Mass Save for Previous Option (Mass Downgrade) similar to mass compile

[NitinD]

Hi,

I have come across various occassions where I would like an entire folder of VIs to be saved for previous.

In a situation where I have a project and a top-level VI, it is easy to do a save for previous. But there are situations where the folder contains VIs that are not directly linked to each other, and the save for previous version doesn't work for all of the VIs. Typically the VIs for such projects are also under the same folder.

So in the lines of Mass Compiling a folder, it would be nice to have a tool that does a Mass Downgrade (or Save for previous) for a particular folder, LLB etc.

Currently I do it by using a Save.For Previous API. If this is a situation that occurs for many folks, it would be a good idea to have this option available.

[d.w.b]

As a workaround, an "All.vi" can be created that just has all top-level items on its block diagram (including dynamic VIs), so that saving it for a previous version would affect the entire application. Instead of placing them in a disable structure, dummy data can be wired to any required inputs if you want the run arrow to indicate if any are broken. That VI can even be included in the project under each target with target-specific disable structures so it can also contain Real-Time and FPGA VIs without sporting a broken arrow.

[d.w.b]

Isn't this idea complete, at least if "there are situations where the folder contains VIs that are not directly linked to each other" means that they are loaded dynamically? At least in LabVIEW 2015, the File menu, Save for Previous Version when selected from the .lvproj will save all VIs (including dynamically loaded ones that are not directly referenced by the top level VI). The "Save for Previous Version" dialog box says "...lvproj and all its components, except those in vi.lib and resource, will be saved in a separate location." It is intuitive to require that dynamic VIs be in the project file list.

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/DA470EB199497F4086256931007050C0 Using LabVIEW 8.x or later:
"1. For the top-level VI in a hierarchy of VIs, select File»Save for Previous Version to display the Save for Previous Version dialog box. For a project, select File»Save for Previous Version in the Project Explorer window. For a project library, right-click the library file in the Project Explorer window and select Save for Previous Version from the shortcut menu, or open the project library and select File»Save for Previous Version."

[Darren]

National Instruments will not be implementing this idea. See the idea discussion thread for a workaround for the majority of use cases.