Sharing VI Packages over the Network
Once you've packaged your reuse library, you might wonder how to share all the VI Packages with your team members.Here are two great ways to share VI Packages with your team over the Internet or local network:
Networked Source Code Control System
Whenever you use VI Packages on your projects, create a VI Package Configuration (*.vipc) file and save it in your project folder along side all your project's source code. VI Package Configuration files store all the packages that are being used in your project (the actual VI Packages are stored inside the *.vipc file).Add your project's *.vipc file into your source code control system, along with all of your project source files (VIs, CTLs, etc.) so that it's available to all of your team members. When you utilize a networked source code control system like Visual Source Safe, Perforce, Subversion, CVS, etc., then the packages that are being used on a project are available to the entire team team that is working on the project, regardless of where they are in the world. When they get the latest files from source code control, they will receive all of the VI Packages inside the *.vipc file. They can use VIPM to Apply the VI Package Configuration and install all the VI Packages into thier LabVIEW palettes.
When you're using a networked Source Code Control system, you can share your VI Packages with your team, over the network, by creating a VI Package Configuration and adding it to your project source files.
Web-based Collaboration Tools
website, wiki, discussion forums, shared network drive, etc.
A great way to share VI Packages with your team members and notify
them of new and improved VI Packages is to use one of a variety of
web-based collaboration tools. For example, you can use a wiki,
content management system, or
discussion forum where team members can subscribe to recieve
email and/or RSS-feed updates when new VI Packages are released or
announcements are made.
When users click on a hyperlink to download and open a VI Package
from your web-based collaboration tool, VIPM will ask them if they
wish to install the VI Package in LabVIEW. It's as easy as that!Up: VI Package Guide
If you have any feedback or questions (including ideas for other topics you'd like to learn more about), please consider posting them to the VIPM Discussion Forums. We're looking forward to your feedback.
