Create a Project From an Application

[apatel225]

I currently have a LabVIEW Realtime application (executable) running on a test system which interacts with a Compact-RIO  chassis (FPGA).  Unfortunately the project that was used to create all of this is now missing and the original designer is no longer with the company.  Is there any way for me to "reverse build" a project from this application? 

Basically i want to do the following:

1) make sure that the application is backed up correctly in case it ever needs to be restored in the future.  If the computer or compact-RIO chassis ever dies, I will want to restore things to how they are now.

2)I also want to potentially change some things in the current application.  Is there a way for me to do this without having the original project? 

Hoping for some quick/easy responses on this ::fingers crossed::

Thanks!

[Dennis_Knutson]

Once you build an exe, the block diagram is removed and you cannot recover it.

[apatel225]

Alright.  So I have some other questions:

1)  I can at least back up the executable so I have the host application saved.  Is there anything else I'd need to backup along with this so the HOST application can run?

2)  Do I need to backup anything from the FPGA on the CompactRIO?

3)  I may have found a semblence of a project on our network.  Is there any way to tell what project an application came from? 

[crossrulz]

1) Any configuration files, support directories, etc. that the appliation needs.

2) I would backup the bit file.

3) Only if they named the project and executables the same.

I would recommend looking at the Replication and Deployment utility for making an image of your cRIO and backing it up.

[apatel225]

1) There's no real way for me to tell what's needed... is there?

2) I'm assuming this is covered in the Replication and Deployment utility?

3) Just my luck...

[crossrulz]

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@apatelsigma wrote:

1) There's no real way for me to tell what's needed... is there?

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I would just grab everything in the application directory and hope that the developer didn't hide anything elsewhere.

This is why we have source control software and document what is needed for software.

[apatel225]

Thanks!  Going forward I'd like to do this with our software.  What source control software do you recommend?  I'm pretty new to this kind of stuff.

[crossrulz]

I use Tortoise SVN.  I know others like GIT and Mercurial.

[timtamslam]

It depends on what level of integration and control you want. Here is a good reference document to start with, 

Software Configuration Management and LabVIEW

http://www.ni.com/white-paper/4114/en/

Like crossrulz, I like using TortoiseSVN for my personal projects.