Run CVI from a makefile

[mcaul]

Hi all,
Is there a way to invoke CVI from a batch file and have it create a DLL (or EXE) and then exit?

I see that cvi.exe has command line options (-run, -run_then_exit, -newproject, -notipoftheday, -p), but none of them seem to do the compile/link/exit that I need.

I'm looking for a way to build many products (some CVI, some not) through a makefile running from the Windows command prompt with no operator intervention.

I have LabWindows/CVI 7.1.1 on Windows 2000

[Mert_A.]

Hi,

CVI began shipping with a command line compiler (compile.exe) since version 7.1.  It can be found in the same directory as cvi.exe.  For details on arguments and flags, check out the LabWindows/CVI help (from Help>>Contents), under the keyword "command line compiler".

Hope this is what you're looking for.  Good luck.

Mert A.
National Instruments

[mcaul]

This sounds promising. 
Thank you Mert.

M.

[daijoubu]

I've had lots of success using the sample project called build that comes with CVI 6.  It also ships with 7.1 and can be found here:
C:\Program Files\National Instruments\CVI71\samples\activex\cvi

I use this combined with CruiseControl and Ant to create a constant integration system for some of my CVI projects.  I haven't used compile.exe that ships with 7.1 but the usage message that is spit out when run with no parameters is very similar.

[mcaul]

daijoubu,
Thanks for the heads-up on CruiseControl and Ant.  I hadn't heard of them.  I'm so behind.  The term "constant integration system" is new to me also, I will look into it.  I like how its sounds.

My strategy is to be able to readily rebuild everything "from scratch".  This lets me know that the source and binaries always match.   I control the source and rebuild it often.  I can afford the time.  My systems aren't big.  I have to do it automatically to prevent random operator error.

I'm not at work rignt now, but I will look at the CVI sample project called build and see if I can use it.  On this project, we are using several different IDEs so I need something that can span them all.

Thanks again for the good info.
M.

[daijoubu]

My mistake, I meant Continuous Integration.

CruiseControl and Ant are pretty well known in the Java/.Net and eXtreme programming world.  It took a bit of playing to get them running as there isn't much in the way of documentation for integrating with a non java build system.  CruiseControl is a framework for a continuous build process and Apache Ant is a Java-based build tool. In theory, it is kind of like Make, but without Make's wrinkles.  Combined with build.exe I have a system that monitors Visual SourceSafe for changes to my project, deletes any old working files on my build machine, checks out a fresh copy, builds a test suite, runs the test suite, and then builds the application.  It then reports the results on a webapp.  It's very, very nice to know that VSS contains everything needed to build on a clean machine and to know within minutes if any code breaks it.  My next step is to extend this to larger collaborative projects in our group. 

Now that I've written this, I should probably write up this set up and post it somewhere for people to see and comment on.

Until I get that done, let me know if you need some help or have any questions.

[mcaul]

daijoubu,
I ran build.exe today and it does just what I need.  I give it the name of a project and it runs CVI, creates the output, and closes CVI. 

Thanks,
M.