Getting Started With LabWindowsCVI

LabWindows /CVI
TM TM
Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI
October 2010
373552G-01
Support
Worldwide Technical Support and Product Information

ni.com
National Instruments Corporate Headquarters

11500 North Mopac Expressway Austin, Texas 78759-3504 USA Tel: 512 683 0100
Worldwide Offices
Australia 1800 300 800, Austria 43 662 457990-0, Belgium 32 (0) 2 757 0020, Brazil 55 11 3262 3599,
Canada 800 433 3488, China 86 21 5050 9800, Czech Republic 420 224 235 774, Denmark 45 45 76 26 00,
Finland 358 (0) 9 725 72511, France 01 57 66 24 24, Germany 49 89 7413130, India 91 80 41190000,
Israel 972 3 6393737, Italy 39 02 41309277, Japan 0120-527196, Korea 82 02 3451 3400,
Lebanon 961 (0) 1 33 28 28, Malaysia 1800 887710, Mexico 01 800 010 0793, Netherlands 31 (0) 348 433 466,
New Zealand 0800 553 322, Norway 47 (0) 66 90 76 60, Poland 48 22 328 90 10, Portugal 351 210 311 210,
Russia 7 495 783 6851, Singapore 1800 226 5886, Slovenia 386 3 425 42 00, South Africa 27 0 11 805 8197,
Spain 34 91 640 0085, Sweden 46 (0) 8 587 895 00, Switzerland 41 56 2005151, Taiwan 886 02 2377 2222,
Thailand 662 278 6777, Turkey 90 212 279 3031, United Kingdom 44 (0) 1635 523545
For further support information, refer to the Technical Support and Professional Services appendix. To comment
on National Instruments documentation, refer to the National Instruments Web site at ni.com/info and enter
the Info Code feedback.
© 1994–2010 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.

Important Information
Warranty
The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming instructions, due to defects in
materials and workmanship, for a period of 90 days from date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments
will, at its option, repair or replace software media that do not execute programming instructions if National Instruments receives notice of such defects
during the warranty period. National Instruments does not warrant that the operation of the software shall be uninterrupted or error free.
A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and clearly marked on the outside of the package before any
equipment will be accepted for warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shipping costs of returning to the owner parts which are covered by
warranty.
National Instruments believes that the information in this document is accurate. The document has been carefully reviewed for technical accuracy. In
the event that technical or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves the right to make changes to subsequent editions of this document
without prior notice to holders of this edition. The reader should consult National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National
Instruments be liable for any damages arising out of or related to this document or the information contained in it.
EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CUSTOMER’S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF NATIONAL
INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER. NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING
FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF PRODUCTS, OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. This limitation of
the liability of National Instruments will apply regardless of the form of action, whether in contract or tort, including negligence. Any action against
National Instruments must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues. National Instruments shall not be liable for any delay in
performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The warranty provided herein does not cover damages, defects, malfunctions, or service
failures caused by owner’s failure to follow the National Instruments installation, operation, or maintenance instructions; owner’s modification of the
product; owner’s abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power failure or surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of third parties, or other events outside
reasonable control.
Copyright
Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of National
Instruments Corporation.
National Instruments respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. NI software is protected by copyright and other
intellectual property laws. Where NI software may be used to reproduce software or other materials belonging to others, you may use NI software only
to reproduce materials that you may reproduce in accordance with the terms of any applicable license or other legal restriction.
For copyright notices, conditions, and disclaimers, including information regarding certain third-party components used in LabWindows/CVI, refer
to the Copyright topic in the LabWindows/CVI Help.
Trademarks
CVI, LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, ni.com, the National Instruments corporate logo, and the Eagle logo are trademarks of National
Instruments Corporation. Refer to the Trademark Information at ni.com/trademarks for other National Instruments trademarks.
The mark LabWindows is used under a license from Microsoft Corporation. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United
States and other countries. Linux® is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. Other product and company names
mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.
Members of the National Instruments Alliance Partner Program are business entities independent from National Instruments and have no agency,
partnership, or joint-venture relationship with National Instruments.
Patents
For patents covering National Instruments products/technology, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software,
the patents.txt file on your media, or the National Instruments Patent Notice at ni.com/patents.
WARNING REGARDING USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS

(1) NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED WITH COMPONENTS AND TESTING FOR A LEVEL OF
RELIABILITY SUITABLE FOR USE IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH SURGICAL IMPLANTS OR AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN
ANY LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS WHOSE FAILURE TO PERFORM CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT
INJURY TO A HUMAN.
(2) IN ANY APPLICATION, INCLUDING THE ABOVE, RELIABILITY OF OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS CAN BE
IMPAIRED BY ADVERSE FACTORS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FLUCTUATIONS IN ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY,
COMPUTER HARDWARE MALFUNCTIONS, COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE FITNESS, FITNESS OF COMPILERS
AND DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE USED TO DEVELOP AN APPLICATION, INSTALLATION ERRORS, SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE
COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS, MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING OR CONTROL DEVICES,
TRANSIENT FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS (HARDWARE AND/OR SOFTWARE), UNANTICIPATED USES OR MISUSES, OR
ERRORS ON THE PART OF THE USER OR APPLICATIONS DESIGNER (ADVERSE FACTORS SUCH AS THESE ARE HEREAFTER
COLLECTIVELY TERMED “SYSTEM FAILURES”). ANY APPLICATION WHERE A SYSTEM FAILURE WOULD CREATE A RISK OF
HARM TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS (INCLUDING THE RISK OF BODILY INJURY AND DEATH) SHOULD NOT BE RELIANT SOLELY
UPON ONE FORM OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM DUE TO THE RISK OF SYSTEM FAILURE. TO AVOID DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH,
THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER MUST TAKE REASONABLY PRUDENT STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST SYSTEM FAILURES,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BACK-UP OR SHUT DOWN MECHANISMS. BECAUSE EACH END-USER SYSTEM IS
CUSTOMIZED AND DIFFERS FROM NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS' TESTING PLATFORMS AND BECAUSE A USER OR APPLICATION
DESIGNER MAY USE NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER PRODUCTS IN A MANNER NOT
EVALUATED OR CONTEMPLATED BY NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER IS ULTIMATELY
RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING AND VALIDATING THE SUITABILITY OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS WHENEVER
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE INCORPORATED IN A SYSTEM OR APPLICATION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, THE APPROPRIATE DESIGN, PROCESS AND SAFETY LEVEL OF SUCH SYSTEM OR APPLICATION.
Contents
About This Manual

Conventions ...................................................................................................................ix
Related Documentation..................................................................................................x
Chapter 1
Introduction to LabWindows/CVI
LabWindows/CVI Program Development Overview....................................................1-1
Organizing Application Components ..............................................................1-3
LabWindows/CVI Environment ....................................................................................1-4
Standard Libraries..........................................................................................................1-7
User Interface Development ..........................................................................................1-8
Generating a Program Shell with CodeBuilder ...............................................1-8
Developing and Editing Source Code............................................................................1-9
Instrument Control and Data Acquisition ......................................................................1-9
Using the Instrument Control and Data Acquisition Libraries........................1-9
Using the Instrument I/O Assistant .................................................................1-10
Using the DAQ Assistant ................................................................................1-10
Developing Instrument Drivers .......................................................................1-10
Learning about LabWindows/CVI.................................................................................1-11
Chapter 2
Building a Graphical User Interface
Project Templates ..........................................................................................................2-1
User Interface Editor......................................................................................................2-1
Source Code Connection ...............................................................................................2-1
CodeBuilder ...................................................................................................................2-2
Selecting a Project Template .........................................................................................2-2
Building a User Interface Resource (.uir) File...............................................................2-3
Editing a .uir File.............................................................................................2-3
Adding Command Buttons ..............................................................................2-4
Adding a Graph Control ..................................................................................2-4
Completing the Program Shell with CodeBuilder .........................................................2-5
Analyzing the Source Code ...........................................................................................2-6
main Function..................................................................................................2-6
AcquireData Function .....................................................................................2-7
QuitCallback Function.....................................................................................2-8
Running the Generated Code .........................................................................................2-8
© National Instruments Corporation v Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Contents
Chapter 3
Using Function Panels and Libraries
Function Panel Fundamentals........................................................................................ 3-1
Accessing Function Panels.............................................................................. 3-1
Function Panel Controls.................................................................................. 3-1
Function Panel Help........................................................................................ 3-2
Generating an Array of Data ......................................................................................... 3-2
Building the PlotY Function Call Syntax...................................................................... 3-3
Running the Completed Project..................................................................................... 3-5
Chapter 4
Editing and Debugging Tools
Editing Tools ................................................................................................................. 4-1
Step Mode Execution .................................................................................................... 4-4
Breakpoints.................................................................................................................... 4-6
Fixed Breakpoints ........................................................................................... 4-6
Conditional Breakpoints ................................................................................. 4-8
Displaying and Editing Data ......................................................................................... 4-8
Variables Window........................................................................................... 4-8
Editing Variables .............................................................................. 4-10
Array Display Window ................................................................................... 4-10
Memory Display Window............................................................................... 4-11
String Display Window................................................................................... 4-11
Watch Window ............................................................................................... 4-12
Tooltips ........................................................................................................... 4-13
Graphical Array View ..................................................................................... 4-13
Resource Tracking Window............................................................................ 4-13
Chapter 5
Adding Analysis to Your Program
Setting Up...................................................................................................................... 5-1
Modifying the User Interface .......................................................................... 5-1
Writing the Callback Function ........................................................................ 5-3
Running the Program ...................................................................................... 5-6
Chapter 6
Distributing Your Application
Creating a New Distribution.......................................................................................... 6-1
Editing the Distribution ................................................................................................. 6-2
Deploying the Application to a Target Computer ......................................................... 6-3
Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI vi ni.com

Contents
Chapter 7
Additional Exercises
Base Project ...................................................................................................................7-1
Exercise 1: Setting User Interface Attributes Programmatically...................................7-2
Assignment ......................................................................................................7-3
Exercise 2: Storing the Waveform on Disk ...................................................................7-3
Assignment ......................................................................................................7-3
Exercise 3: Using Pop-Up Panels ..................................................................................7-4
Assignment ......................................................................................................7-5
Exercise 4: Adding User Interface Events .....................................................................7-6
Assignment ......................................................................................................7-6
Exercise 5: Timed Events ..............................................................................................7-7
Assignment ......................................................................................................7-7
Chapter 8
Related Software Packages
Appendix A
Technical Support and Professional Services
Glossary
Index
© National Instruments Corporation vii Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

About This Manual
Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI is a hands-on introduction to the

LabWindows™/CVI™ software package. This manual is intended for first-time
LabWindows/CVI users, as well as users evaluating LabWindows/CVI. To use this manual
effectively, you should be familiar with DOS, Microsoft Windows, and the C programming
language.
Conventions
The following conventions appear in this manual:
» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options
to a final action. The sequence Options»Settings»General directs you to
pull down the Options menu, select the Settings item, and select General
from the last dialog box.
This symbol also leads you through the LabWindows/CVI Library Tree to
a function panel. For example, User Interface Library»Pop-up Panels»
InstallPopup directs you to expand the User Interface Library in the
Library Tree, expand Pop-up Panels, and select InstallPopup.
This icon denotes a tip, which alerts you to advisory information.
This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.
bold Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such
as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes parameter
names.
italic Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross-reference, or an introduction

to a key concept. Italic text also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word
or value that you must supply.
monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the
keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples.
This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories,
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,
variables, filenames, and extensions.
monospace italic Italic text in this font denotes text that is a placeholder for a word or value
that you must supply.
© National Instruments Corporation ix Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

About This Manual
Related Documentation
The following documents contain information that you may find helpful as you read this
manual:
• Harbison, Samuel P. and Guy L. Steele, Jr. C: A Reference Manual. Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1995.
• LabWindows/CVI Help
• LabWindows/CVI IVI Driver Development Help
• LabWindows/CVI Release Notes
• NI-DAQmx Help
• DAQ Getting Started Guide
• DAQ Assistant Help
• Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) Function Reference Help
• NI-VISA Help
• NI-488.2 Help
Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI x ni.com

Introduction to LabWindows/CVI
1
This chapter contains an overview of the LabWindows/CVI software development system.
It briefly describes the LabWindows/CVI environment, standard libraries, user interface
development, and source code editing tools. Later chapters present a tutorial that provides a
more detailed treatment of these concepts and chance for hands-on learning. This chapter also
includes an introduction to using hardware with LabWindows/CVI and suggestions for
learning more about LabWindows/CVI.
LabWindows/CVI Program Development Overview

LabWindows/CVI is a software development environment for C programmers.
LabWindows/CVI provides powerful function libraries and a comprehensive set of software
tools for data acquisition, analysis, and presentation that you can use to interactively develop
data acquisition and instrument control applications.
LabWindows/CVI combines the power and flexibility of ANSI C with easy-to-use tools
for building virtual instrumentation systems. A virtual instrument consists of an
industry-standard computer or workstation equipped with powerful application software,
cost-effective hardware such as a plug-in board, and driver software, which together perform
the functions of traditional instruments. However, virtual instruments can provide more
customization, scalability, and modularity than traditional instruments.
You can edit, compile, link, and debug ANSI C programs in the LabWindows/CVI
development environment. Additionally, you can use compiled C object modules, DLLs,
C libraries, and instrument drivers in conjunction with ANSI C source files when you develop
programs.
LabWindows/CVI contains many features that make developing measurement applications

much easier than developing in traditional C environments. LabWindows/CVI provides the
following tools:
• A development environment that manages projects and source code with complete
editing, debugging, and user protection features
• A set of development libraries that allow users to write code for test and measurement
applications
• A graphical User Interface Editor, CodeBuilder wizard, and library for building,
displaying, and controlling a graphical user interface
© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Chapter 1 Introduction to LabWindows/CVI
• A wizard and library for creating IVI instrument drivers, which are highly structured
VXIplug&play-compatible instrument drivers that use an attribute model to enable
advanced features, such as state-caching, simulation, and compatibility with generic
instrument classes
• An interactive tool for creating and editing data acquisition tasks
• An interactive tool for creating instrument control tasks
• An installer creation tool that makes it easy to deploy your finished application
• Multithreaded application development and debugging capabilities
• A command line compiler
Typical LabWindows/CVI applications include the following elements:

