Use NI Package Manager to Distribute LabVIEW Custom Toolkit

Updated Aug 9, 2023

Environment

Software

  • NI Package Builder
  • Package Manager
  • JKI VI Package Manager

This article descibes the top level steps how to distribute your LabVIEW Custom Toolkits via NI Package Manager.

The steps outlined in this article are based on the VIPM API by JKI Toolkit (external)  .

Note: If you only have the free license of JKI VPM, update VIPM to at least 2023 Q1. This is needed, as the API usage required a license in earlier versions.

  1. Create a VIPM comptatible package of your toolkit as decribed in JKI's Package Building Guide (external)  .
  2. Build a LV Executable, which uses the VIPM API VIs, which installs the VIPM packages.
  3. Use NI Package builder to build a NI package, which
    1. deploys your toolkit package
    2. deploys the LV Executable
    3. runs the LV Executable, to install the toolkit package
  4. Optional: Create a NI package installer.

Steps 3 and 4 are descibed in the NI Package Builder Manual.

Now, you have an nipkg file, which can be distributed like any other NI package, e.g. via NI SystemLink, but will enable you to use the automation features of the JKI VI Package Manager.

Next Steps

Additional Information

You can use NIPM to distribute LabVIEW 20XX source/development code by creating a Source Distribution build specification and creating a Package build specification that includes the Source Distribution buildspec.  Then, you can configure the Package buildspec to install the Source Distribution to a specific location (e.g. <Program Files>\...\LabVIEW 2017\user.lib\acme). 
However, the build tools for NI Packages do not include a palette building tool, and the built package will not automatically install to multiple versions of LabVIEW (e.g. 2018, 2019, 2020).  VIPM does include these capabilities, which is why VIPM is the recommended tool for distributing source/development code for LabVIEW 20XX.

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