distributing LLB and shared libraries - making previous versions

[Paulngc]

I'm fairly new to labview, so I hope these questions aren't too simple.

I have a product that I have designed a set of labview VIs and custom controls for and need to distribute them to customers (CD included with product). I would like only the 5 or 6 VIs that user's need to buld VI applications with our product to appear in the menu,  and the other 10 to 15 VIs be semi-hidden. I would like only the main VI's to appear in the user library function pallette, but would like to have the other VIs accessable a customer wants to custamize it. I think a LLB would be the way to distribute the VIs, but I haven' t found a way to have the LLB only put the desired VIs in the function pallete. My management has also asked for a custion button in the function pallete like I get when I install NI modbus. How is this done. Should we deliver a shared library or LLB? Is there a way to make a setup to install a shared library. Any ideas?

Lastly I need to save my VI's for previous labview versions. I only have 8.2 on my machine. I seem to only be able to save back to 8.0, but when I create the LLB it converts the VIs and LLB back to 8.2. Do I need the previous labview versions installed to make a version of the LLB for an older version. We want to go back to at least version 7 for customers that haven't upgraded.

Paul

[TCPlomp]

One way to create a LabVIEW installer is using OpenG package builder.
This is basically an advanced copy function. (to install you need VIPM)
You should install the VIs in vi.lib\addons\%toolkit% 
Start each llb with an underscore '_' so LabVIEW won't index the file.
Also create an mnu file that shows the VI you want to have 'public'

You can't backsave to 7.0 in one step. You should have (legal) installs of all versions back to 7.0.
Not only for the backsave but also for some debugging, a lot of functionality you use is probably not accessible in older versions.


Ton

[Dennis_Knutson]

For users of LabVIEW 8.x, it's nice to offer a project style driver. With this, you can define VIs as privite or public.