Why the lib build at Vista system can't be open at Win7?

[Ivan Chen]

Hi ,

Recently, I need to deliver the VIs to customer. But i don't want to let them know the source code. So I create a source distribution and remove the block diagram source code from a VI and build a lib. The problem is that my working computer is installed with Vista system and labview 2009. But my customer's system is Win7 and they can't open the lib, hence, they can't use those VIs.

Is there any solution for my case?

[smercurio_fc]

The version of the operating system shouldn't matter. The version of LabVIEW, however, will. Do they also have LabVIEW 2009, or do they have a newer version? If they have a newer version then you have a problem since LabVIEW will try to re-compile the VIs in the new version, and it can't do that if there's no block diagram. Thus, you would need to provide them the library saved with the same version of LabVIEW that they have.

[Ivan Chen]

Thank you very much!

You are right. My customer is using Lv 2010. I will try to compile the source code with 2010. 🙂

[Dennis_Knutson]

In my opinion, delivering code to a customer with block diagrams removed is very wrong Nd unprofessional. I would refuse to do business with anyone that does this. As you now realize, no one can open code in a later version if the block diagram does not exist. By doing this, you are preventing the customer from ever upgrading unless you are around. If you think it is really necessary to hide the code, use password protection or license it with the LabVIEW toolkit.

[smercurio_fc]

Sometimes it's not a question of professional, but contractual obligations, or rather lack thereof, or changes thereof. I had an instance where we had subcontracted out to a company who was supposed to develop a front-end GUI for a widget they were making. The end-customer was going to receive the widget and the source code (which was C/assembly code for an FPGA). They could use this source code since the end-customer was developing a corollary widget at the same low-level as the subcontractor. Well, the subcontractor decided they weren't going to write the GUI because they grossly underestimated the work and the amount of time it would take them to develop the widget and the GUI. So, we (meaning me) had to develop a GUI so the end-customer could use the widget we were going to deliver while they were still developing their own widget. Since we were operating at a higher level, I wrote the GUI in LabVIEW and provided a compiled application in LabVIEW. Everything was great until the end-customer wanted the source code. I said, what for? Not to the end-customer, mind you, but to my manager. The LabVIEW source code was of no use to them whatsoever for the code they were going to develop for their own widget, since they were controlling their widget in a different manner. Basically, it came down to the fact that a new hire they had there wanted everything, regardless of whether it was of any use. Why? Because she was really plopped down into the middle of this project and was essentially trying to not drown in the ocean she was dropped in, so she was trying to find whatever looked like a floating piece of wood. The snag was that I developed the LabVIEW code using a considerable amount of code from libraries we had developed in-house. This was all our IP. The end-customer was not entitled to this, and they knew and agreed (but not the new hire). So, my only recourse was to strip the block diagram from just the in-house code and give them the rest of the code as is.

[rolfk]

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@smercurio_fc wrote:

The version of the operating system shouldn't matter. The version of LabVIEW, however, will. Do they also have LabVIEW 2009, or do they have a newer version? If they have a newer version then you have a problem since LabVIEW will try to re-compile the VIs in the new version, and it can't do that if there's no block diagram. Thus, you would need to provide them the library saved with the same version of LabVIEW that they have.

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While the OS version itself shouldn't matter, the bitness will, or more pricesely the bitness of the LabVIEW installed. LabVIEW for Windows 64 bit is a different platform than LabVIEW for Windows 32 bit. While LabVIEW for Windows 32 bit can run on Windows 64 bit and for this purpose will be compatible to other LabVIEW installations for Windows 32 bit, LabVIEW requires the Block Diagram to recompile the code, if you switch between LabVIEW 64 bit and LabVIEW 32 bit.

[smercurio_fc]

Quite right, Rolf. Thanks for pointing that out as being another potential scenario where you need the block diagram.