Build Steps

Use the Build Steps dialog box to specify sets of actions to execute before and after you build a project. You can specify three types of actions: custom build, pre-build, and post-build actions.

Note  Refer to the Persistence of LabWindows/CVI Dialog Box Options topic for more information about where dialog box options are saved and what they affect.

• Configuration—Specifies the configuration(s) to which the settings apply. The following configurations are listed by default:
  • Debug—Settings apply to the default 32-bit debug configuration.
  • Release—Settings apply to the default 32-bit release configuration.
  • Debug64—Settings apply to the default 64-bit debug configuration.
  • Release64—Settings apply to the default 64-bit release configuration.
  • All Configurations—Settings apply to all configurations.

    Note   Any custom configurations you create are also listed. If you access the Build Steps dialog box from the Add Configuration or Edit Configuration dialog boxes, LabWindows/CVI dims the Configuration option. LabWindows/CVI applies the changes you make in this dialog box to the configuration specified in the Add Configuration or Edit Configuration dialog box.

• Custom build actions—Actions that occur immediately before LabWindows/CVI starts dependency checking after you initiate a build.
• Pre-build actions—Actions that occur after LabWindows/CVI checks for dependencies and before it builds the target. Pre-build actions occur only when the target needs to be built.
• Post-build actions—Actions that occur after the target is built. Post-build actions occur only when a build is successful.

Actions can be any command supported by a Windows batch file. You can pass arguments, either hard-coded or special LabWindows/CVI variables, to the action. If you specify a batch file as an action, you must use the CALL command. Before any actions are executed, LabWindows/CVI sets the directory of the project as the current working directory.

LabWindows/CVI creates a batch file containing the actions for each step, and then runs the batch file. You can view the output of the build steps in the Build Output window.

LabWindows/CVI supports the following special variables in build steps:

Batch files handle the % character as a special character. For more information about how batch files interpret the % character, refer to the Microsoft Web site.

Note   If any action changes the current working directory, LabWindows/CVI does not reset the current working directory for subsequent actions. The current working directory is reset for each step.