What Is the VI Server?

Updated Sep 14, 2023

Reported In

Software

  • LabVIEW

Issue Details

What is the VI Server?

Solution

VI Server is a set of functions that allows you to dynamically control front panel objects, VIs, and the LabVIEW environment. With VI Server, you can also programmatically load and run VIs in LabVIEW either on the same machine or across a network.

The VI Server functions are located in the Functions » Application Control sub-palette. All VIs have properties that can be read or set and methods that can be invoked using these VI Server functions.

VI Server has an object-oriented architecture that is platform-independent.  Each object that is a part of VI Server is a part of a class. The class that the object is a part of determines what properties and methods are available. Many of these classes have sub-classes. For instance, any boolean control is a member of the Boolean class, which is a member of the Control class. The Control class is a member of the GObject class, which is a member of the Generic class. Lower level classes, such as the Boolean class, have their own properties and methods, and inherit properties and methods from higher level classes, such as the Generic class.

As an example of VI server usage, below is a code snippet of the VI server being used to programmatically resize the front panel window of a VI.

Additional Information