How to build a CIN code resource (.lsb file)

This document details the steps necessary to create a CIN code resource (.lsb file) using the following compilers:

Microsoft Visual C++ v. 5.0 for Win32 platforms

Visual C++ 5.0 has a Custom Build capability that allows you to build CINs from within the Integrated Developer Environment. Complete the following steps to generate the "VI_name.lsb" file (Note LabVIEW must be installed on the computer where you'll be using cintools).
1) Create a DLL project.

1. Make a new project by selecting File>>New.
2. Specify the type to be "Win32 Dynamic-Link Library."
3. Name the project "VI_name", with no spaces, and click OK.

2) Add CIN objects and libraries to the project.

1. Select  Project>>Add To Project>>Files.
2. Go to the cintools directory and select cin.obj, labview.lib, lvsb.lib, and lvsbmain.def
3. You can select multiple items by holding down the <Ctrl> button and clicking the items you want. Then click OK.

3) Add your "VI_name.c" file to the project.

1. Select Project>>Add To Project>>Files.
2. Go to the folder that holds your "VI_name.c" file and select it.
3. Click OK.

4) Edit Project Settings.

1. Select Project>>Settings.
2. Set the Settings For field to All Configurations.
3. The remaining sub-steps are all within this panel:
   Do not click the OK button until instructed to do so later.
On the C/C++ tab:
- Set the Category field to Preprocessor.
- Add the absolute path to your cintools directory in the Additional include directories field. Paths should either be in MS-DOS format or have quotes surrounding the entire path.

Set the Category field to Code Generation.
-Change the Use run-time library field to Multithreaded DLL.
-Change the Struct member alignment field to 1 Byte.

On the Custom Build tab, scroll to the right to find the custom build tab.
Fill in the following fields:




Description:	Fill in a description.
Build commands	"<your Cintools path>\win32\lvsbutil" "$(TargetName)" -d "$(WkspDir)\$(OutDir)"
Output files	"$(OutDir)$(TargetName).lsb"

5) Add your code to the VI_name.c file.

1. Select the File View tab in the Work Space Window.
2. Double click on your VI_name.c file.
3. Add your code to the area that says /*ENTER YOUR CODE HERE*/.
4. Verify that your code compiles by selecting Build>>Compile VI_name.c
5. If your code does not compile, the CIN does not work.
6. Debug your code before continuing.

6) Generate the Code Resource File.

1. Select  Build>>Build VI_name.dll
2. This creates the VI_name.lsb file and places it in:
   Program Files\DevStudio\MyProject\VI_name\Debug

NOTE: There are several warnings produced during the link, but these can be safely ignored.

CodeWarrior for PowerPC platforms

Create the project file

Gnu C compiler for Solaris platforms

1) Run lvmkmf
After you write the code, run the lvmkmf utility on the c source file.

lvmkmf mycode (no extension!)

If you do include the extension (i.e. `lvmkmf mycode.c`), when you run make, you will get the error
"make: Fatal error: Don't know how to make target `mycode.c.o'"

This creates Makefile, which can be used by make.

2) Edit the Makefile

Change the following lines:

#
# This Makefile was generated automatically by lvmkmf.
#
CC=cc -----> CC=gcc (or g++)
LD=ld
LDFLAGS=-G
XFLAGS=-K PIC -----> XFLAGS=-fPIC
CINDIR=/00/bin/lv501/cintools
CFLAGS=-I$(CINDIR) $(XFLAGS)
CINLIB=$(CINDIR)/libcin.a
MAKEGLUE=$(CINDIR)/makeglueSVR4.awk
AS=as

3) Run make

Run make and it builds a proper lsb file.

Reader Comments | Submit a comment »

.lsb generation in MS VC++ 2008
I have finally managed to generate an lsb. My command line looks like this: "C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 8.5\cintools\lvsbutil" "$(TargetName)" -d "$(OutDir)" the $(WkspDir) statement in the -d operator was not recognised. I have also tested with both the 8.2 and 8.5 versions of lvsbutil.exe and only the 8.2 version worked.
- Vince. V.Azorin-Peris@lboro.ac.uk - Apr 1, 2008

Finally got this to work with Visual C++ 6.0
Took me a lot of poking through the various CIN threads & the comments here, but I finally got this to work. The Custom Build command needs the directory fix (No 'win32' as commented below) and needs spaces between each set of quotes, which is not very clear. My Commands looked like this: "C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 8.5 \cintools\lvsbutil" "$(TargetName)" - d "$(WkspDir)\$(OutDir)" This was after copying the 8.2 lvsbutil.exe file over the 8.5 one as outlined in another thread. I never tried it with the 8.5 version.
- tatwood@redshiftsystems.com - Jan 24, 2008

Issue with Custom Build Pane and Visual Studio Workspaces vs Projects
Using lvsbutil from the command actually fix the issue, but I've found that the source of this issue could reside in an invalid command in the custom build pane: the given syntax from "How to build a CIN code ressource (.lsb file)" from "Build commands : "\win32 \lvsbutil" "$(TargetName)" -d "$(WkspDir) \$(OutDir)" do not take in account the possibility that users created an empty (common) workspace where they can insert projects. The command line has to be modified accordingly; e.g.: "\win32\lvsbutil" "$(TargetName)" - d "$(WkspDir)\project_name\$(OutDir)".
- Apr 24, 2006

This application note does not work. I kept getting an error in my compiler as follows. Linking Running LVSB Utility The system cannot find the path specified. Error executing c:\windows\system32\ cmd.exe. The problem is that in the Build Commands the path is wrong. \win32 should be omitted. For most people this directory does not reside in the labview directory.
- James Photis, Analog Devices. james.photis@analog.com - Apr 7, 2006

The file lvexcode.pdf (supplied by installer) does not indicate that you need quotation marks around the path to lsbutil.exe; where as this file does. It's the differnce between compliling and generating an error.
- Oct 28, 2005

Labview 7 and VC++ 6.0
This seems to be a bit out of date. Using XP, labivew 7.1 full, and visual C++ 6.0, I can't get the above to work. Just getting recurrent error: error exceuting c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe
- Dec 1, 2004

Solution for vs.net (2003)
Needs to be updated for vs .net (2003) in such a way: you need to set "Linker\Input\Module Definition File" to "\win32\lvsbmain.def".
- Mikhail Zakharov, Drexel University. mzu@drexel.edu - Nov 24, 2004

this example don´t function in win XP
Dear sir This example don´t function in win XP because create this dll dont compile.
- Jorge Higuera, UIS. maepe3@uis.edu.co - Nov 3, 2003

Need to update for version 2003!
This need to be updated with instructions for the latest version of Visual C++.net (version 2003)!
- Sep 9, 2003