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LabVIEW Programming Reference Manual

Table of Contents
  • LabVIEW Programming Reference Manual
  • Functions
  • Property and Method Reference
  • LabVIEW Environment Reference
  • LabVIEW Dialog Box Reference
  • Error Codes and Messages
Table of Contents

Application Methods

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  • Updated2026-02-04
  • 8 minute(s) read
    • LabVIEW
    • API Reference
    • LabVIEW G

  • Bring To Front
    On Windows and macOS, brings the application windows to the front.
  • Browse DataSocket
    Launches the DataSocket Browser dialog box to establish a connection to a DataSocket item.
  • Class Operator:Get
    Gets the operator VI associated with the specified class. Returns FALSE if it does not find the operator VI.
  • Class Operator:Remove
    Removes the operator VI associated with the specified class. Returns FALSE if it does not find the operator VI.
  • Class Operator:Remove All
    Removes all operator VIs associated with all classes.
  • Class Operator:Set
    Sets an operator VI for the specified class. Returns FALSE if it fails.
  • Clear Application Builder Cache
    Deletes all VI object files from the object cache that a build specification compiles.
  • Clear Compiled Object Cache
    Deletes all compiled code in the User object cache.
  • Clipboard:Empty
    Clears the clipboard.
  • Clipboard:Get Image
    Returns the image currently stored on the clipboard.
  • Clipboard:Read From Clipboard
    Reads text from the system clipboard.
  • Clipboard:Write to Clipboard
    Writes text to the system clipboard.
  • Connection Responsiveness:Check
    Checks if the VI Server connection is responsive.
  • Connection Responsiveness:Information
    Gets and sets how often LabVIEW checks if a VI Server connection is responsive.
  • Data Type Color
    Returns the color associated with a data type.
  • Debug Connection:Close Debug Connection
    Closes the connection to the application or shared library specified in Debug Name.
  • Debug Connection:List Applications or Shared Libraries
    Returns the list of applications and shared libraries you can debug on the computer specified by Server Address.
  • Debug Connection:Open Debug Connection
    Opens a connection to the application or shared library you can debug.
  • Get Active VI Reference
    Returns a reference to the VI whose window is currently active (focused). If the active window is not a VI, this method returns Not A Ref.
  • Get Environment Mode Display Name
    Returns the display name of the environment mode you specify.
  • Get VI Hierarchy Image Scaled
    Gets the scaled image of the VI Hierarchy.
  • Get VI:Bookmarks
    Returns the bookmark information for the VI specified in VI Path. You do not need to load the VI into memory in order to read the bookmark information. This method returns an error if the VI is password protected, if the VI is saved in an earlier version of LabVIEW and is not currently in memory, or if the VI does not have a block diagram.
  • Get VI:ConPane DataType
    Returns the data type of the connector pane as variant data without loading the VI.
  • Get VI:Description
    Returns the description stored in the VI description field on the Documentation page of the VI Properties dialog box for the specified VI. Unlike the VI Description property, this method does not load the VI into memory.
  • Get VI:Editor Version
    Returns the version of LabVIEW that last saved the VI. The version of LabVIEW that last saved the VI might be different from the file format version of the VI. For example, if you use LabVIEW 9.0.1 to save a VI, the VI has a file format version of 9.0.
  • Get VI:Help Info
    Returns Help path, Help tag, Help Used, and Help URL from the Documentation page of the VI Properties dialog box for the specified VI. This method does not load the VI into memory.
  • Get VI:Icon
    Returns the icon of the specified VI without loading the VI into memory.
  • Get VI:Is Probe
    Returns whether the specified VI is a probe without loading the VI.
  • Get VI:Qualified Name
    Returns the qualified name of the referenced VI without loading the VI.
  • Get VI:Revision History
    Returns the revision history that appears when you click the Revision History button on the General page of the VI Properties dialog box of the specified VI. This method does not load the VI into memory.
  • Get VI:Title
    Returns the name that appears in the title bar of the specified VI. This method does not load the VI into memory.
  • Get VI:Version
