Documentation of Labview Vis

[powercruiser]

When distributing application programs created in Labview we have to provide a complete documentation package.
We used to print most of the Vis on paper which is very time consuming and pretty hard to maintain in case of a software upgrade.

I am looking for a tool to view the Labview source just like the development system but the user can not change or run the code.

I found the Labview player which looks like to have this functionality.

Is Labiew player for Labview7.1 available?

Has anybody some idea how to handle this in an easy way?

[Bill Choy]

I have the same problem of documentation the program. I think NI should build a tool for making source code report. It can copy the block diagram in any graphic formats for all sub VIs. The VI hierarchy is a good function for indicating program structure which should be added in the report.

Bill

[chrisger]

hi

LV offers a print function for creating html files including diagram, revision history, front panel, descriptions of controls, hirarchy and many more. you can create windows online help files out of these html files. see the chapter "Printing and Documenting VIs" in your online documentation for more info.

best regards
chris

[Enrique]

If you go to the File menu and then select Print, you will have options on creating electronic versions such as .html, .rtf, etc. You can choose from selecting everything, only the front panel, the diagram, the connector pane, etc. I use those to help files and other documentation and keep things in electronic format.

The important thing to remember is that you must document at the VI level - Write a description of your VI and at each control and indicator. The print feature will then do the rest for you like formatting the page and adding icons that represent the control or indicator type (string, boolean, cluster, etc.). Of course, if you want to further modify the document you can do so with your favorite editor.

Regards;
Enrique

[waldemar.hersacher]

I'm looking for a package or library to document VIs of an application in a manner like the LV Help. This could be a HTML Help (chm-file) or a website (html-files).

I know that I can programmatically print to HTML with settings from application: printing and vi: printing. This will give a single HTML file for each VI - I don't like the appended version - with all the graphics files. This file isn't formated in any way so any postprocessing must be done; like referencing to a css, active links to callers and callees. For the windows platform compiling to chm with the HTML Help workshop would be nice, using the folder structure for the structure of the TOC.

I tried to find out what the nirsc_html_help_common package available from OpenG does but the description seems to be really empty. I tried to install it but didn't get it to work. This is another thing I have to solve.

I was pointed to the Documentation Generator from VI Engineering. This one seem to be either over featured or too expensive.

The online help is refering to third party products but I need something to create just the input for the HTML Help Workshop.

Can someone give me any hints about that?

Message Edited by waldemar.hersacher on 10-21-2008 02:18 PM

[Ben]

We have a doc tool that produced this. (Expand window in left pane to browse app.

 

Last I heard my boss wanted to sell this but I have not heard of anyone buying it recently (as indicated by the circa LV 6 style code).

Ben

[waldemar.hersacher]

Ben,

that's a solution I'm looking for and would even be acceptable for Windows.

Since the navigation window is the hierachy I would accept that in the VI doc page the callers are missing. Also for this certain customer we have to deliver such documentation I need to skip the block diagrams.

Was it intention to leave out the typedefs (*.ctl)? I personally would include them.

[waldemar.hersacher]

The things are going to get a little bit complicated. I was playing around with a VI (_HTMLDoc.vi) using the "Print VI to HTML" method.

The project I have to document has a host running on windows and a RT application running on a PXI Target. All for LV 8.0.1.

Loading _HTMLDoc.vi first and then the project leads that the VI will not see the loaded VIs from the RT PXI Target, App.AllVIs will report only one VI.

Loading the project first and selecting the RT PXI Target and then _HTMLDoc.vi will try to run it on the RT Target which is not available from my office.

Loading the project first and selecting My Computer and then _HTMLDoc.vi runs it on my computer but will not see the loaded VIs from the RT PXI Target.

[Ben]

Hi Waldemar,

I'm not sure how that tool will react to an RT app. 

E-mail me at

bar@DSAutomation.com and I'll forward same to my boss to see if he is willing to let that code go at a resonable price. I can't do more than that since I avoid haggling like the plague. I preffer staying out of conversations tath involve money. You can make a lot of enemies fast.

Just trying to help,

Ben

Message Edited by Ben on 10-21-2008 09:02 AM

[waldemar.hersacher]

About the RT app. I just created an empty project, put the top level VI into it and it worked. It is even executable although we have RT FIFOs in it. But since there is no need to run it I even would accept a broken run button.