• User interface
• Data acquisition
• Data analysis
• Program control
Figure 1-1 illustrates the relationship between these program elements. Program control
elements receive input from the user interface, data acquisition, and data analysis elements.
Each element has several sub-components.
User Interface Data Acquisition Data Analysis

• Control Panels • Plug-In Data Acquisition • Formatting
• Menus • InstrumentDrivers • Digital Signal Processing
• Dialog Boxes • GPIB • Statistics
• Scientific Graphics • Vision • Curve Fitting
• Hardcopy Output • RS-232 • Array Operations
Program Control
• Control Logic
• Data Storage
Figure 1-1. Relationship Between Program Elements in LabWindows/CVI
When you create a virtual instrument using LabWindows/CVI and NI hardware, keep in mind
the three-step process for creating virtual instruments: acquire, analyze, and present.
Acquire—Acquire your data through a hardware interface. Use the user interface you create
to control data acquisition from an instrument or from a plug-in DAQ device. The user
interface you create can also display the data you acquire.
Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI 1-2 ni.com

Analyze—After you acquire data, you must analyze it. For example, you might want to
perform formatting, scaling, signal processing, statistical analysis, and curve fitting. The
LabWindows/CVI Formatting and I/O Library and Analysis Library (Base package) or
Advanced Analysis Library (Full Development System) contain functions that allow you to
perform these operations.
Present—Present your data in a user interface you create that may contain graphs, strip
charts, and other controls. You also can display graphics, create pull-down menus, and prompt
users for input with pop-up dialog boxes. You can use the User Interface Editor to create these
items interactively, or you can use the User Interface Library to create and configure them
programmatically.
The program control portion of the program coordinates the data acquisition, data analysis,
and user interface. Program control contains the control logic for managing the flow of
program execution and user-defined support functions.
Use callback functions to control the flow of applications. Callback functions enable your
program to execute code in response to user actions, timer ticks, and operating system events.
Organizing Application Components

Use projects and workspaces to organize files and manage application development in
LabWindows/CVI. A project (.prj) file contains the files needed to run your application.
A project must include one or more of the following files:
• source (.c) files
• object (.obj) files
• library (.lib) files
You also can include the following files in a project:

• header (.h) files
• user interface resource (.uir) files
• instrument driver function panel (.fp) files
• instrument driver program files
You can include one or more projects in a workspace. A workspace (.cws) file contains
settings such as breakpoints, window positions, tag information, and debugging levels. These
settings do not affect the way a project builds. To edit the list of projects the current workspace
contains, select Edit»Workspace.

LabWindows/CVI Environment
The LabWindows/CVI environment is structured around the Workspace window, which is
shown in the following figure:
3
1
5
2
1 Project Tree 5 Output Region

2 Library Tree 6 Source Code Browser
3 Window Confinement Region 7 Status Bar
4 Debugging Region
Figure 1-2. Workspace Window

Figure 1-2 displays the following areas in Workspace window:

• Project Tree—Contains the list of files in each project in the workspace. Right-click the
different elements of the Project Tree to see the list of options available for files and
folders.
• Library Tree—Contains a tree view of the functions in LabWindows/CVI libraries and
instruments. You can arrange the library functions in alphabetical order, by function
name or function panel title, or in a flat list instead of a hierarchical class structure. Enter
a function name in the Find text box at the top of the Library Tree to search for a specific
function within the tree.
• Window Confinement Region—Contains Source, User Interface Editor, Function Tree
Editor, and function panel windows.
• Debugging Region—Contains the Variables, Watch, Memory, and Resource Tracking
windows. Use these windows to view and edit variable values, program memory, and
track the allocation and deallocation of resources during debugging.
• Output Region—Contains the Build Errors, Run-Time Errors, Source Code Control
Errors, Debug Output, and Find Results windows. These windows contain lists of errors,
output, and search matches.
• Source Code Browser—Contains browser overview information for selected files,
functions, variables, data types, and macros in a program.
• Status Bar—Contains a status bar which displays the status of various aspects of the file,
such as line and column number, save status, messages, and so on.
Select Window»Release Window to move a window that is contained within the Window
Confinement Region, Debugging Region, Output Region, or Source Code Browser outside of
the Workspace window.
Note You cannot release the Project Tree or Library Tree from the Workspace window.
However, you can select Options»Environment and then enable the Auto hide Project
Tree and Library Tree option to remove the Project Tree and Library Tree, from the
Workspace window when they are not in focus.

When you select or open a .uir file in the Workspace window, the User Interface Browser
and Attribute Browser appear to the right of the User Interface Editor, which is shown in the
following figure:
1 User Interface Browser 2 Attribute Browser
Figure 1-3. User Interface Browser and Attribute Browser
Figure 1-3 displays the following areas in the Workspace window:

• User Interface Browser—Contains a tree view of the user interface objects, such as
panels, controls, and menu bars, related to the selected .uir. Double-clicking a control,
array of controls, or panel highlights the object in the User Interface Editor and displays
the attributes related to the selected object in the Attribute Browser, where you can then
edit the attributes.
• Attribute Browser—Use the Attribute Browser to edit attributes for the user interface
objects. Enter an attribute name in the Filter text box at the top of the Attribute Browser
to filter the attribute list down to those attributes with similar names. Alternately, you can
click Filter to switch to the Find text box and search for a specific attribute within the
browser.
The menus and toolbar buttons available within the LabWindows/CVI Workspace window
differ depending on which window is active. To learn about what each menu item does,
right-click the menu and select Menu Help. LabWindows/CVI launches the
LabWindows/CVI Help topic that describes the items in the selected menu.

Standard Libraries
LabWindows/CVI provides a large set of built-in run-time libraries you can use to develop
applications. You can browse the Library Tree or press <Ctrl-Shift-P> in a Source window to
find a specific library function.
LabWindows/CVI includes the following standard libraries:

• User Interface Library—Functions for creating and controlling a graphical user
interface.
• Analysis Library (Base Package)/Advanced Analysis Library (Full Development
System)—Functions that operate on arrays to simulate and analyze large sets of
numerical data quickly and efficiently.
• Formatting and I/O Library—Functions for inputting and outputting data to files and
manipulating the format of data in a program.
• Utility Library—Functions that perform various operations, including using the system
timer, managing disk files, launching another executable, and using multiple threads in a
program.
• ANSI C Library—The ANSI C standard library functions.
• VXI Library—Functions for communicating with and controlling VXI devices.
• GPIB/GPIB 488.2 Library—Functions for communicating with and controlling
devices on the GPIB.
• RS-232 Library—Functions for controlling multiple RS-232 ports using
interrupt-driven I/O.
• VISA Library—Functions for controlling VXI, GPIB, serial, and other types of
instruments.
• TCP Support Library—Functions that provide a platform-independent interface to the
reliable, connection-oriented, byte-stream, network communication protocol.
• UDP Support Library—Functions that provide a platform-independent interface to the
unicast, broadcast, and multicast capabilities of the User Datagram Protocol (UDP).
• Internet Library—Functions that communicate with and receive files and commands
from remote servers.
• Network Variable Library—Functions for reading and writing data to network
variables. This library supersedes the DataSocket Library and provides better
performance and scalability.
• DDE Support Library—Functions that you can use to create an interface with other
Windows applications using the Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) standard.
• ActiveX Library—Functions that create and control ActiveX servers.

• DIAdem Connectivity Library—Functions that you can use to log test data in National
Instruments DIAdem file format (.tdm).
• TDM Streaming Library—Functions that store and retrieve test and measurement data
using the .tdms file format. This file format is optimized for high performance data
streaming.
• .NET Library—Functions that facilitate calling .NET assemblies.
• Real-Time Utility Library—Functions for replicating a real-time (RT) system,
configuring timing, creating and configuring trace sessions, and configuring RT targets.
Note You must install the LabWindows/CVI Real-Time Module to gain access to the
Real-Time Utility Library.
User Interface Development

Use LabWindows/CVI to develop GUIs that consist of panels, command buttons, pull-down
menus, graphs, strip charts, knobs, gauges, and many other controls and indicators. You can
use the User Interface Editor to build a GUI in LabWindows/CVI interactively. The User
Interface Editor is a drag-and-drop editor that includes tools for designing, arranging, and
customizing user interface objects.
You also can use the User Interface Library to create GUIs programmatically in
LabWindows/CVI. The User Interface Library provides functions that you can use to add to,
change, or build the entire GUI as the application runs.
To learn more about the available user interface elements and the functions that you can use
to connect your interface to the rest of your program, refer to the Using LabWindows/CVI»
Developing a Graphical User Interface section and the Library Reference»User Interface
Library section of the LabWindows/CVI Help.
Generating a Program Shell with CodeBuilder

After you design a GUI in the User Interface Editor, you can use CodeBuilder to
automatically generate a program shell based on the components in the GUI. CodeBuilder
writes code for all control callback functions and creates a program skeleton that loads and
displays GUI windows at program startup. CodeBuilder saves development time by
automating many of the common coding tasks required for writing a program. You use
CodeBuilder later in this tutorial.

Developing and Editing Source Code

Use the Source window in LabWindows/CVI to develop C source files for projects.
LabWindows/CVI is compatible with the full ANSI C language specification. You can use
any ANSI C language structures or standard library functions in the source code you develop
in this window. LabWindows/CVI provides code generation tools that streamline source code
development.
You can use the menu items in the Source window to edit files, debug code, compile files, and
so on. You use Source window features in activities later in this tutorial. For more information
about the Source window, refer to Using LabWindows/CVI»Writing Source Code section in
the LabWindows/CVI Help.
Instrument Control and Data Acquisition

You can use LabWindows/CVI to develop instrument control and data acquisition
applications. LabWindows/CVI libraries provide functions for controlling GPIB, RS-232,
serial, Ethernet, and National Instruments DAQ devices and modular instruments.
LabWindows/CVI also provides interactive assistants you can use to generate code to
communicate with different devices and to create and edit NI-DAQmx tasks.
Using the Instrument Control and Data Acquisition Libraries

LabWindows/CVI installs the GPIB/GPIB 488.2, VISA, and VXI libraries. However,
LabWindows/CVI does not install the GPIB, NI-VISA, or NI-VXI drivers. Therefore, the
GPIB/GPIB 488.2, VISA, and VXI libraries are listed in the Library Tree, but you must install
the drivers to use the functions in an application. You can install these drivers from the
NI Device Drivers media. LabWindows/CVI does not install the NI-DAQmx, Traditional
NI-DAQ, or IVI libraries or drivers, nor are the related libraries listed in the Library Tree.
You also can install these libraries and drivers from the NI Device Drivers media.
If you want to use instrument control and data acquisition libraries in LabWindows/CVI, you
must ensure LabWindows/CVI is configured to load these libraries on startup. To do so, select
Library»Customize and check the libraries you want to use. All of the libraries are checked
by default.
For a list of hardware library documentation resources, refer to the Related Documentation
section of the About This Manual chapter.

Using the Instrument I/O Assistant

Use the NI Instrument I/O Assistant to generate code to communicate with devices such as
serial, Ethernet, and GPIB instruments without using an instrument driver. To launch the
Instrument I/O Assistant from LabWindows/CVI, select Tools»Create Instrument I/O
Task. For more information about using the Instrument I/O Assistant, refer to the Using
LabWindows/CVI»Wizards and Tools»Creating an Instrument I/O Task section of the
LabWindows/CVI Help.
Note You must install the NI Instrument I/O Assistant feature from the NI Device Drivers
media to use the Instrument I/O Assistant.
Using the DAQ Assistant

Use the NI DAQ Assistant to configure measurement tasks, channels, and scales. You also can
use the DAQ Assistant to generate NI-DAQmx code from a task. To launch the DAQ Assistant
from within the LabWindows/CVI environment, select Tools»Create/Edit DAQmx Tasks.
For more information about using the DAQ Assistant, refer to the Using LabWindows/CVI»
Data Acquisition»Where to Find Information about NI-DAQmx section of the
Note You must install NI-DAQmx from the NI Device Drivers media to use the DAQ
Assistant.
Developing Instrument Drivers

If you plan to develop your own instrument driver, refer to the LabWindows/CVI IVI Driver
Development Help. This help file provides information about developing and adding
instrument drivers to LabWindows/CVI. It is intended for programmers who develop
instrument drivers to control programmable instruments such as GPIB, PXI, and RS-232
instruments. Also refer to the Using LabWindows/CVI»Instrument Drivers section of the
LabWindows/CVI Help for fundamental instrument driver information you must consider if
you create or modify a driver.

Learning about LabWindows/CVI

Complete the exercises in the remaining chapters of this tutorial to learn how to build, debug,
and deploy applications in LabWindows/CVI. The following solution folder includes
completed tutorial exercises you can use for reference.
For Windows XP/Server 2003, refer to the following folder for the solutions:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\National Instruments\
CVIversion\tutorial\solution.
For Windows 7/Vista/Server 2008, refer to the following folder for the solutions:
\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\CVIversion\tutorial\
solution.
The development process for the tutorial application includes the following steps:
1. Create a user interface in the User Interface Editor (Chapter 2, Building a Graphical User
Interface).
2. Generate skeleton code for control callbacks using CodeBuilder (Chapter 2, Building a
Graphical User Interface).
3. Add source code to generate and display a waveform (Chapter 3, Using Function Panels
and Libraries).
4. Edit and debug the application (Chapter 4, Editing and Debugging Tools).
5. Develop a callback function to compute the maximum and minimum values of the
waveform (Chapter 5, Adding Analysis to Your Program).
6. Create a distribution to deploy your application on another computer (Chapter 6,
Distributing Your Application).
As you work through this tutorial, refer to the LabWindows/CVI documentation set for more
information about the concepts presented in this manual. Use the Guide to LabWindows/CVI
Documentation topic in the LabWindows/CVI Help to learn more about and access the
documents in the LabWindows/CVI documentation set. To launch the LabWindows/CVI
Help, select Help»Contents.
After you complete this tutorial, review the example programs for additional information
about LabWindows/CVI features. To view the example programs, double-click the CVI
samples shortcut in the \samples folder of the LabWindows/CVI installation. Alternately,
the LabWindows/CVI Help includes Open example buttons in function topics if an example
exists that demonstrates a use for the function. You also can use NI Example Finder to search
for example programs included in the LabWindows/CVI installation and on ni.com.
To launch NI Example Finder, select Help»Find Examples.

