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Troubleshoot VIs Using New Debug Window

The new Debug window added in LabVIEW 2025 Q3 combines probe and breakpoint management in a single location, and replaces the Probe Watch window and Breakpoint Manager window.

The Debug window lists breakpoints and probes for all VIs in memory, and allows you to add, remove, rename, highlight, and export data for probes and breakpoints. You can also use the window to enable and disable breakpoints, switch probe styles, and create custom probes.

You can use the Debug window to customize the window appearance and select if probe values appear directly on wires in your VI block diagram during execution.

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member Citabria]

Logging for Unwired Errors

LabVIEW 2025 Q3 gives you the option to record unwired errors in a log file, independent of whether you use the Automatic Error Handling dialog to report them.

Select All Text Using Ctrl+A

LabVIEW 2025 Q3 enables use of the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+A to select all text whenever editing a text field, including in labels, string controls, and dialogs.

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member littlesphaeroid]

Quickly Open Files Using Ctrl+Shift+O

LabVIEW 2025 Q3 adds the Quick Open dialog, which you can open using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+O. The dialog displays recently-opened files that you can open, as well as all files in any project you have open.

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member AristosQueue (NI)]

Preserve Values by Default When Placing Diagram Disable Structures

In LabVIEW 2025 Q3, when placing a Diagram Disable Structure to enclose a section of code, LabVIEW matches output tunnels with input tunnels to wire values through in the Enabled frame by default. If LabVIEW cannot to find the source for a refnum or LabVIEW class output tunnel, the tunnel is not configured with Use Default if Unwired.

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member Jim_Kring]

Added Context Help Notes Section for VIs

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member Mr._Jim]

New Context Help Notes Section for Call Library Function Node

Left-Aligned Text for Improved Readability in Diagram Objects

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member PJM_LabVIEW]

Use LabVIEW Command Line Interface Without Enabling VI Server TCP Port

LabVIEW 2025 Q3 allows you to use the LabVIEW Command Line Interface (CLI) without enabling the VI Server TCP Port. If users do not enable the port, the CLI configures LabVIEW on a per-operation basis so it can execute the specified operation. These per-operation configurations do not persist after the operation executes.

All existing workflows that previously enabled the VI Server TCP port (with the default or user-defined port number) continue to work as they did in previous releases.

Generate VI Comparison Reports with the LabVIEW Command Line Interface

LabVIEW 2025 Q3 adds a new command to the LabVIEW Command Line Interface for generating VI Comparison reports. Use the CreateComparisonReport operation name along with the names of the two VIs you want to compare to output an HTML, XML, Word, or text file summarizing the differences between the files.

Support for .NET (Core) 8.0 Objects in Register Event Callback Function

Support for Windows Long Paths

LabVIEW 2025 Q3 adds support for Windows long paths.

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member JonathanLindsey]

Support for Additional Data Types in Array Export Commands

In LabVIEW 2025 Q3, the Export Data to Clipboard and Export Data to Excel commands in the right-click menu of arrays are enabled for arrays of paths as well as one-dimensional arrays of clusters containing only numeric, string, and path elements.

New Vertical Scrollbar for Free Labels

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member SteveChandler]

New Default Option for Compiled Code in Source Distributions

In LabVIEW 2025 Q3, new source distributions on desktop targets use the compiled code setting saved in each source file by default. Previously, the default was to embed compiled code in all source files.

Additional Changes

For hardware and software compatibility information, refer to the Related Information.

.NET (Core) 8.0 Support

Python Support

Changes to Compare VIs and Other LabVIEW Files

Interactive comparison of VIs also has new annotations and buttons to copy images of differences to the clipboard. You can easily use these features in change comments, such as in Pull Requests with Git.

Project, library, and class files now contain better property labels and less redundant information. It makes it easier for you to review changes using third-party tools for text files.

New Row Options for Listbox, Multicolumn Listbox, Table, and Tree Controls

New Properties, Methods, and Events

Updated LabVIEW Font Type Definition

The LabVIEW font type definition (LVFontTypeDef.ctl) now uses a color box instead of a numeric color value.

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member Petru_Tarabuta]

Additional Changes

• The LabVIEW Style Guide is now in the LabVIEW Wiki. For information about the LabVIEW Style Guide, refer to the Related information.

• For hardware and software compatibility information, refer to the Related information.

Preview Feature: .NET Core (8.0) Support in LabVIEW

To enable .NET Core (8.0) support in LabVIEW 2024 Q3, navigate to Tools » Options, select the Preview Features category, and select the Enable .NET Core (8.0) Support checkbox.

