DLL and LVLIB

[Elamaran]

Could anyone explain what is the difference between DLL and LVLIB?

[smercurio_fc]

A DLL is a code library that you can distribute. It's Microsoft's version of a shared library. See Wikipedia.

An lvlib is a LabVIEW library. It's a container for your VIs, controls, etc. They can be useful since they can be namespace your VIs to prevent name collision when opening VIs with the same name. The LabVIEW Help contains a fair bit of information on lvlibs. Have you looked at it?

What's the premise of the question? What are you trying to figure out?

[shew82 · Accepted solution]

One more thing:

DLLs *contain* the code that is shared, this means that to distribute a shared library in this form, all you need to do is supply the 1 file (admitidly header files and documentation are nice, but not essential).

On the other hand LVLibs do not contain the actual code, they only contain a list of the VIs that should be included (and where to find them) etc. So, to distribute a LVlib shared library you need to include the lvlib file AND the associated VIs.

PS. LabVIEW 2010 has a new feature called Packed Project Libraries that are much close to DLLs than regular Project Libraries (LVLibs) - in simple terms, they are a lvlib and all of its contained VIs packed into a single file.

[Elamaran]

Hi smercurio_fc. I just wanted to know how people explains it easily to clarify my understanding. I think i got the answer for this. Thank you.

[Elamaran]

Thank you shew.