How to search paths work?

[RAB123]

I can not get the search path to find a VI that is saved in an LLB file that is located in the same directory as the LLB file that contains the TOP-VI. My search path include both "topvi" and "topvi"\* but Labview will not search through the other LLB file, it only search the TOP-VI LLB file and through the directory itself.

I don't want to add any specific search paths for special directories. I think that using basic search paths, Labview should at least search all LLB files within the directory that contains the LLB file where the TOP-VI is located.

I know that I can just find the files manual and then save the VI but I am trying to understand how the search path is supposed to work?

What am I doing wrong? Is this a bug? Is there a work around or special search path that I should add to the options to make Labview search through all the LLB files?

Thanks
Roger Bald

[EdDickens]

Roger,

I see what you mean. This does seem a bit odd. If the subVI is relocated into the same library as the top level, it finds it, but not if it's moved into another library, or even moved to the same directory as the top level and not put in a library.

I tried this with the default VI Search Path setup, then added the <foundvi>\* to the path and got the same thing.

It does seem that there should be a way to have it search through the entire structure of the top levels directory.

Ed

[RAB123]

Ed,

Thanks for the reply. Now I know I am not loosing my mind. Like you said it seems like this should be the first place Labview searches when you have "topvi" specified in the VI Search Path. I hope someone else can shed some light on a possible solution or work-around.

Roger

[RAB123]

To ALL,

Does anyone know a way to add a generic path to the "search path" options to get this to work? Is this issue corrected in Labview versions higher than 6.0.2?

Thanks
Roger

[Ben]

Check out this link by the "Grand-G-Daddy" Greg McKaskle.

http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&message.id=70506&query.id=0#M70506

Ben

[RAB123]

Thanks Ben,

Thats good info, but my question is a little different. What I am trying to understand is "why doesn't Labview search all the LLBs in the whole directory where the TOP-VI LLB file is located"

In otherwords you can try this example. Create a VI that has a Sub VI. Save the TOP-VI in an TOP.LLB file to any directory. Then save the Sub VI in a different SUB.LLB in a different directory. Now each time you load the TOP vi, it finds the sub vi because of the path saved within the TOP vi. But now if you move the SUB.LLB into the same directory with the TOP.LLB file, Labview will not find the Sub VI as it searches through the "VI Search Path" list.

This seems like a bug since my search path includes "topvi" and "topvi\*" meaning it should search the whole directory that contains the TOP level vi.

Is this a bug or do I need to have some kind of special configuration in the VI Search Path thats not part of the default selections like topvi, foundvi, vilib, instrlib, etc. etc.?

Roger

[DFGray]

An LLB is considered a directory by LabVIEW, so searching the top directory means searching the LLB the VI is located in, but not the directory the LLB is located in. It's not quite seamless, but it's close.

[RAB123]

DFG,

Thanks that does shed some light on this. Now I understand why its not working. The LLB file that is in the same directory as the TOP.LLB is similar to have two parallel directories so Labview does not search the parallel directories.

So I guess what I want Labview to do is to seach the parent directory of the TOP vi directory. Not the directory that the TOP vi resides in.

In the DOS world you could use \..\ to move upwards to the parent directory, even Labview uses the double dot nomeclature on the File Dialog for LLB files to indicate the parent directory.

I wonder if there is a way to make the VI Search Path move up one directory from the TOP vi?

Roger