Refer to the following Web sites for additional support and information:
• ni.com/cvi—For general product information about LabWindows/CVI.
• ni.com/zone—For example code and tutorials at the Developer Zone.
• ni.com/forums—To participate in discussion forums and exchange code with other
LabWindows/CVI users around the world.
• ni.com/cvinews—To subscribe to the LabWindows/CVI newsletter or review the
newsletter archive.
• ni.com/cvi/community—To participate in discussion forums and learn tips and tricks
for working efficiently in LabWindows/CVI.

Building a Graphical User
2
Interface
In the remaining chapters of this tutorial, you develop a project that consists of a GUI
controlled by a C source file. This sample program acquires and displays a waveform on the
GUI. In this chapter, you learn to design a user interface with the User Interface Editor.
Project Templates
Using project and file templates can help reduce the time and effort required to configure a
new project or file. The template includes the basic settings for the new project or file and any
preliminary text to include by default, such as standard comments or headings. For more
information about project templates, refer to the Using LabWindows/CVI»Managing
Projects»Creating Projects and Files from Templates»New Project and File Templates
section in the LabWindows/CVI Help.
User Interface Editor

The User Interface Editor is an interactive drag-and-drop editor for designing custom GUIs.
You can select a number of different controls from the Create menu and position them on the
panels you create. You can customize each control through a series of dialog boxes in which
you set attributes for the control appearance, source code connections, and label appearance.
Source Code Connection

After you design a user interface in the User Interface Editor, you can write C source code to
control the GUI. To connect elements on the user interface to the source code, you must assign
a constant name to each panel, menu, and control on your user interface. Then, you can use
those names in the C source code to differentiate the controls on the GUI. You also can assign
a callback function to a control that is called automatically when you operate that control
during program execution. Use the Attribute Browser to associate a constant name and a
callback function with that control in the User Interface Editor.
After you save a user interface as a .uir file, LabWindows/CVI automatically generates an
include (.h) file that defines all the constants and callback functions you have assigned.

Chapter 2 Building a Graphical User Interface
CodeBuilder
After you complete the .uir file, you can use CodeBuilder to expand on code in the project
template source file by generating the skeleton code for the remaining callback functions for
the controls on your panel. For more information about CodeBuilder, refer to the Using
LabWindows/CVI»Developing a Graphical User Interface»Generating Code from the GUI
section of the LabWindows/CVI Help.
Selecting a Project Template

Complete the following steps to select and set up a project template for the sample project.
1. Launch LabWindows/CVI by selecting Start»All Programs»National Instruments»
LabWindows CVI version»NI LabWindows CVI version.
2. When you open LabWindows/CVI for the first time, you see the Welcome Page.
It displays helpful resources, new features, and recently opened files. Select Project
from Template to open the New Project from Template dialog box.
Note If you disable the Welcome Page, you see an empty workspace when you start
LabWindows/CVI. Select File»New»Project from Template to open the New Project
from Template dialog box.
3. Select User Interface Application.

4. Change Project name to sample1.
5. Change the Project folder to the tutorial folder.
For Windows XP/Server 2003, browse to:
CVIversion\tutorial\.
For Windows 7/Vista/Server 2008, enter:
\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\CVIversion\
tutorial\.
6. Verify that Add this project to the current workspace is not selected.
7. Click OK.

Building a User Interface Resource (.uir) File

Complete the following steps to design the user interface for the sample project, as shown in
Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1. sample1.uir
Editing a .uir File

1. In the Project Tree, double-click sample1.uir to open the file.
2. The Attribute Browser is located to the right of the User Interface Editor in the
Workspace window, below the User Interface Browser.
Locate the Constant Name control in the Attribute Browser. The attributes are listed in
alphabetical order by attribute class by default. Notice that the Constant Name is set to
PANEL and the Callback Function is set to panelCB. These are the settings from the
project template.
Remember, you can switch between the Find textbox and the Filter text box to highlight
attributes in the list or display only matches in the list respectively.
3. Enter Sample 1 for the Title and press the <Enter> key to commit any attribute value
changes.

You also can edit control and panel attributes values in the Edit Control or Edit Panel dialog
box, respectively. Double-click the panel or control to open the associated edit dialog box.
Notice that some attributes have slightly different names in the edit dialog box compared to
the names in the Attribute Browser.
Adding Command Buttons

1. Select Create»Command Button»Square Command Button. LabWindows/CVI
places a button labeled OK on the panel.
2. To edit the button attributes, select the button. The attributes related to the button appear
in the Attribute Browser.
3. To change the label on the command button, enter Acquire in place of __OK in Label
Text.
Note If you type a double underscore before any letter in Label Text, the letter is
underlined on the user interface. The user can select the control by pressing <Alt> and
the underlined letter, provided that no accessible menu bars contain a menu with the same
underlined letter.
4. Assign a constant name to the button. In the C source code you use this constant name to
identify the button. Change the default Constant Name to ACQUIRE.
5. Assign a function name that the program calls when a user clicks the Acquire button.
Enter AcquireData as the Callback Function. In Chapter 3, Using Function Panels
and Libraries, you write the source code for the AcquireData function.
6. (Optional) Customize the label font appearance by changing the values in the Label
Bold field, the Label Character Set field, and so on.
7. To add the QUIT button, ensure the .uir file has focus and select Create»Custom
Controls»Quit Button. Custom controls are frequently used control configurations.
The QUIT button already has a callback function, QuitCallback, assigned. It is not
necessary to modify the default settings for the QUIT button.
Adding a Graph Control

1. You also can add controls to a panel by right-clicking the panel and selecting the
appropriate control. Right-click the Sample 1 panel and select Graph»Graph.
LabWindows/CVI places a graph control labeled Untitled Control on the panel.
2. To size the panel, click and drag one of its corners. Use the commands in the Edit menu
and the Arrange menu to cut, copy, paste, align, and space user interface controls in the
editor so they appear as shown in Figure 2-1. You also can use the grid lines on the panel
to align the controls.

3. You also can locate control attributes using the User Interface Browser located above the
Attribute Browser. Double-click QUITBUTTON in the User Interface Browser. Notice
that the button is highlighted in the User Interface Editor and the attributes available in
the Attribute Browser are now attributes associated with the QUIT button.
To customize the graph attributes, double-click GRAPH in the User Interface Browser
and then enter the following values in the Attribute Browser:
a. Use the Find text box to locate the Constant Name attribute. If you prefer, use the
Filter text box accessible by toggling the Find label.
Enter Waveform as the Constant Name.
Note Because the graph serves only as an indicator to display a waveform, the graph does
not require a callback function. Callback functions are necessary only when the operation
of the control initiates an action. Indicators generally do not require callback functions.
b. Enter Acquired Data as the Label Text.

c. Enter Time for X Name.
d. To display time relative to the start of the application, set X Format to relative time.
The absolute time setting displays time relative to January 1, 1900.
e. Click the ... button in the value column of X Axis Date Time Format String to open
the Edit Relative Date/Time Format String dialog box. To display time in minutes
and seconds, delete %H: from the Format String field and click OK.
4. Set Y Name to Voltage.
5. Verify that the completed user interface looks like the one shown in Figure 2-1.
Completing the Program Shell with CodeBuilder

Now that you have built a GUI in the User Interface Editor, use CodeBuilder to complete the
remainder of the program shell for your GUI. Generate the skeleton code for the control
callbacks.
1. To select default control events for your application, select Code»Preferences»Default
Events to open the Callback Events dialog box. Select All control types from the left
tree and select EVENT_COMMIT and EVENT_RIGHT_CLICK. Verify that no other events
are selected. Click OK.
In the main tutorial, you work only with the EVENT_COMMIT event. In Chapter 7,
Additional Exercises, you develop code to display help when a user right-clicks a GUI
control. For a complete list of events, refer to the Library Reference»User Interface
Library»Events topic of the LabWindows/CVI Help.
2. Select Code»Generate»All Callbacks. By default, CodeBuilder generates
EVENT_COMMIT events for every panel or control that you define a callback function for.

3. The Generate Code dialog box appears with the panelCB callback function highlighted
in the Source window. The project template provides the panelCB callback function,
so you do not need CodeBuilder to generate it. Click Skip. CodeBuilder proceeds and
generates the callback functions for all of the controls.
4. Insert a line after case EVENT_COMMIT: in the QuitCallback function with the
following code.
QuitUserInterface(0);
Note The project template provides only one option for closing the panel, clicking the
X button in the upper right corner. By inserting a call to QuitUserInterface in
QuitCallback, you add a second option for closing the panel, clicking the QUIT button.
Analyzing the Source Code

The source code that you generated for the Sample 1 program is skeleton code. You must add
code to this skeleton that determines how the program responds when it generates events. The
program you generated consists of three functions. The functions in the sample1.c code are
good examples of the functions you may write in the future for your own LabWindows/CVI
programs.
main Function
Completing the main function is the first step you must take when you build your own
applications. The main function is shown in the following code:
int main (int argc, char *argv[])
{
int error = 0;
/* initialize and load resources */

nullChk (InitCVIRTE (0, argv, 0));
errChk (panelHandle = LoadPanel (0, "sample1.uir", PANEL));
/* display the panel and run the user interface */

errChk (DisplayPanel (panelHandle));
errChk (RunUserInterface ());
Error:
/* clean up */
DiscardPanel (panelHandle);
return 0;
}

To allow users to operate the user interface that you created, your program must perform the
following steps:
• LoadPanel loads the panel from the .uir file into memory.
• DisplayPanel displays the panel on the screen.
• RunUserInterface allows LabWindows/CVI to begin sending events from the user
interface to the C program you are developing. This function does not return until the
program calls QuitUserInterface.
When you no longer need the user interface, call DiscardPanel to remove the panel from
memory and from the screen.
AcquireData Function
The AcquireData function automatically executes whenever you click Acquire on the user
interface. You add to this function later in this tutorial so you can plot the array on the graph
control that you created on the user interface. The AcquireData function is shown in the
following code:
int CVICALLBACK AcquireData (int panel, int control, int event,
void *callbackData, int eventData1, int eventData2)
{
switch (event) {
case EVENT_COMMIT:
break;
case EVENT_RIGHT_CLICK:
break;
}
return 0;
}
Notice that the callback function returns 0. User callbacks must always return 0 unless they
intend to swallow the event to which they are responding. To swallow the event, the callback
should return 1. This tutorial does not use callbacks that swallow events. Refer to the Library
Reference»User Interface Library»Events»Swallowing Events topic in the LabWindows/CVI
Help for more information about swallowing events, including a list of events that are
swallowable.

QuitCallback Function
The QuitCallback function automatically executes whenever you click QUIT on the user
interface. This function disables the user interface from sending event information to the
callback function and causes the RunUserInterface call in the main function to return.
The QuitCallback function is shown in the following code:
int CVICALLBACK QuitCallback (int panel, int control, int event,
{
switch (event) {
case EVENT_COMMIT:
QuitUserInterface (0);
break;
break;
}
return 0;
}
Running the Generated Code

The code you generated using CodeBuilder is syntactically and programmatically correct
code that compiles and runs before you add to it. Select Run»Debug sample1.exe to run the
generated code. The program displays the user interface panel and exits when you press the
QUIT button.

Using Function Panels and
3
Libraries
In this chapter of the tutorial, you use LabWindows/CVI function panels to generate code.
You complete the source code for sample1.c to plot an array with a sine pattern on the graph
control on the user interface that you built in Chapter 2, Building a Graphical User Interface.
Function Panel Fundamentals

A function panel is a graphical view of a library function in LabWindows/CVI. Function
panels serve several important purposes in LabWindows/CVI.
• With function panels, you can execute each LabWindows/CVI function interactively
before incorporating it into the program. With this feature, you can experiment with the
parameter values until you are satisfied with the operation of the function.
• Function panels provide help that explains the purpose of each function in the
LabWindows/CVI libraries and of each parameter in the function call.
• Function panels generate code automatically so that you can insert the function call
syntax into your program source code.
Accessing Function Panels

The Library Tree includes function panels for all of the libraries in LabWindows/CVI. You
can scan quickly through the hierarchy of the library to find a given function. Alternatively,
you can use the Find text box located above the Library Tree and enter the name of the
function. For advanced searching options, right-click the Library Tree, select Find, enter the
name of the function, and select from several search options such as case-sensitivity, search
whole cells, and so on.
Function Panel Controls

The controls on the function panel represent parameters. Enter values in the controls to
specify parameter values. Some controls have ... buttons next to them that provide additional
dialog boxes to select input for parameters.

