3/16/23, 4:30 PM Using Packed Project Libraries in LabVIEW Projects - NI

LabVIEW

USING PACKED PROJECT LIBRARIES IN LABVIEW PROJECTS

Using Packed Project Libraries in LabVIEW Projects

Updated 2023-02-23 5 minutes read Feature Usage LabVIEW

LabVIEW packed project libraries are project libraries that package multiple files into a single file with a .lvlibp file extension. The top-level file of a
packed library is a project library. By default, the packed library has the same name as the top-level project library.

You should build a packed library from VIs in a LabVIEW project for the following reasons:

When you build a stand-alone application, build time is shorter if portions of the stand-alone application are in packed libraries. Because a packed library
is a precompiled file, it does not need to compile when you build the stand-alone application, shortening build time.
Because a packed library packages multiple files in a single file, fewer files deploy when you deploy the VIs in a packed library.
VIs that call exported VIs in a packed library can adapt to memory allocation changes so that you do not have to recompile the caller VIs.
From the Project Explorer window, right-click Build Specifications and select New»Packed Library from the shortcut menu to display the Packed Library
Properties dialog box and configure settings to build a packed library.

A packed library contains only LabVIEW files. By default, LabVIEW saves non-LabVIEW files to the same destination directory as the packed library. Select
Support Directory in the Destinations list and change the path in the Destination path text box to change where LabVIEW saves non-LabVIEW files.

To replace a project library with a packed library in a project, right-click the project library and select Replace with from the shortcut menu. When you select
Replace with, all caller VIs of the project library in the LabVIEW project update with the qualified names of the packed library.

Exported VIs in a Packed Project Library

When you open a packed library, you see only the exported LabVIEW VIs. Exported VIs are VIs in project libraries with a public access scope or VIs in
LabVIEW classes with a public or protected access scope.

Note To create a packed library from a LabVIEW class, add the LabVIEW class to a project library and build a packed library from the project
library.
To find the access scope of a file in a packed library, right-click the file from the project library and select Access Scope from the shortcut menu. You cannot
change the access scope of files in a packed library unless you make changes from the LabVIEW project and then rebuild the packed library.

Types of Packed Project Library Builds

When you build a packed library, you can create it as a release build or a debug build.

A release build is the default build for a packed library. Create a packed library as a release build when you do not want to include block diagrams of the VIs in
the library. If a VI is not a dialog box, you also can remove front panels on the Source File Settings page of the Packed Library Properties dialog box.

Note You cannot debug VIs in a packed library release build because the VIs do not have block diagrams.
Create a packed library as a debug build when you want to include block diagrams of the VIs. Use a debug build to debug issues in the packed library.
Because you cannot save changes to VIs in an existing packed library, save the changes to the original VIs and then rebuild the packed library.

To create a debug build, place a checkmark in the Enable Debugging checkbox on the Advanced page of the Packed Library Properties dialog box.

Compatibility of Packed Project Libraries and Caller VIs

The following changes to a VI in a packed library require caller VIs to recompile:

Changing the connector pane pattern.

Changing the dynamic dispatch terminal on the connector pane.
Changing an input terminal to an output terminal or an output terminal to an input terminal on the connector pane.
Changing an optional input to required on the connector pane.
Changing the data types of inputs or outputs on the connector pane.
Adding new terminals to the connector pane.
If a VI calls a packed project library compiled for one target and you open the VI on another target that has a different operating system, the packed project
library fails to load.

If a stand-alone application, a shared library, or a packed library calls a VI in a packed library, include the called packed library in the same directory as the
other build specifications. When a build specification calls a VI in a packed library, you can replace the library with an updated version only if the connector
panes of the updated packed library are compatible with the build specification.

If the connector panes of exported VIs in the packed library are not compatible with a VI in the build specification, rebuild the build specification with the caller
VI after you rebuild the library.

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3/16/23, 4:30 PM Using Packed Project Libraries in LabVIEW Projects - NI

When a change to a VI in a packed library impacts the compatibility of the connector panes, by default the caller VI adapts to the changes, which means that
you do not need to recompile the VI that calls the library. If you want the caller VI to recompile, remove the checkmark from the Callers adapt at run time to
Exported VI connector pane state checkbox on the Connector Pane State page of the Packed Library Properties dialog box.

(Real-Time Module) When a change to a VI in a packed library impacts the compatibility of the connector panes, by default you need to recompile the VI that
calls the library. If you want the caller VI to run without recompiling when you change a VI in a packed library, place a checkmark in the Callers adapt at run
time to Exported VI connector pane state checkbox on the Connector Pane State page of the Packed Library Properties dialog box.

Packed Project Library Properties

The packed library has the same properties as the top-level project library. Because you cannot modify a packed library without rebuilding, you cannot make
changes to properties in the Project Library Properties dialog box. To display the Project Library Properties dialog box, open a packed library, right-click the
.lvlibp file, and select Properties from the shortcut menu.

To update the Project Library Properties dialog box, make changes to the properties of the top-level project library and rebuild the packed library.

Note The Project Library Properties dialog box has different properties from the Packed Library Properties dialog box, with the exception of the
Version Number. When you create a packed library, the Version Number on the Version Information page of the Packed Library Properties
dialog box overrides the Version Number on the General Settings page of the Project Library Properties dialog box.

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