LabVIEW configuration file

This article contains information related to the LabVIEW configuration file. This file is used by LabVIEW to store configuration information related to the LabVIEW development environment. If you are interested in finding out how to read and write your own Configuration file then see the article on the configuration file VIs.

Editing the LabVIEW configuration file - A disclaimer

The options that aren't in the preferences dialog are generally considered to be not useful or even harmful. They are sometimes there to allow National Instruments a backdoor or a workaround for when the LabVIEW development team changes a behavior. They are also used to turn on obscure development features that the developers use to make or debug LabVIEW. These obscure features are typically kind of like the attic or basement of a house, not finished out, not very interesting, and potentially harmful.

The LabVIEW developers have never tried to hide any of these strings, but it is unlikely that you will gain any benefit from trying out various combinations of the settings. If you ask technical support what a setting is, they will likely tell you that they have no idea. They are telling you the truth.

Even some of the folks in NI R&D may not know what some of the settings do without checking the code. Others, such as exoticcontrols, no longer do anything. It was once used to show a control palette submenu that contained controls that were still in work and not ready for prime-time. They were experiments, unsupported features, and guaranteed to crash if you did much with them. Just the sort of thing that is needed for development, but not useful to even advanced LabVIEW users unless they have a death-wish.

If you experiment with the .ini file and you crash mysteriously losing hours of work, I'd suggest putting the file back to the way LabVIEW left it. Don't ask tech support to fix it or complain that the LabVIEW attic has rusty nails and splinters.
Resedit is a low level tool that in the right hands is useful, in the wrong hands, well, its in the wrong hands. For the person that likes taking a multimeter and a soldering iron to computers and household appliances, its exactly what you always wanted. If you start monkeying with things in the resources or the .ini file, use common sense and do it on a copy or you will just end up reinstalling LabVIEW.

Once the fun and experimentation is over with, I think you will agree that the useful options, with very few exceptions are in the Preferences dialog.

Settings Descriptions

This is a relatively comprehensive list of the settings that can be included in a labview.ini file (or a compiled executable's ini file). While some of these settings appear in the files by default, others may only appear when the features used require them to be there. Some settings can only be added manually to provide access to back door features and operations.

LabVIEW configuration keys are organized into the following categories (in alphabetical order):

• Block Diagram
• Colors
• Debugging
• Execution System
• Fonts
• Front Panel
• History
• Miscellaneous
• Paths
• Performance
• Printing
• Time and Date
• VI Server
• Web Server
• Unknown
  Do you recognize any of these?
• Easter Eggs
  Reveal hidden messages and features (no functional advantage. Just for fun)

Editor's Note: To add new configuration keys to any of the above pages, please use the LabVIEW Configuration Key Template

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See Also

• Custom LabVIEW configuration file

External Links

• NI.com online help for LV configuration files
• Scott Hannahs's LabVIEW Info Page