Chapter 3 Using Function Panels and Libraries
Function Panel Help

You can access help for functions and parameters from function panels. Table 3-1 lists
methods for accessing the help.
Table 3-1. Displaying Function Panel Help
Type of Help How to View Help

Function Help Select Help»Function.
or
Right-click anywhere on the background of the function panel.
or
Press <Shift-F1>.
Parameter Help Place the cursor in the control, then select Help»Control.
or
Right-click the control.
or
Press <F1> from the control.
Combined Help Select Help»Online Function Help.
or
Press <Ctrl-Shift-F1>.
Note A function must be documented in the LabWindows/CVI Help to have combined

help available through its function panel.
Generating an Array of Data

If you did not proceed directly from Chapter 2, Building a Graphical User Interface, go back
and do so now.
When a user clicks Acquire, the program generates a random number using the ANSI C
srand and rand functions and then uses that number as the amplitude for the sine pattern.
1. Open sample1.c, if it is not already open.
2. In the AcquireData function, on the line following case EVENT_COMMIT:, enter the
following lines of code to generate the random numbers.
srand (time(NULL));
amp = rand ()/32767.0;
3. Position the cursor on a blank line immediately following amp = rand ()/32767.0.

4. Enter SinePattern in the Find text box above the Library Tree to locate the Sine
Pattern function panel and press the <Enter> key to highlight the function in the Library
Tree. Then press the <Enter> key again to open the function panel.
Note If LabWindows/CVI cannot find a match, right-click the Library Tree and select
Show Function Names. Then repeat step 4.
5. Select Code»Set Target File. Select sample1.c and click OK.

6. Enter 100 in the Number of Elements control.
7. Enter amp in the Amplitude control. Select Code»Declare Variable and enable the
Add declaration to current block in target file “sample1.c” option. Click OK.
8. Enter 180.0 in the Phase (Degrees) control.
9. Enter 2.0 in the Number of Cycles control.
10. Enter sine in the Sine Pattern control. Select Code»Declare Variable.
11. In the Declare Variable dialog box, enter 100 as the Number of Elements and enable the
Add declaration to top of target file “sample1.c” option. Click OK.
12. Select Code»Insert Function Call. LabWindows/CVI pastes the SinePattern
function from the function panel into the sample1.c source code at the position of the
text cursor.
Tip In the Source window, you can place your cursor anywhere in a LabWindows/CVI
library function call and then select View»Recall Function Panel to open the function
panel for the selected function. When you recall a function panel, the controls
automatically reflect the state of the function call in the Source window.
Building the PlotY Function Call Syntax

Complete the following steps to generate a line of code that plots the random data array on
the graph control.
1. Position the cursor in the Source window on a blank line immediately following the
SinePattern function call within the AcquireData function.
2. Type PlotY and then press <Ctrl-P> to open the Plot Y function panel.
3. In the Panel Handle control, select Code»Select Variable. Enable the Show Project
Variables option. The dialog box contains a list of variable names used in your program.
Choose panelHandle from the list and click OK.
Note If you have never built the project, click Build The Project. During the compile
process, LabWindows/CVI recognizes that the program is missing the ansi_c.h and
analysis.h include statements. When prompted, click Yes to add these include files in
your program.

4. For the Control ID control, you must specify the constant name assigned to the graph
control. While the cursor is in Control ID, press <Enter> to open a dialog box with a
complete list of the constant names in the.uir files in the workspace. In the User
Interface Resource files section, select \sample1.uir. Select PANEL_WAVEFORM
from the list of constants and click OK.
5. Type sine in the Y Array control. This name indicates which array in memory the
program displays on the graph.
6. Type 100 in the Number of Points control. This number indicates the number of
elements in the array to plot.
7. For Y Data Type, click the control to display a drop-down menu of possible data types.
Select double precision. When the Plot Y function panel matches the one in Figure 3-1,
proceed to the next step.
Figure 3-1. Completed Plot Y Function Panel

8. Select Code»Insert Function Call to paste the PlotY function call into the source code.
LabWindows/CVI displays a message that states text is selected on the current line. Click
Replace to replace the PlotY you typed with the complete function call.
9. Confirm that the AcquireData function matches the following source code:
int CVICALLBACK AcquireData (int panel, int control, int event,
{
double amp;
switch (event) {
case EVENT_COMMIT:
srand (time(NULL));
amp = rand ()/32767.0;
SinePattern (100, amp, 180.0, 2.0, sine);
PlotY (panelHandle, PANEL_WAVEFORM, sine, 100, VAL_DOUBLE,
VAL_THIN_LINE, VAL_EMPTY_SQUARE, VAL_SOLID, 1, VAL_RED);
break;
break;
}
return 0;
}
10. Save the source file.
Running the Completed Project

You now have a completed project, saved as sample1.prj. Select Run»Debug sample1.exe
to execute the code. If prompted, click Yes to add ansi_c.h and analysis.h to the top of
the file. When you run your program, the following actions take place:
1. LabWindows/CVI compiles the source code from sample1.c and links with the
appropriate libraries in LabWindows/CVI.
2. When the program starts, LabWindows/CVI launches the user interface, ready for
keyboard or mouse input.
3. When you click Acquire, LabWindows/CVI passes the event to the AcquireData
callback function.
4. The AcquireData function generates an array of data and plots it on the graph control
on the user interface.
5. When you click QUIT, LabWindows/CVI passes the event to the QuitCallback
function, which halts the program.

Editing and Debugging Tools
4
In this chapter, you become acquainted with the following tools available for editing and
debugging in the interactive LabWindows/CVI environment.
• Source window
• Step modes of execution
• Breakpoints
• Variables window
• Array Display window
• Memory Display window
• String Display window
• Watch window
• Graphical Array View
• Resource Tracking window
Editing Tools
This chapter uses the project you developed in Chapter 3, Using Function Panels and
Libraries. If you did not proceed directly from Chapter 3, go back and do so now.
The LabWindows/CVI Source window has a number of quick editing features that are helpful
when you work with source files. Complete the following steps to view some of the editing
features available in LabWindows/CVI.
1. Open sample1.c if it is not already open. Select View»Line Numbers to display a
column to the left of the window that shows line numbers.
2. The programs you develop in LabWindows/CVI often refer to other files, such as header
files or user interface files. To view these additional files quickly, place the cursor on the
filename in the source code and select File»Open Quoted Text, press <Ctrl-U>, or
right-click the filename and select Open Quoted Text.
Place the cursor on the userint.h filename in sample1.c and press <Ctrl-U>.
LabWindows/CVI opens the userint.h header file in a separate Source window. Scroll
through and then close the header file.

Chapter 4 Editing and Debugging Tools
3. If you want to view a portion of your source code while you make changes to another
area of the source code in the same file, you can split the window into top and bottom
halves called subwindows, as shown in Figure 4-1.
Figure 4-1. Split Source Window

To split the window, click and drag the double line at the top of the Source window to the
middle of the screen. Notice how each half of the window scrolls independently to
display different areas of the same file simultaneously. Type text on line 46. Notice that
the text you typed appears in both halves of the window.
4. If you make editing mistakes while entering or editing source code in the Source window,
LabWindows/CVI has an Undo feature you can use to reverse any mistakes. The default
configuration of LabWindows/CVI allows up to 100 undo operations, and you can undo
up to 1,000 operations. Press <Ctrl-Z>. The text you entered on line 46 of the source code
disappears.
5. Drag the dividing line between the two subwindows back to the top to make a single
window again.
6. If you want a cleaner view of your code, you can collapse certain regions. Click the minus
button to the left of the main function in sample1.c. The function collapses into a single
line of code with a dotted line beneath it. The minus button is now a plus button, signaling
there is hidden collapsed code. Click the plus button to reveal the code.
Tip To recursively collapse the region and any subregions of code, right-click the minus
button and select Collapse Region and Subregions.
Place your mouse over the collapsible region to highlight the region in the column that
corresponds to the code block. The highlight persists until you move your mouse to
another part of the collapsible region. If you move your mouse away from the collapsible
region and into the source code, the highlight persists in a lighter shade.
LabWindows/CVI defines collapsible regions for multiline code blocks delimited by
curly braces or multiline comments. For more information about collapsible regions,
refer to collapsible regions in the LabWindows/CVI Help index.
7. You can use three different methods to quickly move to a particular line of code in your
source file.
• If you know the line number you want to view, select View»Line to open the Line
dialog box. Then enter the line number in the Go to Line control and click the OK
button.
• You can double-click the line/column indicator in the status bar of the confined
Source window to open the Line dialog box. Then enter the line number in the
Go to Line control and click the OK button.
• You can set tags on particular lines to highlight lines of code to which you can jump
quickly.
To set a tag, place the cursor on line 48. Select View»Toggle Tag. A green square
appears in the left-hand column of the Source window. Place the cursor on line 65 of
the Source window and add another tag. Press <F2> to move between tags. Select
View»Clear Tags, make sure all of the tags are checked, and then click OK to remove
the tags from the source file.

8. You also can navigate through the Source window by finding specific text in the code.
Select Edit»Find to open the Find dialog box, in which you enter the text you want to
locate and specify various searching preferences. Enter panelHandle in the Find what
control and leave the remaining controls set to their default values. Then click Find Next.
LabWindows/CVI highlights the first match in the text and displays a list of all matches
in the Find Results window. Click an entry in the Find Results window to locate the
corresponding text in the Source window.
Select Edit»Quick Search and type argc. When you use the Quick Search command,
LabWindows/CVI performs an incremental search. Notice that LabWindows/CVI finds
matches of the letters you type. The selection changes as you type more letters.
Step Mode Execution

In LabWindows/CVI, you can compile and build a program in debug configuration or release
configuration by selecting the configuration from the Build»Configuration submenu. The
debug configuration executes similarly to the release version of the program but also offers
you tools for debugging the program, including breakpoints and step mode execution. After
debugging your program, select a release configuration to remove debugging information and
increase the execution speed of your program. Refer to the Using LabWindows/CVI»
Managing Projects»Setting the Project Configuration topic in the LabWindows/CVI Help for
more information about project configurations. The following debugging exercises use debug
configuration.
Step mode execution is a useful run-time tool for debugging programs. To step through
sample1.c, complete the following steps:
1. Select Run»Break on»First Statement to stop execution at the first statement in the
source code.
2. Select Run»Debug sample1.exe to begin program execution. After the program
compiles, the main function line in the program is highlighted in the Source window,
indicating that program execution is currently suspended.
3. To execute the highlighted line, select Run»Step Into.

Tip Use the icons in the toolbar and the shortcut key combinations listed in Table 4-1 to
execute these commands.
Table 4-1. Quick Keys for Step Mode Execution
Shortcut Key Toolbar

Command Combination Icon Description
Continue <F5> Causes the program to continue operation until it
completes or reaches a breakpoint
Go to <F7> Continues program execution until the program
Cursor reaches the location of the cursor
Set Next <Ctrl-Shift-F7> Changes the next statement to execute
Statement
Step Into <F8> Single-steps through the code of the function call
being executed
Step Over <F10> Executes a function call without single-stepping
through the function code itself
Finish <Ctrl-F10> Resumes execution through the end of the current
Function function and breakpoints on the next statement
Terminate <Ctrl-F12> Halts execution of the program during step mode
Execution
4. To find the definition of the SinePattern function, place the cursor on the function
in sample1.c and select Edit»Go to Definition. Alternatively, you can right-click the
function and select Go to Definition.
The Go to Definition command immediately finds the definition of the function, even
when the function resides in a different source or header file. However, the target source
file must have been compiled in the project. You also can use this command to find
variable declarations.
In this case, LabWindows/CVI opens analysis.h and highlights the SinePattern
function declaration. To return to your previous source code location, select Edit»
Go Back.
Tip Many of the commands in this exercise also are available in the Source window
context menu. Right-click within the Source window to view the available commands.
5. Use the Step Into button to begin stepping through the program. Notice that when the
main function is executed, the highlighting moves to the function and traces the

instructions inside the function. Continue to step through the program until the following
statement is highlighted:
errChk(DisplayPanel (panelHandle));.
6. Place the cursor on the line with the call to DiscardPanel (panelHandle);.
Select Run»Set Next Statement to select the next statement to execute. The highlighting
moves to that line. Press <F5> to continue program execution. Notice that the program
exits without having run the user interface because the program execution skipped over
the RunUserInterface function call.
Breakpoints
Breakpoints are another run-time tool that you can use to debug programs in
LabWindows/CVI. A breakpoint is a location in a program at which LabWindows/CVI
suspends execution of your program. You can invoke a breakpoint in LabWindows/CVI in the
following ways:
• Fixed Breakpoint—Insert a breakpoint at a particular location in the Source window.
You can turn breakpoints on or off even while your program is executing.
• Instant Breakpoint—When an application is running, press <Ctrl-F12> while a window
is active in the LabWindows/CVI environment.
• Breakpoint on Library Errors—Select Run»Break on»Library Errors to cause
LabWindows/CVI to pause at a particular location when a library function returns an
error.
• Conditional Breakpoint—Cause LabWindows/CVI to pause at a particular location
when a user-specified condition becomes true.
• Programmatic Breakpoint—In your code, call the Breakpoint function.
• Watch Expression Breakpoint—Cause LabWindows/CVI to pause when the value of
a watch expression changes.
Fixed Breakpoints
To insert a breakpoint at a specific location in your source code, click in the left column of
the Source window on the line on which you want to suspend execution. Complete the
following steps to insert a breakpoint inside the AcquireData function.
1. Stop program execution by selecting Run»Terminate Execution, if necessary.
2. Disable Run»Break on»First Statement.
3. In the Source window, click to the left of the line that contains the following statement:

A red diamond, which represents a breakpoint, appears beside that line as shown in
Figure 4-2.
Figure 4-2. Breakpoint Beside a Line of Code
Note You do not need to suspend or terminate execution to insert a breakpoint. If you
insert a breakpoint while the program is running, LabWindows/CVI suspends the program
when it reaches that line of code.
4. Begin execution of the program by selecting Run»Debug sample1.exe. Click Acquire

to generate a commit event for AcquireData. When LabWindows/CVI encounters the
breakpoint during execution, it suspends program execution and highlights the line where
you inserted the breakpoint.
5. Press <F5> to continue execution. Program execution continues until the next breakpoint
or until completion. You can single-step through any line of code by selecting Run»Step
Over or Run»Step Into.
6. Stop the program at a breakpoint by pressing <Ctrl-F12> or by selecting Run»
Terminate Execution.
7. To remove the breakpoint from the program, click the red diamond.

