Chapter 2 Using Loadable CompiledM odules
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National Instruments Corporation 2-3 LabWindows/CVI Programmer Reference Manual
If the instrument driver program file is a compiled module, it must adhere to the requirements
outlined for each operating system in Chapter3, Windows 95/NT Compiler/Linker Issues,
Chapter 4, Windows3.1 Compiler/Linker Issues, and Chapter 5, UNIX Compiler/Linker
Issues, of this manual.
Using a Loadable Compiled Module as a User Library
You can install your own libraries into the Library menu. A user library has the same form
as an instrument driver. You can load as a user library anything that you can load into the
Instrument menu, provided the program is in compiled form. Refer to the Using Instrument
Drivers and the Instrument Menu sections of Chapter 3, Project Window, of the
LabWindows/CVI User Manual for more information. The main difference between modules
you load as instrument drivers and those you load as user libraries is that you can unload
instrument drivers using the Unload command in the Instrument menu, but you cannot
unload user libraries. You cannot edit and recompile user libraries while they are loaded.
Install user libraries by selecting the Library Options command in the Project Options
menu. The next time you run LabWindows/CVI, the libraries load automatically and appear
at the bottom of the Library menu.
You can develop a user library module to pro vide suppor t functi ons fo r instru ment dr i v ers or
any other modules in your project. By installing a module through the Library Options
command, you ensure that the library is always available in the LabWindows/CVI
development environment. If you do not want to develop fun ction panels for the library , create
a .fp file without any classes or functions. In that case, LabWindows/CVI loads the library
at startup but does not include the library name in the Library menu.
User libraries must adhere to the requirements outlined for the target operating system.
Chapter 3, Windows95/NT Compiler/Linker Issues, Chapter 4, Windows3.1
Compiler/Linker Issues, and Chapter 5, UNIX Compiler/Linker Issues, of this manual, discuss
operating system requirements.
Using a Loadable Compiled Module in the Project List
You can include compiled modules directly in the project list.
Note To use a DLL in your project under Windows 95/NT, you must include the DLL
import library (.lib) file in the project list rather than the DLL.
Even when you include a source module in the project list, you can instruct LabWindo ws/CVI
to create an object module on disk when it compiles the file instead of debuggable code in
memory. To do this, double click in the O column next to the source file in the Project window.

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