Project Explorer

The Project Explorer

The Project Explorer window is the window to view and edit LabVIEW Project files (*.lvproj). The Project Explorer was first introduced in LabVIEW 8 as the means to organizes files, hardware configurations, Target configurations, and Build Specifications as a project.

The Project Explorer consists of:

• A Menu bar
• A Tool bar
• An Items Page
• A Files Page

Items Page

The Items Page shows the contents of a project separated into Targets. Each target represents a platform on which the code will run, for instance, Real-Time modules, FPGA modules, or "My Computer" representing a Windows, Mac, or Linux OS.

Under each target three subdivisions are made:

1. Code
2. Dependencies
3. Build specifications

Code

Items under a target represent links to actual files, these files can be rearranged inside the LabVIEW project to have a better separation like VIs, controls or libraries. Moving things around inside the LabVIEW project will not alter the files or their location except when the files are added or removed from a library-file.

Dependencies

Dependencies are files used by files inside the code section and not explicitly added to the project. LabVIEW 8.5 and up have separate categories for vi.lib, user.lib and instr.lib.

Build specifications

The build specifications contain settings for distributing the code in several forms as a toolkit (source distribution), executable (exe), shared library (DLL) or web-app.

These builds can be included in an installer.

Files Page

The Files Page shows the contents of a project by the directory structure on disk. It does not show the entire file system. Instead, it only shows the directory structure of where items in the project or in the dependencies exist on disk. If a mass file move needs to happen, it is better to do it here that using the files system because it allows LabVIEW to update and maintain any file linking.

Project Items

Project Items are individual items as they appear in the tree in the Project Explorer. Besides files for VIs, Libraries, and Classes; there are items for folders, targets, build specifications, etc. The ProjectItem class/Type String property can be used to get the value needed for the Type parameter of the ProjectItem class/Get All Descendents method. That method allows you to get all children in the Project that match that specific type. A list of valid Type String values and their descriptions are listed on the ProjectItem page.

Folders

Elements in a project can be organized using folders. The original LabVIEW project implementation from LabVIEW 8 to 8.2 only allowed for Virtual folders where there was no connection between the project folder or a disk folder. Upon user request, in LabVIEW 8.5 support was added for Auto-Populating folders. These folders are a shortcut to a folder on a disk and will include all the files inside that folder (including sub-folders). However, only LabVIEW Projects can have Auto-Populating folders, LabIEW Project Libraries and LabVIEW Classes can only have Virtual folders. Note: Mixing Auto-Populating folders in a LabVIEW Project with Virtual folders inLabIEW Project Libraries and LabVIEW Classes is not recommended and might cause cross-linking issues.

Tips and tricks

• Select Arrange By from the right-click menu of a folder to choose between different sorting options.
• Drop any file into the Project Explorer to add it to the project. This also works for multiple files and folders.

History

Version	Change(s)
	In LabVIEW 8.5, with the introduction of Auto-populating Folders, the Items and Files tabs were added.
	First introduced in LabVIEW 8.

See Also

• LabVIEW Project
• FPGA
• Real-time

External Links

• Using LabVIEW Projects (NI LabVIEW 8.6 Help)
• Incompatibility of Auto-Populating folders and LabVIEW libraries