Conditional Breakpoints
Use conditional breakpoints to halt program execution only when the specified condition is
true. Complete the following steps to use conditional breakpoints in your program.
1. Select Run»Breakpoints to open the Breakpoints dialog box.
2. In the Breakpoints dialog box, click Add/Edit Item to open the Edit Breakpoint
dialog box.
3. In the Edit Breakpoint dialog box, enter 82 for Line, and enter amp > 0 as the
Condition. Notice the default values for the remaining controls, but do not change them.
Click Add.
4. Click OK to exit the Breakpoints dialog box. LabWindows/CVI displays a yellow square
to the left of line 82 to indicate the conditional breakpoint.
5. Select Run»Debug sample1.exe to begin program execution. Click Acquire to run the
code in the commit event case for AcquireData. LabWindows/CVI halts execution at
line 82 because the breakpoint condition was met. Hover the mouse cursor over amp to
verify its value is greater than 0.
6. Select Run»Terminate Execution to stop the program.
7. Right-click the conditional breakpoint icon to the left of line 82 and select Breakpoints
to open the Breakpoints dialog box.
8. Click Add/Edit Item to open the Edit Breakpoint dialog box. Replace the Condition text
with amp < 0 and click Replace. Then click OK to exit the Breakpoints dialog box.
9. Repeat step 5. Notice that LabWindows/CVI does not halt execution at line 82 because
the breakpoint condition is no longer true.
10. Press <Ctrl-F12> twice to stop the program. To remove the breakpoint, select
Run»Breakpoints, ensure the breakpoint is highlighted, and click Delete Item.
Then click OK to exit the dialog box.
For more information about breakpoints, refer to breakpoints in the LabWindows/CVI Help
index.
Displaying and Editing Data

Step mode execution and breakpoints are useful tools for high-level testing. However, you
often need to look beyond your source code to test your programs. LabWindows/CVI
provides displays for viewing and editing the data for your program. In the following
exercises, you use a variety of these displays to view data generated by your application.
Variables Window
The Variables window shows all variables currently declared in the LabWindows/CVI
interactive program. To view the Variables window, select Window»Variables.

The Variables window lists the name, value, and type of currently active variables.
LabWindows/CVI displays variables in categories according to how they are defined, such as
global or local. The Stack Trace section shows the current call stack of functions. To view
variables that are active elsewhere in the call stack, double-click the corresponding function
in the Stack Trace.
You can view the Variables window at any time to inspect variable values. This feature is
especially useful when you step through a program during execution. Complete the following
steps to step through the program and view the Variables window at different points in the
execution of the program.
1. Select Run»Break on»First Statement.
2. Select Run»Debug sample1.exe, or press <Shift-F5>, to run the program. When the
program begins execution, LabWindows/CVI highlights the main function in the Source
window.
3. Select Window»Variables to view the Variables window, shown in Figure 4-3.
Figure 4-3. Variables Window During Execution of Main
Note The values you see for your project might differ from the values shown in
Figure 4-3.
4. Insert a breakpoint on the line with the following code:

5. Press <F5> to continue program execution. Click Acquire. LabWindows/CVI halts
program execution on the statement with the breakpoint. In the Variables window,
LabWindows/CVI now lists AcquireData in the Stack Trace section. The Variables
window shows the variables that are declared locally to that function.
6. Leave the program suspended and continue to the next section, Editing Variables.

Editing Variables
In addition to displaying variables, you can use the Variables window to edit the contents of
a variable. Complete the following steps to use the Variables window for this purpose.
1. Make sure the sample1.c program is still suspended on the following line:
2. Highlight the amp variable in the Source window and select Run»View Variable Value.
LabWindows/CVI highlights the amp variable in the Variables window.
3. From the Variables window, press <Enter> to edit the value of amp. Enter 0.2 in the value
column and press <Enter>.
4. In the Source window, select Run»Continue. Notice that the sine pattern amplitude is
now 0.2. The change you made using the Variables window took effect immediately
in the execution of the program.
Note Notice that LabWindows/CVI displays in red text those variable values that changed
since the program was last suspended. In the Variables window, LabWindows/CVI now
displays the value for the amp variable in red text to indicate a changed value.
Array Display Window

The Array Display window shows the contents of an array of data. You can use the Array
Display window to edit array elements in the same way that you edited variables using the
Variables window.
1. Click Acquire to put the program in breakpoint mode again.
2. Right-click sine in the Variables window and select View»Array Display to view the
array values as shown in Figure 4-4.
Figure 4-4. Array Display Window

Note The actual values in your array might differ from the values shown in Figure 4-4.
The Array Display window shows the values of array elements in tabular format.
In Figure 4-4, the sine array is a one-dimensional array, so the display consists of
one column of numbers. The numbers in the column on the left side of the display
indicate the index number. The first element is zero.
Take a moment to view the display. You can edit individual elements in the array just as
you edited variables in the Variables window.
3. Close the Array Display window.
Memory Display Window

You can use the Memory Display window to view and edit the memory of the program you
are debugging. Use the Memory Display window as follows:
1. With your program still suspended, select Window»Memory to display the Memory
Display window.
2. Click the Variables tab to return to the Variables window.
3. Click the sine variable in the Variables window and drag it to the Memory tab.
LabWindows/CVI displays the sine array memory in the Memory Display window.
To edit the program memory, right-click in the Memory Display window and select Edit
Mode. When the Memory Display window is in edit mode, double-click a value to edit
it. Similar to the Variables window, the Memory Display window also displays changed
values in red text.
4. When you are finished, click <Ctrl-F12> to terminate program execution.
String Display Window

The String Display window is similar to the Array Display window except that you use the
String Display window to view and edit elements of a string. Operations in the String Display
window are similar to the operations you performed in the Array Display window. You can
select a string variable from the Variables window to launch the String Display window. For
more information about the String Display window, refer to the Using LabWindows/CVI»
Debugging Tools»Using the Array and String Display Windows section in the

Watch Window
The Watch window is a powerful debugging tool. In addition to viewing values of variables
changing dynamically as your program executes, you also can use the Watch window to view
expression values and set conditional breakpoints when variable or expression values change.
Complete the following steps to use the Watch window to view variables during program
execution.
1. With sample1.prj still loaded as the current project, ensure that Run»Break on»
First Statement is enabled. Click the breakpoint on the SinePattern line of code to
remove it.
2. Select Run»Debug sample1.exe, or press <Shift-F5>, to start program execution.
Execution breaks with the main function highlighted.
3. In the Variables window, right-click the sine variable and select Add Watch
Expression to add the sine variable to the Watch window. LabWindows/CVI displays
the Add/Edit Watch Expression dialog box.
4. Enable the Break when value changes option so that the dialog box matches the
one shown in Figure 4-5. Then click Add to close the dialog box. LabWindows/CVI
displays the sine variable within the Watch window. Expand the sine variable within
the Watch window to view the individual elements within the array.
Figure 4-5. Add/Edit Watch Expression Dialog Box
5. Select Run»Continue to continue program execution. Click Acquire on the user

interface. Program execution breaks after the call to SinePattern because the sine
variable values have changed. Expand the sine variable again to view the updated
element values. After viewing the new variable values in red text, select Run»Continue
to continue program execution and then click QUIT on the user interface to exit the
program. Remove the watch expression by clicking the sine variable in the Watch
window and pressing <Delete>.

Tooltips
You also can use the following method to edit variables:
1. Disable the Run»Break on»First Statement option and set a breakpoint on the line of
code that includes the SinePattern function call. Then, select Run»Debug
sample1.exe.
2. Click Acquire on the user interface. Program execution breaks on the SinePattern
statement.
3. Position the mouse cursor on the amp variable in the SinePattern statement.
4. The variable value appears in a tooltip. Highlight the current value and enter 3.0.
5. Select Run»Continue to complete program execution. Notice the amplitude of the
graphed sine pattern is the value you specified in the tooltip, not the amplitude calculated
in the program. Click QUIT on the user interface to exit the program.
Graphical Array View

The Graphical Array View shows the values of arrays in a graph view. This display is available
for 1D and 2D arrays during debugging. To open the Graphical Array View, complete the
following steps:
1. Clear the existing breakpoint. Then, set a breakpoint on the line of code that includes the
call to PlotY.
2. Select Run»Debug sample1.exe and click Acquire on the user interface.
3. In the Variables window, highlight the sine variable and select View»Graphical
Array View to view the sine values in a graph. You also can right-click the variable
name in the Source window and select View»Graphical Array View. The Graphical
Array View displays the value of the array on a graph.
4. Select Run»Continue to complete program execution. Then click QUIT on the user
interface to exit the program.
Resource Tracking Window

Use the Resource Tracking window to detect memory leaks in a LabWindows/CVI
application. The Resource Tracking window displays resources that LabWindows/CVI has
allocated, or recently deallocated, in the application. If the Resource Tracking window
displays no resources when the program has completed execution, all allocated resources
were subsequently deallocated. Resource tracking is enabled by default in extended
debugging mode. Complete the following steps to view resources during program execution.
Note The Resource Tracking window is available only in the Full Development System.

1. Select Options»Build Options to open the Build Options dialog box. Ensure that the
value in the Debugging level pull-down menu is Extended. The Debugging level option
is on the Configuration Options tab. Then click OK to exit the Build Options dialog
box.
2. Verify the breakpoint still exists on the line of code that includes the call to PlotY. If not,
add a breakpoint on that line of code.
Note The Resource Tracking window only displays information when the program is
suspended. Therefore, the program must execute to the breakpoint before the window
displays any information.
3. Select Window»Resource Tracking to open the Resource Tracking window.

4. Select Run»Debug sample1.exe to execute the program.
5. Click the Acquire button.
The Resource Tracking window appears similar to the following image.
Figure 4-6. Resource Tracking Window
Notice the user interface resource for the panel that appears in the Resources column.
LabWindows/CVI displays newly allocated resources in red text. Double-click the panel in
the Resources column. LabWindows/CVI highlights the resource allocation of the panel in
the Source window. The Stack Trace column displays the call stack of functions when the
resource was allocated.
Refer to the Using LabWindows/CVI»Debugging Tools»Resource Tracking Window topic in

the LabWindows/CVI Help for more information about the Resource Tracking window.

Adding Analysis to Your
5
Program
In Chapter 3, Using Function Panels and Libraries, you generate code to plot the sine pattern
array on the graph control. You place the plotting function in a callback function that triggers
by clicking the Acquire button. In this chapter, you add analysis code that computes the
maximum and minimum values of the random array you generate. To do this, you write a
callback function that finds the maximum and minimum values of the array and displays them
in numeric indicators on the user interface.
Setting Up
This chapter builds on the concepts that you learned in Chapter 3, Using Function Panels and
Libraries. If you did not complete the exercise in Chapter 3, go back and do so now.
1. Remove all breakpoints and close all windows except the Workspace window.
2. Run sample1.prj to verify the operation of the program. Click QUIT to terminate the
execution.
Modifying the User Interface

Complete the following steps to modify the existing user interface:
1. Open sample1.c. Place the cursor at the end of the file. CodeBuilder uses that location
for the new callback function that it generates later in this chapter.
2. Without closing the sample1.c source code, open sample1.uir. Your goal is to
modify the .uir to match the user interface shown in Figure 5-1.

Chapter 5 Adding Analysis to Your Program
Figure 5-1. Sample User Interface
3. Add a command button to the panel.

4. Select the new command button then enter the following information in the Attribute
Browser.
Control Value
Constant Name MAXMIN
Callback Function FindMaxMin
Label Text Max & Min
5. Use CodeBuilder to add code to your program for an individual control callback function.
Right-click the Max & Min command button and select Generate Control Callback.
The lightning bolt cursor appears while CodeBuilder generates code in the sample1.c
source file. When you finish updating the user interface for Sample 1, you will add code
to the FindMaxMin callback function to compute and display the maximum and
minimum values of the array.
6. In the User Interface Editor, select Create»Numeric»Numeric.

7. Ensure the numeric control has focus and enter the following information in the Attribute
Browser.
Control Value
Constant Name MAX
Control Mode indicator

Label Text Maximum
8. Add a second numeric control to the panel.

9. Ensure the numeric control has focus and enter the following information in the dialog
box and click OK.
Control Value
Constant Name MIN
Control Mode indicator

Label Text Minimum
10. Position the new controls on the user interface to match those shown in Figure 5-1.
Tip You can use the Arrange»Alignment command to position controls on the panel.
11. Save the modified .uir file.
Writing the Callback Function

Now that you have modified the .uir file and generated the shell for the callback function
for the Max & Min command button, you must complete the FindMaxMin function in the
source file, as follows:
1. To quickly locate the FindMaxMin callback function in your source file, right-click the
Max & Min button in the User Interface Editor and select View Control Callback.
LabWindows/CVI displays the sample1.c source file with the FindMaxMin callback
function highlighted.
2. Position the cursor on the blank line just after the case EVENT_COMMIT: statement.
3. LabWindows/CVI provides source code completion options within the Source window.
You can use the Edit»Show Completions option to view a list of potential matches for
functions or variables you are typing. Type Max and then press <Ctrl-Space> to view the
drop-down list of matches. Select MaxMin1D from the list.

