How do I export a vi with it's dependencies

[Newbie101]

New to Lab View, as in just starting out.  I am trying to export / duplicate my bosses working  Lab View program to a different directory on the same drive.  The purpose being, I want to manipulate his code without the risk of altering or damaging the original file.  To accomplish this, my thought was to copy his program (with all of it's dependencies) to my directory where any accidental deletions or changes will not affect the original VI.  Have searched the message boards with no luck.  But this is my first time using them and I'm not sure I'm doing it right.

Does anyone know how to duplicate a Lab View program in a different directory?

Thanks.

Darren.

Lab View ver. 9.0.1 2009.

Using XP Pro 2002 w SP3.

[Mark_Yedinak · Accepted solution]

First, I would highly recommend you consider using source code control SVN is fairly easy to set up and it's free. This is actually the best way to manage multiple people playing with the same code. If you decide not to do this and your boss is using projects (hopefully he is) then you can do a "Save as" on a project and it will duplicate the code. Be careful though because it is possible to duplicate EVERYTHING. You probably want to set it to only duplicate the project files and not every VI called, including the navtive LabVIEW VIs.

One last thing, it's spelled LabVIEW.

[SteveChandler]

Kudos!

Source control always seems like an unnecessary layer of complexity (to quote a coworker who will not be named) until you get used to it. After that it is like "How did I ever manage without that?" (to quote the unnamed coworker a couple years later). It's like having a time machine - parallel universes and all! It will save you lot's of problems especially when mucking with your bosses code.

Regardless of your choice of version cotrol software, the free SVN Book has an excellent introduction.

[JÞB]

Source distibution! rename vis

(Oh, if ONLY I had used a soruce control program....)

Painful to learn....Obvious after you write bug #0. 

[Newbie101]

Thanks Mark.  You helped me stay out of trouble with my boss.  His code is currently being used in a production application right now.  So any interruption would be severely frowned upon.

Thanks again.

Darren.