Saving All VIs in a Project for a Previous Version of LabVIEW

You can use the new Save Version option, available in the Properties dialog box of properties, libraries, and classes, to configure LabVIEW to save all VIs for a previous version of LabVIEW. If a VI contains features not compatible with the designated version, LabVIEW displays a warning and saves the VI for the earliest version that supports all features in that VI.

Improvements to Comparing VIs

• You can now highlight an item in the differences list or details list with a single click.
• You can use the left and right arrow keys to move between the differences list and the details list, and you can use the up and down arrow keys to move through the differences and details.
• In the Differences dialog box, a difference or detail appears italicized if it involves only front panel or block diagram cosmetic changes.
• The diagrams can automatically scale to fit an entire difference.
• You can swap the positions of the compared VIs by selecting More commands » Swap VI Positions in the Differences dialog box.

Support for openSUSE 15.5

LabVIEW 2024 Q1 now supports openSUSE 15.5.

New Package Dependency Management

You can now use JKI Dragon to manage package dependencies directly from your LabVIEW project.

New and Changed Objects

• The Path class includes the following new method:
  • Browse for Path - Opens a file dialog to allow you to select a path. This method replicates the functionality of clicking the Browse Button of the Path control on the front panel.
• The Open VI Reference function includes the following change:

  The vi path input parameter now accepts an existing VI reference in addition to the string and path data types accepted in previous versions. This new option enables workflows such as:

  • Getting a strict reference from a non-strict reference
  • Creating another reentrant instance of a reentrant VI

Diagram Zoom

In LabVIEW 2023 Q3, you can zoom in or out when editing the block diagram of a VI using the View menu. Ctrl (Cmd on macOS) and the scroll wheel of the mouse can also be used to zoom in or out. A tip strip displays the zoom level percentage when zooming. To return to 100% zoom, use View>>Actual Size.

When you first select View>Toggle Zoom from the menu, the diagram will zoom out to fill the entire window. LabVIEW will restore the zoom level to its previous value when the same menu command is used a second time, but the diagram will be centered around the current mouse position.

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member tst.]

Double-click to Finish Wire

Find All Instances When VI Running

In LabVIEW 2023 Q3, you can right-click on a subVI on the diagram, or the icon of a VI (in the top-right corner of the VI window) and use the Find All Instances command even when the VI is running. In previous versions of LabVIEW, this command was only available for VIs in edit mode.

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member Technico.]

Quick Change List

In LabVIEW 2023 Q3, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Space or the right-click shortcut Quick Change to display the Quick Change list when editing text in a free label. By selecting an item (such as Numeric), the label will change to that object type, and the label text will be converted to the object's value.

You can also Edit>Paste Special command to paste text from the clipboard and immediately display the Quick Change list.

You can also add custom plugins to the Quick Drop list. Refer to the instructions document in resource\dialog\QuickChange\plugins\.prefix_Template for more information.

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member patibandla.]

Quick Change Palette

In LabVIEW 2023 Q3, after defining a rectangular selection on the diagram (and before releasing the mouse to finish the selection), you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Space to display a palette of items (such as loops) that can be placed in the position of the selection. In addition, one of the palette items will create a subVI from the selection.

Execution Highlighting

LabVIEW 2023 Q3 introduces Slow, Medium, Fast, and Very Fast options for the speed of Execution Highlighting. Medium speed matches the behavior of Execution Highlighting in the previous versions of LabVIEW.

Click and hold the Execution Highlighting toolbar button to display a menu of speed options. In addition to improving the visibility of the executed code, the animation of execution is given a new visual treatment.

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member JackDunaway.]

Building Applications and PPLs Improvements

LabVIEW 2023 Q3 has improved cache behavior for packed project libraries and applications.

The first build will populate the cache, and then the subsequent builds will be much faster.

Support for Apple Silicon

LabVIEW 2023 Q3 for macOS runs natively on Apple Silicon. The LabVIEW executable is a universal binary.

Text Editing Shortcuts on macOS and Linux

By default, the Control and Alt (Meta) keys on Linux can be used interchangeably for menu shortcuts. When the text is active, the editor Control key bindings take precedence, but the Alt menu bindings remain active for menu shortcuts.

On macOS, Cmd key menu shortcuts are not affected by this change.

Ctrl-C, Ctrl-X, and Ctrl-V retain standard copy, cut, and paste behavior.

Config token EnableEmacsTextEditingShortcuts=False can be used to disable text editing bindings.