4. Type an open parenthesis after the function name to display the function prototype. If you
do not see the prototype after you type the parenthesis, press <Ctrl-Shift-Space>.
The prototype provides many of the same features as a function panel. As you type,
LabWindows/CVI highlights the appropriate parameter name in the prototype tooltip.
When you press <F1>, LabWindows/CVI displays help for the highlighted item.
MaxMin1D finds the maximum and minimum values of an array. Enter the following
values for the parameters:
Parameter Value
InputArray sine
NumberofElements 100
MaximumValue &max
MaximumIndex &max_index
MinimumValue &min
MinimumIndex &min_index
5. Before you proceed, you must declare the max, max_index, min, and min_index
variables. Place the cursor over the max variable name and press <Ctrl-D>.
LabWindows/CVI inserts a copy of the max variable declaration at the top of the code
block that contains your current position.
6. Repeat step 5 for the max_index, min, and min_index variables.
7. Enter a new line after the call to MaxMin1D and type SetCtrlVal ( to display the
function prototype for SetCtrlVal. If LabWindows/CVI does not display the
prototype, press <Ctrl-Shift-Space> to view the tooltip.
8. The SetCtrlVal function sets the value of a control on your user interface. Enter
panelHandle for the PanelHandle parameter. Then enter a comma to highlight the
ControlID parameter in the prototype.
9. When ControlID is the highlighted parameter in the function prototype,
LabWindows/CVI displays a ... button next to the parameter name. This button indicates
that LabWindows/CVI provides an input selection dialog box or list of constant values
for the current parameter.
Click this button or press <Ctrl-Shift-Enter> to launch the Select UIR Constant dialog
box. Select \sample1.uir in the User Interface Resource files list and select
PANEL_MAX from the list of constants. Then click OK.

10. Enter max for the value parameter, which is indicated by a ... in the function prototype.
11. On the next line, include another instance of SetCtrlVal with the following parameter
values to set the value of the Minimum control on the user interface.
Parameter Value
PanelHandle panelHandle
ControlID PANEL_MIN
Value (...) min
12. Confirm that the source code matches the following code:
int CVICALLBACK FindMaxMin (int panel, int control, int event, void
*callbackData, int eventData1, int eventData2)
{
ssize_t min_index;
double min;
ssize_t max_index;
double max;
switch (event)
{
case EVENT_COMMIT:
MaxMin1D (sine, 100, &max, &max_index, &min, &min_index);
SetCtrlVal (panelHandle, PANEL_MAX, max);
SetCtrlVal (panelHandle, PANEL_MIN, min);
break;
break;
}
return 0;
}
Notice the ssize_t data type in the previous example code. ssize_t and size_t are signed
and unsigned integer data types, respectively, that do not rely on a specific pointer size. The
size of ssize_t and size_t depend on the bitness of your application. When writing code
to execute on both 32- and 64-bit systems, use data types that are not fixed-sized. Refer to the
Programmer Reference»Creating 64-bit Applications Versus 32-bit Applications»Porting
32-bit Code to 64-bit Code topic in the LabWindows/CVI Help for more information about
writing code for 64-bit applications.

Running the Program

You have now successfully written the callback function. Save the files and run the project.
During program execution, the FindMaxMin function is called when you click Max & Min.
When you click Max & Min, three separate events occur.
1. First, clicking the left mouse button generates an EVENT_LEFT_CLICK event.
2. Next, releasing the left mouse button generates an EVENT_COMMIT event. You wrote the
function so that it finds the minimum and maximum values and displays them only when
your program receives the EVENT_COMMIT event.
3. Finally, the button gets the input focus, and an EVENT_GOT_FOCUS event is generated.
For more practice with user interface events, complete Exercise 4: Adding User Interface
Events of Chapter 7, Additional Exercises.
Quit the project and close the files before moving on to Chapter 6, Distributing Your
Application.

Distributing Your Application
6
This chapter describes how to distribute an application you create in LabWindows/CVI. You
can use the LabWindows/CVI distribution creation and management features to develop and
edit multiple distributions for 32-bit or 64-bit applications. This tutorial includes steps for
creating a basic 32-bit Windows Installer (.msi). The steps for creating a 64-bit installer are
similar. For information about porting 32-bit code to 64-bit code and creating a 64-bit
Windows Installer, refer to the Programmer Reference»Creating 64-bit Applications Versus
32-bit Applications section in the LabWindows/CVI Help.
For more advanced information about distributing applications, refer to the Using
LabWindows/CVI»Managing Projects»Building a Project»Distributing Applications»
Creating and Editing an Installer topic of the LabWindows/CVI Help.
Creating a New Distribution

If you did not complete the tutorial exercises in Chapter 2 through Chapter 5, go back and do
so now.
Complete the following steps to create a new distribution for your application.
1. Select Build»Distributions»Manage Distributions to open the Manage Distributions
dialog box. The dialog box lists the distributions available for the current workspace.
2. Click New to launch the New Distribution dialog box. By default, 32-bit Windows
Installer (.msi) is selected as the Type. Enter Sample Distribution as the Name.
Verify the Settings file then click OK.
For Windows XP/Server 2003, the Settings file is the following file:
CVIversion\tutorial\Sample1.cds.
For Windows 7/Vista/Server 2008, the Settings file is the following file:
Sample1.cds.

Chapter 6 Distributing Your Application
Editing the Distribution

When you create a new distribution, LabWindows/CVI launches the Edit Installer dialog box.
The dialog box contains tabs in which you can specify various distribution components and
features. Complete the following steps to verify and edit the distribution settings for your
application.
1. In the General tab, verify the Output directory. LabWindows/CVI builds the installer
in this location.
For Windows XP/Server 2003, the Output directory is the following folder:
CVIversion\tutorial\cvidistkit.%name.
For Windows 7/Vista/Server 2008, the Output directory is the following folder:
cvidistkit.%name.
2. Verify that the Auto-increment option is enabled. This option ensures that
LabWindows/CVI increments the version number each time you build the installer.
Note National Instruments recommends you install an upgrade installer—an installer that
has a later version number than the previous installer—every time you install an
application to a location where another version of that application might be installed.
Upgrade installers uninstall the previous version of the application before installing the
updated version.
3. Click the Files tab. By default, LabWindows/CVI adds the project output
(sample1.exe) and dependencies to the installation. These files are listed in the
Installation Files & Directories section of the dialog box.
Note Notice that Sample1 32-bit Output (sample1.exe) is listed in red text. Red text
indicates that LabWindows/CVI cannot locate the file on your computer. In this case, you
must build the executable for LabWindows/CVI to include it in the installer. It is not
necessary to exit the Edit Installer dialog box and build the executable. LabWindows/CVI
builds the target automatically when it builds the distribution, as it does in step 9.
4. Click the Shortcuts tab. Notice that, by default, LabWindows/CVI includes a shortcut
for sample1.exe in the [Start»Programs]\Sample Distribution directory.
5. Click the Drivers & Components tab. Notice that LabWindows/CVI includes the full
LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine in the installer.
6. Click Check Module Dependencies to ensure that any merge modules on which the
selected drivers and components depend are included in the installer. LabWindows/CVI
displays a message indicating that there are no missing dependencies and the LED on the
button glows green.

7. (Optional) Click the Registry Keys and Advanced tabs to view the available options.
For this application, it is not necessary to modify any of the settings in either of these tabs.
8. When you finish viewing and verifying the Edit Installer dialog box settings, click OK
to exit the dialog box. Then click OK to exit the Manage Distributions dialog box.
9. Select Build»Distributions»Build Sample Distribution. Click Yes in the message box
LabWindows/CVI displays to prompt you to build the project. In some cases,
LabWindows/CVI prompts you to insert the NI product installation media during the
build.
During the build process, LabWindows/CVI launches a dialog box that displays the build
status. When LabWindows/CVI finishes building the installer, click Close. You are now
ready to deploy the application to the target computer.
Refer to Using LabWindows/CVI»Managing Projects»Building a Project»Distributing
Applications section of the LabWindows/CVI Help for more information about managing
distributions, as well as creating patches for existing distributions.
Deploying the Application to a Target Computer

Once you create the installer, you can deploy it to a target computer. Complete the following
steps to copy the installer files and run the installer on the target computer.
1. In the previous steps, you built an installer that generated the files in the \tutorial\
cvidistkit.Sample Distribution folder. In this exercise, there is only one folder,
Volume. However, the folder can contain one or more Volume folders, the number of
which depends on the size of the installer and the distribution media size.
2. Copy the Volume folder and its contents to the target computer. For this exercise,
the target computer can be your development computer.
3. Double-click setup.exe to launch the installer for your application.
4. The installer displays a series of panels in which the user specifies the installation
preferences. When the installer finishes updating the target system, click Finish.
5. To uninstall the application on Windows XP/Server 2003, use the Add or Remove
Programs option in the Windows Control Panel. To uninstall the application on
Windows 7/Vista/Server 2008, use the Programs and Features option in the Windows
Control Panel.
Note If you install the application to a computer other than your development computer,
the installer includes the LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine and other National
Instruments software necessary for your application, which you may want to remove.

6. To uninstall the LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine and other National Instruments

software necessary for your application, for Windows XP/Server 2003, use the Add or
Remove Programs option in the Windows Control Panel. For Windows 7/Vista/Server
2008, use the Programs and Features option in the Windows Control Panel.
7. On Windows XP/Server 2003, select National Instruments Software from the list of
currently installed programs and click Change/Remove. Select the NI products you want
to remove and click Remove.
On Windows 7/Vista/Server 2008, select National Instruments Software from the list
of currently installed programs and click Uninstall/Change. Select the NI products you
want to remove and click Remove.

Additional Exercises
7
This chapter provides additional exercises that build on the concepts you have used
throughout this tutorial. Each exercise adds to the code that you develop in the preceding
exercise. If you have trouble completing one of the exercises but would like to continue to the
next topic, use the solution from the previous exercise.
For Windows XP/Server 2003, the solutions are located in the following folder:
CVIversion\tutorial\solution.
For Windows 7/Vista/Server 2008, the solutions are located in the following folder:
solution.
Base Project
All of the exercises in this chapter build on the sample project that you completed in
Chapter 5, Adding Analysis to Your Program. If you did not complete the sample project,
go back and do so now. If you have trouble successfully completing the Chapter 5 exercise,
start with sample1.prj.
For Windows XP/Server 2003, sample1.prj is located in the following folder:

\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\National Instruments
\CVIversion\tutorial\solution.
For Windows 7/Vista/Server 2008, sample1.prj is located in the following folder:

solution.

Chapter 7 Additional Exercises
The Sample 1 project generates a waveform and displays it on a graph control when you click
the Acquire button. After you display the data, you can find and display the maximum and
minimum values of the data points by clicking the Max & Min button. The project uses the
SinePattern function to generate the data. The user interface for the project is shown in
Figure 7-1.
Figure 7-1. Sample User Interface
Exercise 1: Setting User Interface Attributes

Programmatically
Each control on the .uir file that you create has a number of control attributes that you can
set to customize the look and feel of the control. When you build a user interface, you set the
control attributes in the Attribute Browser or the Edit dialog boxes for the controls. For
example, you can set the font, size, and color of the text for a label in the User Interface Editor.
Text font, size, and color are user interface control attributes.
Use GetCtrlAttribute and SetCtrlAttribute to get and set attributes of a control

during program execution in a method similar to the one you used to set the value of a control.
You can build a customized GUI in the User Interface Editor and dynamically change the look
and feel of the controls at run time.
Hundreds of attributes are defined in the User Interface Library as constants, such as
ATTR_LABEL_BGCOLOR for setting the background color of the label on a control. You can
use these constants in the GetCtrlAttribute and SetCtrlAttribute functions.

Assignment
In this exercise, use SetCtrlAttribute to change the operation of a command button on
the user interface. Because the Max & Min command button does not operate correctly until
you acquire the data, you can disable the Max & Min button until a user clicks the Acquire
button. Use SetCtrlAttribute to enable the Max & Min button when a user clicks the
Acquire button.
Tip To ensure multiple plots do not accumulate on the graph control, add a line of code to
delete any existing plots before you call PlotY.
Hints
• Start by dimming the Max & Min command button in the User Interface Editor.
• Use SetCtrlAttribute from the User Interface Library to enable the Max & Min
button.
Solution: exer1.prj
Exercise 2: Storing the Waveform on Disk

Users often acquire large amounts of data and want to save it on disk for future analysis or
comparison. LabWindows/CVI provides a selection of functions from the ANSI C Library for
reading from and writing to data files. If you are already familiar with ANSI C, you know
these functions as the stdio library. In addition to the stdio library, LabWindows/CVI has its
own set of file I/O functions in the Formatting and I/O Library.
Tip When you must store very large data sets, National Instruments recommends that you
use the DIAdem Connectivity Library or TDM Streaming Library, which are optimized for
handling large amounts of data.
Assignment
Use the file I/O functions in the ANSI C Library to save the sine array to a text file. Write
the program so that the file is overwritten, not appended, each time you acquire the data.
Hints
• Remember that you must first open a file before you can write to it.
• Open the file as a text file so you can view the contents in any text editor later.
• Open the file with the Create/Open flag and not the Append flag so that the file is
overwritten each time.

• Use the fprintf function in a loop to write the data to disk.

