LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit VIs Broken

Updated Apr 24, 2024

Reported In

Software

  • LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit
  • LabVIEW

Other

  • Microsoft Office 365 version 1609 and above

Issue Details

  • I have a LabVIEW program that uses the LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit. Recently, I started receiving an error that one VI, Excel Save Workbook.vi, and all its dependencies are broken. The issue details indicate the following. How can I fix this?:
The method selected in the invoke node is invalid or no method has been selected. Right-click the invoke node and select a method.
 

 
  • When I try to print an Excel Report using the Report Generation Toolkit in LabVIEW, I get the following error:
LabVIEW Class Method SubVI 'NI_report.lvclass:Save Report to File. vi': One or more of the set of VIs that this dynamic dispatch subVI or property item may call are broken.
 

 

  • Using Excel_Save_Workbook.vi from the LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit  leads to a broken caller VI and LabVIEW reporting a block diagram error for an Invoke Node:

Invoke Node: Contains unwired or bad terminal
 

 

  • I am building an executable that includes LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit VIs and get the following error message upon building:

A VI broke during the build process from being saved without a block diagram. Either open the build specification to include the block diagram of that VI or enable debugging to include the block diagrams of all VIs in the build. Report this error to National Instruments technical support.
 

  

Solution

This issue can be caused due to an incorrect license edition or incompatibility versions of LabVIEW and Microsoft Office.  These issues could cause Report Generation Toolkit VIs to break as well as Microsoft Office. In order to resolve this issue, take the following steps. While some of these steps use Excel Sort Data.vi as an example, the repair steps for fixing other VIs are analogous.

1. Make sure you are using a compatible version of Microsoft Office.
2. Confirm that you have a LabVIEW Professional license activated in your NI License Manager. If you are using a LabVIEW Base or Full license, consider upgrading since the Report Generation Toolkit is only available in the Professional edition, for more information visit: Select Your LabVIEW Edition.
3. Open the broken VI, e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\LabVIEW <version number>\vi.lib\addons\_office\excel.llb\Excel Sort Data.vi

Note: Change <version number> to the specific version of LabVIEW you want to repair. Using a 64-bit version of LabVIEW, the top folder is typically C:\Program Files\, without "(x86)".
Starting LabVIEW 2024 Q1 these VIs can be found under C:\Program Files\NI\LVAddons\rgt directory.
4. Once this VI has been opened, click the broken run arrow, select the invoke node error message, and click Show Error.
  
 
5. This takes you to the invoke node inside the nested case structures.
6. Once you found the invoke node, perform a right-click anywhere on it, and select Relink Invoke Node:
  
 
7. If the Relink Invoke Node selection does not appear, you may need to fix the VI by replacing it with the invoke node.
1. Select the invoke Node (in the picture above it is the tan block that says Range).
2. Copy and paste it on your block diagram.
3. Delete the old invoke node, and replace it with the new invoke node by rewiring the missing terminals. It is a good idea to save a previous copy or take a screenshot of the old VI before deleting the node so that you know where the connections should be made.  
8. This should cause another input node to appear at the bottom of the list, e.g. named SubField1 in the VI used as example here:
image.png
9. Once this is done, the run arrow should no longer be broken. Save Excel Sort Data.vi and try running your main VI once more.
10. If you get an error message "The VI already exists and you do not have permission to replace it." when saving the VI, please go through this article suggestions.
11. If this does not fix the issue, mass-compile the folder that Excel Sort Data.vi is found in. This can be done by clicking menu Tools»Advanced»Mass Compile from in LabVIEW. Then navigate to the folder in which Excel Sort Data.vi is found and select Current Folder.
​​​​​​​12. If the issue still persists, perform a reinstall of the Microsoft Office software. This will resolve the behavior in cases where corruption during installation has occurred.

Additional Information

It isn't possible to edit these VI's in Evaluation Mode. If you haven't purchased access to LabVIEW visit our website and Select Your LabVIEW Edition.