    Returns the LabVIEW file format version of the VI. The file format version of the VI might be different from the version of LabVIEW in which the VI was last saved. For example, if you use LabVIEW 9.0.1 to save a VI, the VI has a file format version of 9.0.
  • LVRT:Disconnect From Slave
    Disconnects the open connection between LabVIEW and an RT target.
  • LabVIEW Class:All Methods of LVClass
    Returns an array of names and an array of paths for all methods of a class. The methods of the class are member VIs that can be called as subVIs. In other words, LabVIEW excludes global VIs, control VIs, and polymorphic VIs from the output arrays.
  • LabVIEW Class:Create
    Creates a new LabVIEW class.
  • LabVIEW Class:Create Interface
    Creates a new LabVIEW interface.
  • LabVIEW Class:Get Implementing VI Path
    Returns the path to the VI that implements the specified method within the specified class. If the specified class does not implement the method, this method returns an ancestor VI implementation.
  • LabVIEW Class:Open
    Opens the LabVIEW class specified by Path.
  • Library:Create
    Creates a new LabVIEW project library.
  • Library:Deploy Libraries
    Deploys library files to the specified computer.
  • Library:Deploy Library
    Deploys a library file to the specified computer.
  • Library:Get File LabVIEW Version
    Returns the LabVIEW file format version of the library. The file format version of the library might be different from the version of LabVIEW in which the library was last saved. For example, if you use LabVIEW 9.0.1 to save a library, the library has a file format version of 9.0.
  • Library:Get Ref By Qualified Name
    Retrieves a reference to a LabVIEW project library that is already loaded within the application instance. If the library cannot be found in memory, LabVIEW returns Not A Refnum.
  • Library:Open
    Opens the LabVIEW project library specified by Path.
  • Library:Undeploy Libraries
    Undeploys library files from the specified computer.
  • Library:Undeploy Library
    Removes a library from a target.
  • Mass Compile
    Loads and compiles VIs in a directory, including VIs in subdirectories, for the specified application instance.
  • Menus:Refresh
    Refreshes the File, Tools, and Help menus from disk programmatically.
  • NI Security:Get Access Rights
    Validates the access control list with the current application user logged in.
  • NI Security:Invoke Login Dialog
    Invokes the NI Security Login dialog box programmatically.
  • NI Security:Login
    Logs a user into the NI domain.
  • NI Security:Logout
    Logs the current user out of the NI domain and reverts to the default user.
  • New LabVIEW Document
    Creates a new LabVIEW document. This method achieves the same results as when you create a new document in the New dialog box.
  • Open:LabVIEW Document
    Opens a LabVIEW document.
  • Open:Recently Opened File
    Opens the file specified by Index from the most recently used file list.
  • Open:Recently Opened Project
    Opens the project specified by Index from the most recently used project list.
  • Palettes:Close All Palettes
    Closes the Controls and Functions palette sets programmatically. To close the palette sets, add the Palettes:Close All Palettes method to the block diagram and run the VI.
  • Palettes:Get Palette Item Path
    Returns the path to the palette item you specify.
  • Palettes:Refresh
    Updates the Controls and Functions palette set programmatically.
  • Project:Get File LabVIEW Version
    Returns the LabVIEW file format version of the project. This version might be different from the version of LabVIEW in which the project was last saved.
  • Project:New
    Creates a new, empty LabVIEW project. You also can use the Project Explorer window to create a new project.
  • Project:New with Prompts
    Creates a new, empty LabVIEW project and prompts the user to add any open VIs from the main application instance.
  • Project:Open
    Loads a LabVIEW project from disk. If the project is already in memory, this method returns a reference to the existing project. You can use this reference with the Project properties.
  • Project:Open And Suppress Source-Only
    Loads a LabVIEW project from disk. If the project is already in memory, this method returns an error. Within the loaded project, the "source-only" setting on all VIs, all controls, and all libraries is suppressed. This means that anything loaded within the project will get a "has unsaved changes" mark if it needs to update itself to match the LabVIEW version, the OS environment, or any of its dependencies (subVIs, typedefs, etc).
  • Recently Opened:LV Files
