Is there a utility to convert VIs to older versions?

[GlennPiper]

Is there a utility to convert VIs to older versions?
Sadly, I am stuck at version 6i, and keep finding really helpful sounding examples that are in 6.1 or above... 😞

Thanks!

[altenbach]

Each version can convert to the previous version. If you ask nice enough, somebody will be able to make a 6.0 version for you if at all possible (I have 6.1 to 7.1, so I can make anything down to 6.0). Still you're missing a lot of new features that would be hard to convert down to 6.0, Have you considered upgrading?

(If this is for personal educational use, you might qualify also for the LabVIEW 7.1 Student edition software suite. It won't cost an arm and a leg. :))

[Dennis_Knutson]

The only utility is the Save As option in each version of LabVIEW. Each version can only save to the previous one. To save a 7.1 VI to 6, you would need 7.1, 7.0, and 6.1. You can post a VI that you want to convert and someone will probably do the conversion for you but the new version may include features that can not be saved to a previous one.

[GlennPiper]

Thanks for the fast response!!!

That is what I had assumed. 😞

Thanks for the tip about the student version. This is for business use, however, so maybe next time 🙂

I have used 7.0 before, and I would love to get 7.1 for here as the new features are killer, however I almost never use LabView here, so the cost is not yet justifiable....
I am in the process of making a new test setup based on NI DAQ cards and LabView, so if that catches on there may be some hope... 😄

In the mean time, I found someone else at our plant that has 6.1 and 7.0, so I'll just start pestering him for conversions!!

Thanks!

Glenn Piper

[Newguy100]

If you convert from a newer version to an older version, how much would it affect the software.

[Bob_Y.]

It really depends on which features you use.  Some features now available and widely used have not been availvable in previous versions.  Using any of them and saving for previous will cause the VI to substantially change and often become broken.  I think that you can get a good idea about what will be affected by reading the upgrade notes.  They will tell you about what is new and therefore what will be broken if you downgrade (save for previous).

Hope that this helps,

Bob Young

[Dennis_Knutson]

From none at all to impossible. Certain features (i.e. the event structure) are only available in newer versions so you can't convert a 6.1 VI with an event structure to version 6.0. Another example would be DAQmx. This is only available in 7.x. Other VIs convert with no problems at all. It all depends on what you're doing.

[Newguy100]

I have another question regarding conversion of VIs to older versions. I have all three versions of Labview: 6.1,7.0, 7.1. Is it possible to install these three different in one computer or do I need to install it in separate computers?

[tst]

You can install different versions on the same computer, you just need to be careful if you have any DAQ drivers or something similar and you need to be careful not to save a VI in a newer version if you will need to use it in the older version.

[EdDickens]

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@Newguy100 wrote:

I have another question regarding conversion of VIs to older versions. I have all three versions of Labview: 6.1,7.0, 7.1. Is it possible to install these three different in one computer or do I need to install it in separate computers?

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Separate versions of LabVIEW co-habitate very well on a single machine. I have a laptop here with 5.1, 6.0, 6.1, 7.0, 7.1 and a couple unreleased versions installed.

The best way to handle this is to install all the versions you want to run, but select the "Custom" install option and deselect the DAQ drivers. After you get all your LabVIEW versions installed, then drop in your driver disk and let it run to install the drivers for all versions installed.

If you're installing the new NI-DAQ 7.5, be aware that it does not include the traditional DAQ VIs that are needed for versions 6.1 and earlier. These can be downloaded separately from NI and then installed.

Ed