LabWindows/CVI

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Product DocumentationLabWindows/CVIImporting and Exporting LabWindows/CVI SettingsCurrent page
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Importing and Exporting LabWindows/CVI Settings

Importing and Exporting LabWindows/CVI Settings

Use the Import/Export Settings tool to copy, transfer, and save LabWindows/CVI environment preferences between versions of LabWindows/CVI. For example, you can use the Import/Export Settings tool to copy your settings to multiple computers, restore your settings if you reinstall LabWindows/CVI, or allow multiple users of LabWindows/CVI on one computer to save their preferences. You can import and export environment settings such as fonts, macros, colors, and shortcut keys, among others.

Note Note  If you import preferences from a later version of LabWindows/CVI to an earlier version, LabWindows/CVI ignores any settings that were not implemented in the earlier version. If you import preferences from an earlier version of LabWindows/CVI to a later version, it is possible that not all options in LabWindows/CVI will be updated using the preferences from the earlier version of LabWindows/CVI.

Access the Import/Export Settings tool in the following ways:

  • Select Tools»Import/Export Settings
  • Select Start»All Programs»National Instruments»LabWindows/CVI version»Tools»Import-Export Settings
  • Use command line options to open and run the tool from the command line

The Import/Export Settings tool contains the following options:

  • Copy settings from—Select the item from which to copy settings. You can select a file, a version of LabWindows/CVI, or the default settings. If you select File, enter a path to the preferences file or click the ... button next to the path control to browse to a file on disk. You can copy default settings only to a version of LabWindows/CVI.
  • Settings tree—Select and deselect the items you want to transfer. You can right-click each item in the Settings tree to access help describing the preferences included when you select the item.
    Note Note  The preferences listed in the Settings tree are not an exhaustive list of all LabWindows/CVI preferences but a subset of more commonly used preferences that you might want to transfer between versions of LabWindows/CVI.
  • Revert all LabWindows/CVI settings to default—Apply the default settings to all of the environment preferences. This item is available only when you select Default Settings in the Copy settings from option.

    Selecting this option sets all LabWindows/CVI preferences—the preferences available in the Settings tree and the preferences that are not listed in the Settings tree—to their default state.
  • Description—Describe the file that the Import/Export Settings tool creates based on the currently selected preferences. You can enter a description only when you save your preferences to a file. Use the following variables in your description:

    • %user—Expands to the user name of the person who is logged onto Windows when the file is saved
    • %date—Expands to the date when the file is saved
    • %time—Expands to the time when the file is saved
  • Apply settings to—Choose whether to save the settings you selected to a file or export the settings to a version of LabWindows/CVI. If you select File, enter a filename for the file to save or click the ... button next to the path control to browse to a location on disk where you want to save the file. If you select a version of LabWindows/CVI, make sure that LabWindows/CVI is not open before you apply your changes.

    When you select File, the Import/Export Settings tool saves the preferences to a .xml file.

Running the Import/Export Settings Tool from the Command Line

The Import/Export Settings tool provides the following command line options:

Note Note  The Import/Export Settings tool is installed in the <Program Files>\National Instruments\Shared\CVI\Bin directory.
Command Action
ImpExpSettings.exe /h Display help for the Import/Export Settings tool command line options. If you specify the /h command line option, you cannot specify any other command line option at the same time.
ImpExpSettings.exe /q Run the Import/Export Settings tool without displaying the user interface.
ImpExpSettings.exe /qs Run the Import/Export Settings tool without displaying the tool and without receiving any messages from the tool. For example, if an error occurs and you specify this command line option, you will not see an error message. Use this option when you do not expect to have any interaction with the tool.
ImpExpSettings.exe /from Specify the item from which to copy settings:

  • Use /from:v version to copy settings from a version of LabWindows/CVI. Specify the version in MajorVersion.MinorVersion (9.1) form or in year-based (2009) form.
  • Use /from:f filename to copy settings from a .xml file containing preferences you have saved. You must specify a complete path to the file.
  • Use /from:d to revert all settings to their default values.
Note Note  Refer to the LabWindows/CVI Year-Based and Major.Minor.Tiny Version Equivalents topic for the year-based and major.minor version equivalents.
ImpExpSettings.exe /to Specify the item to which to apply the settings you are copying:

  • Use /to:v version to apply the settings to a version of LabWindows/CVI. Specify the version in MajorVersion.MinorVersion (9.1) form or in year-based (2009) form.
  • Use /to:f filename to write the settings to a .xml file. You must specify a complete path to the file.
Note Note  Refer to the LabWindows/CVI Year-Based and Major.Minor.Tiny Version Equivalents topic for the year-based and major.minor version equivalents.
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