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You can use the Application Builder to build an installer for files in a LabVIEW project or for a stand-alone application, shared library, or source distribution you created with a build specification. Before you create a build specification or start the build process, review the caveats and recommendations for LabVIEW installer builds.

Note  The LabVIEW Professional Development System includes the Application Builder. If you use the LabVIEW Base Package or Full Development System, you can purchase the Application Builder separately by visiting the National Instruments Web site.

Complete the following steps to build an installer. Refer to the NI Developer Zone for a step-by-step tutorial on creating a sample installer.

Configuring the Build Specification

1. Open the project you want to use to build the installer. You must have a project open and saved to configure an installer build specification.
2. Expand My Computer. Right-click Build Specifications and select New»Installer from the shortcut menu to display the Installer Properties dialog box. If you previously hid Build Specifications in the Project Explorer window, you must display the item again to access it.
3. Complete the following items on the Product Information page of the Installer Properties dialog box.
   1. Enter a name for the installer build specification in the Build specification name text box. This name appears under Build Specifications in the Project Explorer window. The name must be unique among other build specification names in the project.
   2. Enter a name for the product associated with the installer in the Product Name text box. This name corresponds to the [ProductName] Microsoft Installer (MSI) property. Refer to the Microsoft Web site for more information about Microsoft Installer (MSI) properties.
   3. Enter the location for the installer in the Installer destination text box. You can use the Browse button to navigate to and select a location.
   4. Enter version, dialog box settings, and company information.
4. From the Source Files page, select the files or builds you want to include in the installer from the Project View tree. Drag the selected files and builds to the folders in the Destination View tree. You also can use the arrow button to move the files from the Project View tree to the Destination View tree.
   
   If you want to remove files from the Destination View tree, select the files to delete and click the Delete button or press the <Delete> key.
5. From the Source File Settings page, place checkmarks in the checkboxes in the File Attributes section to configure the file attributes at installation. If the installer build includes a stand-alone application in which you enabled the ActiveX server, place a checkmark in the Register COM checkbox for the application file.

Note  To set file attributes for dependent files, you must add them manually to the project. In the Project Explorer window, right-click My Computer and select Add»File from the shortcut menu. Navigate to and select the dependent file. Refer to steps 4 and 5 above to add the file to the Destination View tree and configure file attributes.

Customizing Advanced Installer Options

1. From the Shortcuts page, configure any shortcuts you want to create to files in the installer.
2. From the Additional Installers page, add installers for any National Instruments products or drivers to include in the installer build. For example, if you build an installer for an application or shared library that uses the Storage VIs, you must add the NI USI installer.
3. From the Dialog Information page, set the dialog boxes, user interface text, and error messages that appear when you run the installer.
4. From the Registry page, create registry keys and values for the installer.
5. From the Hardware Configuration page, specify the hardware configuration information to include in the installer build.

Note  Include the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine if you are distributing applications and shared libraries to computers on which LabVIEW is not installed.

6. From the Advanced page, configure advanced settings for the installer.

Building the Installer

1. Click the OK button to update the build specification settings in the project and close the dialog box. The build specification name appears in the project under Build Specifications.

Note  When you update the build specification settings, the settings become part of the project. However, you must save the project if you want to save the settings.

2. Right-click the installer build specification name and select Build from the shortcut menu. You can find the resulting installer files in the directory specified in the Installer destination text box on the Product Information page of the build specification.

You can duplicate build specifications. Right-click the build specification item you want to duplicate and select Duplicate from the shortcut menu to create a copy of the build specification item.

If you rebuild a given specification, LabVIEW overwrites the existing files from the previous build that are part of the current build.

You also can build an installer programmatically from a build specification.

Note  You do not need additional license files when using LabVIEW distribution components with LabVIEW-built applications.

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