• Use the Utility Library GetProjectDir and MakePathname functions to create the
pathname for the file.
Solution: exer2.prj
Exercise 3: Using Pop-Up Panels

The User Interface Library has a set of predefined panels called pop-up panels. Pop-up panels
provide a quick and easy way to display information on the screen without developing a
complete .uir file. You can use pop-up panels to prompt the user for input, confirm a
selection, or display a message.
One of the most useful pop-up panels is the File Select Popup. With the File Select Popup,
you can use a File Load or File Save dialog box, shown in Figure 7-2, to prompt the user to
select or input a filename whenever your program must write to or read from a file.
Figure 7-2. File Select Popup

Assignment
Add a Save button to the .uir file so that the data in the array is saved only after the user
clicks the Save button. When the user clicks the Save button, your program should launch a
dialog box in which the user can define the drive, directory, and filename of the data file.
When you finish, the .uir file should look similar to the one shown in Figure 7-3.
Figure 7-3. Completed User Interface
Hints
• When you create the Save button, assign a callback function to it.
• You must move the source code that you developed in Exercise 2 for writing the array to
disk into the callback function.
• Before you write the data to disk, prompt the user for a filename with the
FileSelectPopup function from the User Interface Library.
Solution: exer3.prj

Exercise 4: Adding User Interface Events

Throughout this tutorial, you have been developing an event-driven program. When you place
a control on a .uir file, you are defining a region of the screen that can generate events during
program execution. Your C source files are written to respond to these events in callback
functions.
So far, you have written functions that respond only to the EVENT_COMMIT event from the
user interface. An EVENT_COMMIT event occurs whenever the end user commits on a control,
which usually happens when that user releases the left mouse button after clicking a control.
User interface controls can generate many different types of events. For example, an event
can be a left-click or a right-click. Or, an event can be a left double-click. Events in
LabWindows/CVI can be more than just mouse clicks. An event can be the press of a key
or a move or size operation performed on a panel. Each time one of these events occurs,
the callback function associated with the user interface called executes.
To view the events that each user action generates, click the icon shown at left, which puts the
User Interface Editor into operate mode. When the User Interface Editor is in operate mode,
LabWindows/CVI displays events in the same menu bar as the operate mode icon. Refer to
the Events Overview topic in the LabWindows/CVI Help for a list of the events you can
generate from a GUI.
When the callback function is called, the event type is passed through the event parameter to
the callback function. Performing one simple operation on the user interface, such as clicking
a command button, can call the callback function for that button three times.
The first time, the callback function is called to process the EVENT_LEFT_CLICK event.
The second time, it is called to process the EVENT_COMMIT event. The third time, the callback
function is called to process the EVENT_GOT_FOCUS event if the button did not have the input
focus before you clicked it. For this reason, all of the callback functions you have worked
on check the event type first and execute only when the event is an EVENT_COMMIT.
Therefore, the operations in the callback functions happen only once with each event click,
rather than three times.
Assignment
Many times, the person operating a LabWindows/CVI program is not the person who
developed the program. The GUI might be very easy to use, but usually it is preferable to add
help for the controls on .uir panels to assist the operator. Modify exer3.prj to display a
short description for each command button when the user right-clicks the button.

Hints
• Use MessagePopup to display the help.
• Remember that the event type is passed to each callback function in the event parameter.
• The event that you must respond to is EVENT_RIGHT_CLICK.
Tip If you want to add pop-up documentation to controls, use

SetCtrlToolTipAttribute. You can find this function by expanding the Library Tree
to Programmer’s Toolbox»User Interface Utilities»SetCtrlToolTipAttribute.
Solution: exer4.prj
Exercise 5: Timed Events

You have developed an event-driven program that responds to events generated by mouse
clicks or keypresses from the user. With the LabWindows/CVI timer control, you can generate
events at specified time intervals to trigger program actions without requiring an action from
the user.
You can include timer controls in your program by creating them in the User Interface Editor.
The timer control is visible only at design time in the User Interface Editor. At run time, the
timer control does not appear. You can specify a constant name, callback function, and timer
event interval in the Attribute Browser or the Edit Timer dialog box. LabWindows/CVI
automatically calls the specified timer callback function with an event of type
EVENT_TIMER_TICK each time the specified time interval elapses. The interval value
is specified in seconds with a resolution of 1 millisecond between timer events.
Assignment
Add a thermometer control to the user interface and use a timer control to generate a random
number and display it on the thermometer once each second.
Hints
• Set the timer interval to 1.
• Use CodeBuilder to generate the shell for the timer control callback function.
• Use SetCtrlVal to display the random number on the thermometer.
Solution: exer5.prj

Related Software Packages
8
NI offers additional packages for targeted applications with LabWindows/CVI. Visit the
Product Catalog at ni.com for more information about the following software packages:
• NI Developer Suite—The NI Developer Suite Automated Test Option includes the
following components:
– LabWindows/CVI Full Development System
– LabVIEW Professional Development System for graphically developing test,
measurement, and automation applications
– Measurement Studio Enterprise Edition for developing test, measurement, and
automation applications in Microsoft Visual C++, Visual Basic .NET, and Visual C#
– A comprehensive set of LabWindows/CVI, LabVIEW, and Measurement Studio
add-ons that include toolkits for database communication, signal processing, code
profiling, and VI development
– A one-year subscription to Standard Service, which provides quarterly software
updates automatically and gives you one-on-one access to NI Applications
Engineers for your technical support questions
• LabWindows/CVI Real-Time Module—Create reliable and deterministic applications
that target dedicated real-time hardware with this module that extends the
LabWindows/CVI development environment. National Instruments provides a
commercial off-the-shelf platform for real-time application development by combining
flexible, high-performance software with rugged, modular hardware.
• Real-Time Execution Trace Toolkit—Create execution traces for LabWindows/CVI
Real-Time applications with this toolkit. Interactively analyze and benchmark thread and
function execution. Optimize performance by identifying memory allocation, sleep
spans, and contention. Print trace sessions for documentation and code reviews and
visually debug multicore applications.
• LabWindows/CVI Execution Profiler Toolkit—Acquire execution data to debug and
optimize the execution speed of your LabWindows/CVI applications. The toolkit
displays data in the Profile Viewer where you can open, browse, and analyze profiled
data.

Chapter 8 Related Software Packages
• Measurement Studio—Measurement Studio is an integrated suite of native test,

measurement, and control tools and class libraries for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.
Measurement Studio dramatically reduces application development time with wizards,
simplified data networking, and .NET user interface controls. The LabWindows/CVI
Full Development System includes Measurement Studio.
• NI TestStand—TestStand is a ready-to-run test executive for organizing, controlling,
and executing automated prototype, validation, or manufacturing test systems. TestStand
is completely customizable, so you can modify and enhance it to match your specific
needs. TestStand comes complete with integrated LabWindows/CVI tools.
• NI Vision Development Module—Use the NI Vision Development Module to develop
machine vision and scientific imaging applications. The NI Vision Development module
includes NI Vision, a library of powerful functions for image processing, and NI Vision
Assistant, an interactive environment to quickly prototype vision applications without
programming.
• DIAdem—DIAdem is an interactive tool for mathematical and visual data analysis,
report generation, task automation, and data management. DIAdem imports data from
files and industry-standard databases and can optimally handle datasets with more than
one billion parts. Use the DIAdem Connectivity Library in LabWindows/CVI to create
and edit DIAdem data (.tdm) files.
• LabWindows/CVI Enterprise Connectivity Toolset—The LabWindows/CVI
Enterprise Connectivity Toolset provides enterprise connectivity tools that help you track
progress from research and development to the production, testing, and servicing of
products. This toolset includes the LabWindows/CVI SQL Toolkit for Structured Query
Language (SQL) database operations and the LabWindows/CVI SPC Toolkit for
statistical process control (SPC) quality control.
• LabWindows/CVI Signal Processing Toolkit—The LabWindows/CVI Signal
Processing Toolkit provides tools for digital filter design, joint time-frequency analysis,
wavelet and filter bank design, and super-resolution spectral analysis.
• PID Control Toolkit—The PID Control Toolkit adds sophisticated control algorithms
to LabWindows/CVI. With this package, you can build data acquisition and control
systems for your own control application.
• Modulation Toolkit—Use this toolkit to generate and analyze analog and digital
modulated signals. You can use this toolkit to build applications that measure signal
impairments, bit error rate, burst timing, phase noise, carrier frequency shift, modulation
index, and complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) values of signals
generated by a unit under test.
• LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Module for Linux—Create high-performance, stable
applications on a Windows system and later compile and run these applications on a
Linux® target.

Technical Support and
A
Professional Services
Visit the following sections of the award-winning National Instruments
Web site at ni.com for technical support and professional services:
• Support—Technical support at ni.com/support includes the
following resources:
– Self-Help Technical Resources—For answers and solutions,
visit ni.com/support for software drivers and updates,
a searchable KnowledgeBase, product manuals, step-by-step
troubleshooting wizards, thousands of example programs,
tutorials, application notes, instrument drivers, and so on.
Registered users also receive access to the NI Discussion Forums
at ni.com/forums. NI Applications Engineers make sure every
question submitted online receives an answer.
– Standard Service Program Membership—This program
entitles members to direct access to NI Applications Engineers
via phone and email for one-to-one technical support as well as
exclusive access to on demand training modules via the Services
Resource Center. NI offers complementary membership for a full
year after purchase, after which you may renew to continue your
benefits.
For information about other technical support options in your
area, visit ni.com/services, or contact your local office at
ni.com/contact.
• Training and Certification—Visit ni.com/training for
self-paced training, eLearning virtual classrooms, interactive media
such as CDs and DVDs, and Certification program information. You
also can register for instructor-led, hands-on courses at locations
around the world.
• System Integration—If you have time constraints, limited in-house
technical resources, or other project challenges, National Instruments
Alliance Partner members can help. To learn more, call your local
NI office or visit ni.com/alliance.
© National Instruments Corporation A-1 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Appendix A Technical Support and Professional Services
If you searched ni.com and could not find the answers you need, contact
your local office or NI corporate headquarters. Phone numbers for our
worldwide offices are listed at the front of this manual. You also can visit
the Worldwide Offices section of ni.com/niglobal to access the branch
office Web sites, which provide up-to-date contact information, support
phone numbers, email addresses, and current events.
Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI A-2 ni.com

Glossary
A
active window The window affected by keyboard input at a given moment. The title of an
active window appears highlighted.
Array Display window A window for viewing and editing numeric arrays.
Attribute Browser An area in the Workspace window in which you can edit attribute values for
panels and controls.
B
binary control A function panel control that resembles a physical on/off switch and can
produce one of two values depending on the position of the switch.
breakpoint An interruption in the execution of a program. Also, a function in code that

causes an interruption in the execution of a program.
C
checkbox A dialog box item that allows you to toggle an option on and off.
click A mouse-specific term; to quickly press and release the mouse button.
CodeBuilder The LabWindows/CVI feature that creates code based on a .uir file to
connect a GUI to the rest of a program. You can compile and run this code
as soon as it is generated.
command button A user interface item that, when selected, executes a command associated
with the item.
control Function panel—An input or output device that appears on a function panel
for specifying function parameters and displaying function results.
User interface—An object on a panel that displays information or accepts
input from a user.
© National Instruments Corporation G-1 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Glossary
cursor The flashing rectangle that shows where you can enter text on the screen.
There is also a rectangular mouse cursor, or pointer, that shows the position
of the mouse.
D
Debugging Region An area of the Workspace window that contains the Variables, Watch, and
Memory, and Resource Tracking windows.
default command The action that takes place when <Enter> is pressed and no command is
specifically selected. Default command buttons in dialog boxes have an
outline around them.
dialog box A prompt mechanism in which you specify additional information needed
to complete a command.
distribution The Microsoft Windows Installer (.msi) files that contain the application
and the supporting NI products, as well as any additional licenses and
support files. These files are connected through a single user interface and
setup.exe file.
double-click A mouse-specific term; to click the mouse button twice in rapid succession.
F
.fp file A file that contains information about the function tree and function panels
of an instrument driver.
function panel A user interface to the LabWindows/CVI libraries that allows interactive
execution of library functions and is capable of generating code for
inclusion in a program.
function tree The hierarchical structure in which the functions in instrument drivers and
LabWindows/CVI libraries are grouped.
G
global control A function panel control that displays the value of a global variable within
a function.
Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI G-2 ni.com

Glossary
Graphical Array A window in which you can view the values of arrays in a graph.
View
GUI Graphical user interface.
H
highlight To make a LabWindows/CVI screen item ready for input, indicated by a
color change around the text or control.
I
input control A function panel control in which a value or variable name is entered from
the keyboard.
instrument driver A group of several subprograms related to a specific instrument that reside
on disk in a special language-independent format. An instrument driver is
used to generate and execute code interactively through menus, dialog
boxes, and function panels.
Interactive Execution A LabWindows/CVI work area in which sections of code can be executed
window without creating an entire program.
L
Library Tree An area in the Workspace window that contains a tree view of the
LabWindows/CVI libraries and instruments.
listbox A dialog box item that displays a list of possible choices for completing a
command.
M
menu An area accessible from the menu bar that displays a subset of the possible
menu items.
mouse cursor A mouse-specific term; the rectangular block on the screen that shows the
current mouse position.

Glossary
O
output control A function panel control that displays the results of a function.
Output Region An area of the Workspace window in which LabWindows/CVI displays

errors, output, and search matches.
P
point A mouse-specific term; to move the mouse until the pointer rests on the
item you want to click on.
pointer A mouse-specific term; the rectangular block on the screen that shows the
current mouse position.
project A list of files, usually including a source file, user interface resource file,
and header file, that your application uses.
project template A group of files, including a source code file and a .uir file, with the basic
settings for a new project and any preliminary text to include by default,
such as standard comments or headings.
Project Tree An area of the Workspace window that contains the lists of projects and
files in the current workspace.
R
Resource Tracking A display that shows allocated and recently deallocated resources in the
window LabWindows/CVI program.
return value control A function panel control that displays a function result returned as a return
value rather than as a formal parameter.
ring control A control that displays a list of options one option at a time. Ring controls
appear on function panels and in dialog boxes.

Glossary
S
select To choose the item that the next executed action will affect by moving the
input focus (highlight) to a particular item or area.
shortcut key commands A combination of keystrokes that automatically executes a command.
slide control A function panel control that resembles a physical slide switch and inserts
a value in a function call that depends on the position of the cross-bar on
the switch.
Source Code Browser A cross-reference tool that lists browse information for selected files,
functions, variables, data types, and macros.
Source window A LabWindows/CVI work area in which you edit and execute complete
programs. The file extension .c designates a file that appears in this
window.
standard libraries The LabWindows/CVI ActiveX, Advanced Analysis (or Analysis), DDE
Support, DIAdem Connectivity, Formatting and I/O, GPIB/GPIB-488.2,
Internet, .NET, Network Variable, Real-Time Utility, RS-232, TCP
Support, TDM Streaming, UDP Support Library, User Interface, Utility,
VISA, and VXI libraries and the ANSI C Library.
step mode A program execution mode in which a program is manually executed one
instruction at a time. Each instruction in the program is highlighted as it is
executed.
String Display window A mechanism for viewing and editing string variables and arrays.
subwindow A Source window, split into two scrollable editing areas for the same file.
T
text box A dialog box item in which the user enters text from the keyboard to
complete a command.
timer control A user interface control that schedules the periodic execution of a callback
function. A typical use of this control might be to update a graph every
second.
tooltip A small, yellow box that displays variable and expression values or
function prototypes in a Source window.

