Provide other users with executable versions of VIs.

Applications are useful when you want users to run VIs without needing to install the LabVIEW development system in their environment.

To run the application, end users must install a version of the LabVIEW Runtimeon their system that is compatible with the version of LabVIEW that built the application.

(Windows) Applications have a .exe extension.

(macOS) Applications have a .app extension.

Distribute other build outputs you create.

Use installers to include the LabVIEW Runtime alongside applications or shared libraries.

Windows only.

Package VIs for the Microsoft .NET Framework.

Windows only.

You must install the .NET Framework 4.0 to build a .NET Framework assembly.

Enable clients to receive other build outputs you create through NI Package Manager or SystemLink.

Your clients can use NI Package Manager or SystemLink to subscribe to a feed to find and install your packages.

Packages have a .nipkg extension.

(NI Linux Real-Time) You can also create opkg packages .ipk on NI Linux Real-Time targets if you install the LabVIEW Real-Time Module. Your clients can install packages through SystemLink or from the command line on the NI Linux Real-Time target. NI Package Manager does not support .ipk files.

Package multiple LabVIEW files into a single file.

When you deploy VIs in a packed library, fewer files deploy because the packed library is a single file. The top-level file of a packed library is a project library. Packed libraries contain one or more VI hierarchies that compile for a specific operating system.

Packed libraries have a .lvlibp extension.

Enable calling VIs using text-based programming languages, such as LabWindows™/CVI™, Microsoft Visual C++, and Microsoft Visual Basic. Provide a way for programming languages other than LabVIEW to access code developed with LabVIEW.

Shared libraries are useful when you want to share the functionality of the VIs you build with other developers. Other developers can use the shared libraries but cannot edit or view the block diagrams unless you enable debugging.

To use the library, end users must install a version of the LabVIEW Runtimeon their system that is compatible with the version of LabVIEW that built the application.

(Windows) Shared libraries have a .dll extension.

(macOS) Shared libraries have a .framework extension.

(Linux) Shared libraries have a .so extension. You can use .so or you can begin with lib and end with .so, optionally followed by the version number. This allows other applications to use the library.

Package a collection of source files. Source distributions are useful if you want to send code to other developers to use in LabVIEW.

You can configure settings for specified VIs to add passwords, remove block diagrams, or apply other settings. You can also select different destination directories for VIs in a source distribution without breaking the links between VIs and subVIs.

Distribute files or an entire LabVIEW project as a single, portable file that contains compressed files.

Zip files are useful if you want to distribute selected source files to other LabVIEW users.

You can also use the Zip VIs to create zip files programmatically.