running lv 7.1 build exe without runtime engine

[Joe_Guo]

I'm trying to run an exe (pure software) built with lv 7.1 without runtime engine installed on a target machine. I copied everything in the \shared\runtime engine\7.1 to the destination directory along with the built app. The application loaded up (front panel showed up OK) with numerous errors (see the attached image). It seems the exe cannot find any of the the analysis vis, but I've included the lvanlys.dll as well. Anyone has clues?

Thanks,

-Joe

[rberger]

You need the runtime engine! You cannot run an EXE without the runtime engine.

Robert

[Joe_Guo]

I thought as long as all the necessary files are included, the exe should work without actually installing the runtime engine. I had experience with 6.1 and it worked. I'm tring to build an installation package using another application which offers much more options and flexibilities than Labview app builder. Really hope I can get this to work.

-Joe

[rolfk]

Joe Guo wrote:

> I thought as long as all the necessary files are included, the exe
> should work without actually installing the runtime engine. I had
> experience with 6.1 and it worked. I'm tring to build an installation
> package using another application which offers much more options and
> flexibilities than Labview app builder. Really hope I can get this to
> work.

Well, it is or better was an undocumented feature that this worked. I
always said with LabVIEW getting more and more complex such undocumented
procedures are bound to fail at some point in the future.

There might be a way to also get this working in LabVIEW 7.0 but chances
are just so high that in LabVIEW 7.1 or at latest 8.0 you will have to
figure out again something.
Basically it just seems not worth the hassle
to me at all and I always recommend to just simply include the runtime
engine in any application distribution automatically. The user won't
even usually notice that additional software is installed together with
your executable although you should probably document that somewhere to
prevent them believing your software may try to install spyware.

You definitely don't make life easier for your users nor for yourself by
trying to get around the normal installation of the runtime system.

Rolf Kalbermatter

[Kennon_Cotton]

Joe,

You are right that as long as all the necessary files are included (and in the right places) the exe will 'work' (YMMV depending on what the app does). While copying the files from the Run-Time Engine directory has been enough in the past to get most exe's working, with each release of LabVIEW the Run-Time Engine is a little more complicated needing more files in various places or more registry entries, etc. I believe if you are not using any analysis VIs you could probably get a way with just copying the Run-Time Engine folder, however the DLL that gets called by the analysis VIs is now dependent on various other DLLs that aren't under the Run-Time Engine folder. So it is time to switch and start installing the Run-Time Engine rath
er than copying it.

Kennon