Cluster Consolidation Behavior

In LabVIEW 2023 Q3, clusters with the same type, but different cluster field names will be represented by different types in the built .NET Interop Assembly.

In the previous versions of LabVIEW, clusters with the same type were represented by the same type in the .NET Interop Assembly irrespective of the cluster field names.

To use the old behavior, add the following to the LabIVEW.ini file: DotNetAssemblyGeneration.UseClusterFieldNames=False

LabVIEW Introduces a Tool to Identify and Install NI Drivers for a Project

LabVIEW 2023 Q1 includes a utility to assist you in identifying and installing NI drivers used by a LabVIEW project.

Select Project>Package Dependencies from the Project Explorer menu or click the Package Dependencies button in the Project Explorer toolbar to open the Manage NI Package Dependencies dialog. The dialog examines the project to discover which NI packages are used. You can click the Save List button to save a text file that lists the identified packages.

If one or more packages are not currently installed, the Install button will be enabled. You can click the Install button to launch NI Package Manager, and install the required packages.

Enable the Show VIs checkbox to understand the reason a package is listed as a dependency. This shows the VIs referenced by the project that the tool assumes are provided by the package.

Each time the dialog box opens, the tool attempts to update a component from ni.com to get the most-up-to-date directory information.

If the project uses an FPGA target, the dialog will identify LabVIEW FPGA Module as a dependency. However, the tool is currently unable to recommend a specific driver for the target. If the FPGA Module is installed, FPGA targets in the project will show their model numbers, and you can search for applicable drivers on ni.com.

Applications on Linux Support Custom Name and Icon

Starting in LabVIEW 2023 Q1, you can customize the application name and icon for built applications on Linux. Also, if you do not provide a custom icon, built applications will now use the system default application icon instead of the LabVIEW icon.

To customize the application name and icon, use the Properties dialog for the application's build specification. LabVIEW will generate a .desktop file along with the executable. You will need to move the .desktop file to the appropriate location such as /usr/share/applications/ for your Linux distribution.

Terminals Height No Longer Changes With Font

This is a LabVIEW 2023 Q1 feature that has been inspired by the LabVIEW Idea Exchange. If the new terminal size introduces wire bends to your VI diagrams, you can use the VI Analyzer Wire Bends test to find them. You will need to remove the wire bends manually.

[Idea submitted by NI Discussion Forums member Andrey_Dmitriev.]

Python Support

LabVIEW 2023 Q1 adds support for Python 3.10. In addition, LabVIEW 2023 Q1 supports Anaconda and venv virtual environments with the new Open Virtual Environment Session function.

Support for macOS 13

LabVIEW 2023 Q1 now supports macOS 13.

Compare VIs within LabVIEW

Compare VIs feature is now available with all editions of LabVIEW 2022 Q3 (Base, Full, and Professional) and not limited to a Professional Edition license.

Python Support

LabVIEW 2022 Q3 supports use of Python Node with Python Object Refnum. Use this type of refnum to pass a python object as return type or input parameter to Python Node.

Changes to Default under Options

In LabVIEW 2022 Q3, the default for Separate compiled code from new files has been changed to ENABLED.

Call MATLAB Function

You can set a breakpoint on the Call MATLAB Function and then use the step into debugging command to open the MATLAB(R) editor and execute your script. If you have multiple versions of MATLAB installed, you can right-click on the function and use Open in MATLAB submenu to specify the version called by LabVIEW.

Uninit method of Actor.lvclass

In the Actor Framework, the Actor class now has a new Uninit method. Actors can override this method to release resources acquired during the execution of Pre Launch Init.vi or Actor.vi. This method always executes even if there is an error returned from the earlier methods.

Support for Drivers/Toolkits Independent of LabVIEW Version

Earlier versions of LabVIEW required add-on content such as toolkits and drivers to be located within the LabVIEW directory. Starting with LabVIEW 2022 Q3 and later, LabVIEW will additionally load such content from a shared location called LVAddons. On Windows, the default location for LVAddons is C:\Program Files\NI\LVAddons. Note that only a subset of NI drivers and toolkits will install into this location with their 2022 Q3 releases. After a driver or toolkit transitions to using the LVAddons location, it will work with the newer versions of LabVIEW without needing to be upgraded or reinstalled.

New Help Experience

In LabVIEW 2022 Q3, help links will direct you to the new online LabVIEW help when the system is connected to the internet. When the system is not connected to the internet, help links will direct you to the new NI Offline Help Viewer that is installed with LabVIEW. Your network connection determines whether LabVIEW uses online or offline help. NI Help Preferences application, however, allows users to always use the offline help viewer.