Glossary
U
User Interface Browser An area in the Workspace window displays user interface objects, such as
panels, controls, and menu bars, related to the selected .uir.
User Interface Editor An interactive drag-and-drop editor for designing user interfaces for
programs.
User Interface Library A set of functions for controlling the interface programmatically.
V
Variables window A display that shows the values of variables currently defined in
LabWindows/CVI.
VXI VME eXtensions for Instrumentation (bus).
W
Watch window A display that shows the values of the watch expressions you defined.
window A working area that supports operations related to a specific task in the
development and execution processes.
Window Confinement An area of the Workspace window that contains open Source, User
Region Interface Editor, and Function Tree Editor windows, and function panels.
workspace A file that contains settings that do not affect the way a project builds, such
as breakpoints, window position, tag information, and debugging levels.
A workspace can contain one or more projects.
Workspace window The main work area in LabWindows/CVI; contains the Project Tree,
Library Tree, Workspace Tabs, Window Confinement Region, Debugging
Region, Output Region, and Source Code Browser.

Index
A code generation
automatic. See CodeBuilder
accessing function panels, 1-5, 3-1
Code menu
ActiveX Library, 1-7
Function Panel windows
Add/Edit Watch Expression dialog box, 4-12
Insert Function Call command, 3-5
Advanced Analysis Library, 1-7
code. See source files
Analysis Library, 1-7
CodeBuilder, 2-2
ANSI C specifications, 1-9
adding control callback function, 5-2
Arrange menu, 2-4
generating program shell, 2-5
arrays
commit events, 5-6, 7-6
declaring from function panels, 3-3
conditional breakpoints, 4-6
displaying, 4-10
constant name, 2-1, 2-4
displaying in graph, 4-13
constants, displaying in .uir file, 3-4
Attribute Browser, 1-6, 2-3
Continue command, Run menu (table), 4-5
attributes, setting programmatically, 7-2
controls
command button control, 2-4, 5-2
B graph control, 2-4
Break on First Statement command, Run numeric control, 5-3
menu, 4-4, 4-9, 4-12 timer control, 7-7
breakpoints conventions used in the manual, ix
breakpoint on error, 4-6 Create Instrument I/O Task command, 1-10
conditional, 4-6 Create/Edit DAQmx Tasks command, 1-10
definition, 4-6 custom controls, 2-4
fixed breakpoints, 4-6
instant breakpoints, 4-6
programmatic breakpoints, 4-6
D
watch expression breakpoints, 4-6 DAQ Assistant, 1-10
data
displaying and editing variables, 4-8
C displaying Graphical Array View, 4-13
callback functions generating array of data, 3-2
adding with CodeBuilder, 5-2 data acquisition, 1-9
locating with CodeBuilder, 5-3 data acquisition libraries, using, 1-9
processing events (example), 7-6 data files, functions for reading and
writing, 5-3 writing, 7-3
DDE Support Library, 1-7
© National Instruments Corporation I-1 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Index
debugging programs editing data

breakpoints tooltips, 4-13
fixed breakpoints, 4-6 variables, 4-10
instant breakpoints, 4-6 EVENT_COMMIT, 5-6
programmatic breakpoints, 4-6 EVENT_GOT_FOCUS, 5-6
watch expression breakpoints, 4-6 EVENT_LEFT_CLICK, 5-6
displaying and editing data EVENT_TIMER_TICK, 7-7
Variables window, 4-8 events
Watch window, 4-12 timed events, 7-7
displaying data, Graphical Array user interface events, 7-6
View, 4-13 Example Finder, 1-11
step mode execution, 4-4 examples (NI resources), A-1
Debugging Region, 1-5
deploying applications, 6-3
developing graphical user interfaces (GUI). F
See graphical user interface (GUI), building file I/O functions, ANSI C library, 7-3
DIAdem Connectivity Library, 1-8 File menu
diagnostic tools (NI resources), A-1 Source and Interactive Execution
DiscardPanel, 2-7 windows, Open Quoted Text
displaying and editing data, variables, 4-8 command, 4-1
DisplayPanel, 2-7 FileSelectPopup, 7-5
distributing applications, 6-1 Find command, Source window, 4-4
documentation finding functions
conventions used in manual, ix finding definitions, 4-5
LabWindows/CVI, 1-11 using CodeBuilder, 5-3
NI resources, A-1 Finish Function command, Run menu, 4-5
related documentation, x Formatting and I/O Library, 1-7
drivers (NI resources), A-1 function panels
accessing, 1-5, 3-1
controls, 3-1
E declaring arrays, 3-3
Edit Installer dialog box, 6-2 definition, 3-1
Drivers & Components tab, 6-2 finding functions
Files tab, 6-2 function definitions, 4-5
General tab, 6-2 using CodeBuilder, 5-3
Shortcuts tab, 6-2 help, 3-2
Edit menu purpose and use, 3-1
Source and Interactive Execution recalling, 3-3
windows
Go To Definition command, 4-5
Undo command, 4-3
Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI I-2 ni.com

Index
G interactive code generation tools

drawing graphs using function panels, 3-2
Generate Control Callback command, 5-2
function panel controls, 3-1
generating code automatically. See
CodeBuilder function panel help, 3-2
GetCtrlAttribute, 7-2 Internet Library, 1-7
Go to Cursor command, Run menu, 4-5
Go To Definition command, Edit menu, 4-5 K
GPIB/GPIB 488.2 Library, 1-7
KnowledgeBase, A-1
graph controls, adding to user interface, 2-4
Graphical Array View, displaying arrays, 4-13
graphical user interface (GUI), building L
adding command button controls, 2-4
LabWindows/CVI
adding graph controls, 2-4
overview, 1-1
adding timer controls, 7-7
starting, 2-2
building a user interface resource (.uir)
Library Tree, 1-5, 3-1
file, 2-3
Line command, View menu, 4-3
main function, 2-6
Line Numbers command, View menu, 4-1
modifying, 5-1
LoadPanel, 2-7
running the program, 5-6
setting up attributes
programmatically, 7-2 M
writing callback function, 5-3
Manage Distributions command, 6-1
graphs, drawing with function panels, 3-2
Memory Display window, 4-11
menu help, 1-6
H
help information, adding to controls, 7-6 N
Help menu, Function Panel windows, 3-2
National Instruments support and
help, technical support, A-1 services, A-1
.NET Library, 1-8
I numeric controls, adding to user interface, 5-3
instrument control, 1-9

instrument control libraries, using, 1-9 O
instrument drivers Open Quoted Text command, File menu, 4-1
developing, 1-10 Output Region, 1-5
NI resources, A-1
Instrument I/O Assistant, 1-10

Index
P modifying, 5-1
running the program, 5-6
pop-up panels, 7-4
setting attributes
program development overview, 1-1
programmatically, 7-2
program shell, building. See CodeBuilder
source code connection, 2-2
programming examples (NI resources), A-1
writing callback function, 5-3
programming graphical user interfaces. See
project file, 1-3
graphical user interface (GUI), building
project templates, 2-1
programming tutorial
Project Tree, 1-5
additional exercises
projects
setting user interface attributes
programmatically, 7-2 See also source files
storing data on disk, 7-3 accessing and viewing files within, 1-5
timed events, 7-7
user interface events, 7-6 Q
using pop-up panels, 7-4
Quick Search command, 4-4
debugging programs
QuitUserInterface, 2-7
breakpoints
programmatic breakpoints, 4-6
displaying and editing data R
Array Display window, 4-10
related documentation, x
String Display window, 4-11
Release Window command, 1-5
Variables window, 4-8
Resource Tracking window, 4-13
Watch window, 4-12
RS-232 Library, 1-7
displaying data, Graphical Array
Run menu
View, 4-13
Source and Interactive Execution
step mode execution, 4-4
windows
editing tools, 4-1
Continue command, 4-5, 4-12
function panels
Debug command, 3-5, 4-4
accessing, 1-5
Step Into command, 4-5, 4-7
controls, 3-1
Step Over command, 4-5, 4-7
declaring arrays, 3-3
Terminate Execution command, 4-5,
help information, 3-2 4-7
graphical user interface View Variable Value command, 4-10
adding command button controls, 2-4 Workspace window
adding graph controls, 2-4 Break on First Statement command,
adding timer controls, 7-7 4-4, 4-9, 4-12
building a user interface resource Debug command, 3-5
(.uir) file, 2-3 RunUserInterface, 2-7
generating array of data, 3-2
main function, 2-6

Index
S tooltips, editing variables, 4-13

training and certification (NI resources), A-1
Select Variable command, 3-3
troubleshooting (NI resources), A-1
Set Next Statement command, Run menu, 4-5
SetCtrlAttribute, 7-2
shells, building. See CodeBuilder U
software (NI resources), A-1
uir files. See user interface resource (.uir) files
Source Code Browser, 1-5
upgrade installer, 6-2
source files
User Interface Browser, 1-6
analyzing code, 2-6
user interface development, 1-8
displaying in Source window, 1-9
User Interface Editor window
displaying referenced files, 4-1
operate mode, 7-6
moving to specific lines of code, 4-3
purpose and use, 2-1
source code connection, 2-2
user interface events. See events
Source window
User Interface Library, 1-7
compatibility with ANSI C
user interface resource (.uir) files,
specifications, 1-9
building, 2-3
displaying generated code, 2-5
adding a graph control, 2-4
opening subwindows, 4-2
adding command button controls, 2-4
Stack Trace (Variables window), 4-9
user interface. See graphical user interface
standard libraries, 1-7
(GUI)
starting LabWindows/CVI, 2-2
Utility Library, 1-7
status bar, 1-5
Step Into command, Run menu, 4-4, 4-5, 4-7
step mode execution, 4-4 V
Step Over command, Run menu, 4-5, 4-7 variables
String Display window, displaying and editing displaying, 4-8
string variables, 4-11 editing, 4-10
subwindows, opening subwindows for one editing using tooltips, 4-13
source file, 4-2
Variables window
support, technical, A-1
opening, 4-8
stepping through programs, 4-9
T View Control Callback command, 5-3
View menu
tagged lines, 4-3
Line command, 4-3
TCP Support Library, 1-7
Line Numbers command, 4-1
technical support, A-1
Toggle Tag command, 4-3
Terminate Execution command, Run menu,
View Variable Value command, Run
4-5, 4-7
menu, 4-10
timed events, 7-7
VISA Library, 1-7
timer controls, adding to user interface, 7-7
VXI Library, 1-7
Toggle Tag command, View menu, 4-3

Index
W Web resources, A-1

Window Confinement Region, 1-5
watch expressions, 4-6
Windows Installer, 6-1
Watch window
workspace file, 1-3
displaying variables during program
execution, 4-12 Workspace window, 1-4
purpose and use, 4-12
waveform generation project, storing
waveform on disk, 7-3

Getting Started With LabWindowsCVI

Uploaded by

Getting Started With LabWindowsCVI

Uploaded by

LabWindows /CVI

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Worldwide Technical Support and Product Information

National Instruments Corporate Headquarters

© 1994–2010 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.

WARNING REGARDING USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS

About This Manual

© National Instruments Corporation v Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI vi ni.com

© National Instruments Corporation vii Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI is a hands-on introduction to the

This icon denotes a tip, which alerts you to advisory information.

This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.

italic Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross-reference, or an introduction

© National Instruments Corporation ix Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI x ni.com

LabWindows/CVI Program Development Overview

LabWindows/CVI contains many features that make developing measurement applications

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Typical LabWindows/CVI applications include the following elements:

User Interface Data Acquisition Data Analysis

Figure 1-1. Relationship Between Program Elements in LabWindows/CVI

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI 1-2 ni.com

Organizing Application Components

You also can include the following files in a project:

© National Instruments Corporation 1-3 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

1 Project Tree 5 Output Region

Figure 1-2. Workspace Window

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI 1-4 ni.com

Figure 1-2 displays the following areas in Workspace window:

© National Instruments Corporation 1-5 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

1 User Interface Browser 2 Attribute Browser

Figure 1-3. User Interface Browser and Attribute Browser

Figure 1-3 displays the following areas in the Workspace window:

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI 1-6 ni.com

LabWindows/CVI includes the following standard libraries:

© National Instruments Corporation 1-7 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

User Interface Development

Generating a Program Shell with CodeBuilder

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI 1-8 ni.com

Developing and Editing Source Code

Instrument Control and Data Acquisition

Using the Instrument Control and Data Acquisition Libraries

© National Instruments Corporation 1-9 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Using the Instrument I/O Assistant

Using the DAQ Assistant

Developing Instrument Drivers

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI 1-10 ni.com

Learning about LabWindows/CVI

© National Instruments Corporation 1-11 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI 1-12 ni.com

User Interface Editor

Source Code Connection

© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Selecting a Project Template

3. Select User Interface Application.

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI 2-2 ni.com

Building a User Interface Resource (.uir) File

Figure 2-1. sample1.uir

Editing a .uir File

© National Instruments Corporation 2-3 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Adding Command Buttons

Adding a Graph Control

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI 2-4 ni.com

b. Enter Acquired Data as the Label Text.

Completing the Program Shell with CodeBuilder

© National Instruments Corporation 2-5 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Analyzing the Source Code

/* initialize and load resources */

/* display the panel and run the user interface */

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI 2-6 ni.com

© National Instruments Corporation 2-7 Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI

Running the Generated Code

Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI 2-8 ni.com

Function Panel Fundamentals

Accessing Function Panels