    Gets the list of most recently used files from LabVIEW and displays the paths and filenames. This method returns the same list as if you selected File»Recent Files.
  • Recently Opened:LV Projects
    Gets the list of most recently used LabVIEW projects from LabVIEW and displays the paths and project names. This method returns the same list as if you selected File»Recent Projects.
  • Remote Panel:Client Release Control
    Returns control of the remote front panel to the server. The server grants control to the next client in the queue or regains control if no requests are in the queue.
  • Remote Panel:Client Request Control
    Requests control of the front panel of a VI on the server computer.
  • Remote Panel:Close Connection To Server
    Closes a connection to a VI on the server computer.
  • Remote Panel:Open Connection To Server
    Opens a connection to a server and displays the front panel of a VI on the server computer. You also can request control of the front panel.
  • Restart
    Quits and then restarts LabVIEW. This method is supported only on Windows.
  • Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Box
    Creates a geometry that you can use to set an object in a 3D scene to a box.
  • Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Cone
    Creates a geometry that you can use to set an object in a 3D scene to a cone.
  • Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Cylinder
    Creates a geometry that you can use to set an object in a 3D scene to a cylinder.
  • Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Height Field
    Creates a new height field in a 3D scene.
  • Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Mesh
    Creates a new mesh in a 3D scene.
  • Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Sphere
    Creates a geometry that you can use to set an object in a 3D scene to a sphere.
  • Scene:Drawable:New Text
    Creates a new text object in a 3D scene.
  • Scene:New Clip Plane
    Creates a new clip plane in a 3D scene.
  • Scene:New Light
    Creates a new light in a 3D scene.
  • Scene:New Object
    Creates a new object in a 3D scene.
  • Scene:New Texture
    Gets a reference to a texture to apply to a geometry in a 3D scene.
  • Scene:New Window
    Creates a new window in which LabVIEW generates the 3D scene.
  • Scene:Read Scene File
    Reads a 3D scene file that you create with the Scene:Write Scene File method. The file being read must have a .lvsg or extension.
  • Scene:Write Scene File
    Writes a new 3D scene file. The filename must end with a .lvsg extension.
  • Statechart:Create
    Creates a new statechart. You must save the statechart to disk.
  • Statechart:Open
    Opens the statechart specified by Path.
  • User Interaction:Hilight Palette Menu Item
    Opens the Controls or Functions palette and highlights the specified control or function.
  • User Interaction:Invoke Menu Item
    Simulates the user selecting a menu item. In general, this method works on global menu items but not document-specific menu items, in which case the method fails silently.
  • User Interaction:Place Object On Cursor
    Places an object on the cursor so the object is ready to add to the front panel window or the block diagram window. You can specify the object using either style or path.
  • User Interaction:Place Palette Object on Cursor
    Places a palette object on the cursor so the object is ready to add to the front panel window or the block diagram window.
  • User Interaction:Show Palette Object Context Help
    Updates the Context Help window to show content for a palette object you specify, similar to when you mouse over the palette menu item. This method also returns a Boolean to indicate whether the specified palette object is found. If the Context Help window is closed when this method runs, the Context Help window displays the content for the specified palette object when you open the Context Help window unless you moved the mouse onto another item after the method runs.
  • VIs Strings:Export
    Exports to a tagged text file all the User Interface related strings of the VIs specified by VI Array.
  • VIs Strings:Import
    Imports to a tagged text file all the User Interface related strings of the VIs specified by VI Array.
  • Web Server:Configure
    Configures the LabVIEW Web Server with the given file. If you do not wire Web Server to the configuration file, Web Server uses the default configuration file.
  • XControl:Create
    Creates an XControl library.
  • XControl:Open
    Opens an XControl library and returns a reference to it.

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