LabWindows/CVI Tip: Diff UIRs in Text Format

[Anna_K.]

Diff Utility

It is common in any development project to have multiple versions of your code or other project files. Seeing what changes have been made between different versions is helpful in tracking the progress of development. LabWindows/CVI provides a Diff Utility for comparing two source files to detect any differences. The Diff command can be found in the Edit menu when CVI focus is on a text document such as your .c or .h file. Edit » Diff.

The Diff Utility cannot be used to comare User Interface file (.uir). However a UIR file can be converted and saved in text format (.tui). In TUI format, the UI panel and all the UI controls, along with their configuration and placement, are stored as ASCII text. As such, two .tui files can be compared for differences using the CVI Diff Utility.

Save a User Interface in Text Format

To save your User Interface as a TUI, go to Options » Save in Text Format... To open a TUI file in UIR format, go to Options » Load From Text Format. You will be able to view the contents of a TUI file using Notepad or LabWindows/CVI and you may use the Diff Utility to compare two TUIs.

Additional information about saving and using TUI files can be found in the CVI Help under Using LabWindows/CVI » Developing a Graphical User Interface » Text-Based User Interface Files

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[vix]

This is a possibility, but it's not very efficient.

I think that this suggestion should be implemented as soon as possible to improve the usability of source versioning tools with CVI.

[jovianalee]

The UI provide is a bit complex  but overall the source versioning tools are  very good.

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[jennsmith]

I found it extremely informative.

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[skinnedknuckles]

Editing uir files outside of the graphical user interface is an excellent and essential feature.  I use 2015 and this method worked great for me except that the "Load from text file" menu option only worked after I deleted (renamed) the original .uir file.  I'm sure the DIFF tool included by NI is fine but personally I prefer Beyond Compare.