Node configuration, LabVIEW (actually really Windows) will search through the Windows standard locations to find the DLL. LabVIEW will update the path to show the actual location Windows has found the DLL at, but it will assume that it is a standard DLL that either comes with Windwos itself or its own installer.

If you enter the entire path to the DLL LabVIEW will include that DLL in the built automaticaly and copy it into the data folder by default.

If you specify the DLL name on the diagram with the path parameter to the DLL Node, the LabVIEW compiler can not know at compile time what DLL will be used (even if you use a fixed path constant which would be a bad idea anyhow). It is then your responsibility to make sure that the DLL is installed on the target computer at that location.