deployment files vs LabVIEW project files

[mrbean]

I'm trying to deploy some files onto a target and am running into all sorts of problems.  I found that the LabVIEW project helped me find all sorts of conflicts.  However, I still have things that the deployment is telling me is missing, but I just have no clue.  Anyway, my question is why does LabVIEW have the auto-populating feature, and TestStand does not.  It would be fantastic to create a project in LabVIEW, import it as your TestStand workspace, and Build.  Now, I find all my conflicts in the LabVIEW project, but manually have to add all my files to the TestStand workspace.  If something like this exists, let me know please, because I'm beating my head.

[nickb]

Hello mrbean,

I am sorry you seem to be having trouble with the deployment utility.  Are you trying to deploy some sequence files, or only some LabVIEW VI's?  When you add your sequence file to a workspace, and then use the deployment tool to analyze the workspace file, TestStand will check for dependencies of the code modules, and deploy them to a support folder on the deployment machine automatically.  One very valuable resource for dealing with deployment issues is the TestStand manual, chapter 14.  This manual can be found at C:\Program Files\National Instruments\TestStand x.x\Doc\Manuals\TestStandReferenceManual.pdf.  Are there specific areas of the deployment that are giving you trouble that we may be able to give you more specific answers on?

NickB
National Instruments
Applications Engineering

[Rick_Francis]

Just to add to Nick's excellent response- the deployment utility will automatically add dependent files the only times you would explicitly need to add code modules to the project manually is when they are called dynamically (i.e. VI Server in LabVIEW or using an expression for a sequence path in TestStand).  It should be helpful to post the warning/error messages from your deployment

-Rick Francis

[mrbean]

Just making sure I understand the workings of the subdirectory ...  I have provided a Default  Installation Base Directory and a Default Installation Subdirectory.  I then select a file in the Distributed Files tab, and specify 'Installation Directory' as the Installation Destination.  If I provide a Installation Destination Subdirectory, will it begin at the Root+Subdir that I specified in the previous step, or will the subdir be based off the root alone?  I'm assuming the first scenario, but it's been a while, and I want to be sure.

[nickb]

Hello mrbean,

You are correct in your first assumption.  If you specify a default directory of "Program Files" and a default sub directory of "My TestStand System" on the Installer Options tab and an Installation Destination of "Installation Directory" and a Installation Destination Subdirectory of "MySubdirectory" for a file MyFile.txt, the file will be installed to Program Files/My TestStand System/MySubdirectory/MyFile.txt.

NickB
National Instruments
Applications Engineering