Select Tools»Compare»Compare VI Hierarchies from the front panel or block diagram of a VI to display this dialog box.

Use this dialog box to compare two VI hierarchies.

This dialog box includes the following components:

Option Description
First VI Hierarchy

Indicates the top-level VI of the first hierarchy that you want to compare.

  • Browse Files—

    Browses to the top-level VI of the first hierarchy that you want to compare.

  • Browse Memory—

    Launches the Select a VI dialog box so you can select a VI in memory.
Second VI Hierarchy

Indicates the top-level VI of the second hierarchy that you want to compare.

  • Browse Files—

    Browses to the top-level VI of the second hierarchy that you want to compare.

  • Browse Memory—

    Launches the Select a VI dialog box so you can select a VI in memory.
Read Hierarchies

Reads and analyzes the two VI hierarchies. LabVIEW determines whether the VIs are new, deleted, shared, and so on.
Compare Hierarchies

Compares the two VI hierarchies. If you did not click Read Hierarchies, LabVIEW reads and analyzes the hierarchies before comparing them.
Create Report

Displays the Create Report dialog box. You can use the Create Report dialog box to create a report that summarizes the differences between the two VI hierarchies.
Compare

Compares the two VI hierarchies. If you did not click Read Hierarchies, LabVIEW reads and analyzes the hierarchies before comparing them.

  • VI attributes—

    Compares attributes of the two VIs using the settings in the VI Properties dialog box.

  • Front panel—

    Compares objects on the front panel.

    • Position/size changes—

      Compares the position and size of the objects on the front panel.

  • Block diagram—

    Compares the functional differences on the block diagrams.

    • Cosmetic changes—

      Compares changes on the block diagrams that do not affect the execution of the VI, such as color changes, visible subdiagrams in structures, the display format of constants, or changes in the position and size of objects.
VIs in Hierarchies

Lists all the VIs in the two hierarchies.
Description

Describes the differences in the VI selected in the VIs in Hierarchies field.
Show Differences

Compares the VIs that you select in the VIs in Hierarchies field and displays the differences in the Differences dialog box.
Legend

Describes the symbols used in the VIs in Hierarchies and Description fields.

  • different—Indicates that the VI has one or more differences.
  • same—Indicates that the VI does not have any differences.
  • added in second hierarchy—Indicates that the VI exists in the second hierarchy but not in the first.
  • deleted in second hierarchy—Indicates that the VI exists in the first hierarchy but not in the second.
  • not compared—Indicates that LabVIEW has not compared the VI.
  • shared VI—Indicates that both hierarchies share the VI.
Done

Closes the dialog box.

History

  • LabVIEW 2025 Q1: VIs existing in the first VI hierarchy but not in the second now appear as deleted in second hierarchy instead of added to first hierarchy, and VIs existing in the second VI hierarchy but not in the first now appear as added in second hierarchy instead of deleted from first hierarchy.