SCRIPTING IS AVAILABLE

[Aristos Queue]

http://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-4973#cf

After years of lobbying, National Instruments has now released scripting as a tool that our users are allowed to use. The Windows license and support files are now available for download from the above link. Mac and Linux download will be posted next week.

For those who are wondering, "What do we need to download on Mac/Linux since there's no licensing required?" ... there's a .zip file of useful information and instructions that will be posted.

[Jim Kring]

Now, what are we going to complain about?

PS - thank you!

[hooovahh]

QUOTE (Jim Kring @ May 29 2009, 01:27 PM)

Now, what are we going to complain about?

Oh I'm sure there will be some feature that scripting is missing that we expected to be there. Or possibly there will be a lack of documentation, or lack of support, or numerous bugs. And if there is nothing to complain about, we'll complain about the lack of complaints, thereby making complaints, thus solving out dilemma.

[ShaunR]

QUOTE (Jim Kring @ May 29 2009, 06:27 PM)

Now, what are we going to complain about?

PS - thank you!

The fact that you need a license unlike any other language maybe??

[bmoyer]

QUOTE (ShaunR @ May 29 2009, 02:03 PM)

The fact that you need a license unlike any other language maybe??

That's because LabVIEW developers are crooks! Unlike other languages where they are all law abiding citizens. NI, what have you done to us?!

[PaulG.]

Thanks Q and thanks NI for looking down upon your lowly minions and bestowing mercy and compassion and giving scripting to the masses. (insert light from heaven and "ahwhwhwhwhwh" sound here)

Just downloaded it this afternoon, installed it without a hitch (8.6) and have been playing around with it for about an hour. I haven't played around with scripting in over a year and in version 7.1. This looks really awesome. :thumbup:

[Norm Kirchner]

I think they just figured out here @ NI that eventually I would get into the code and turn the scripting lock back into an ini key.

So instead they just decided to legalize it.

Kind of like prohibition.... just doesn't work.

Now we just need to make sure they don't start putting sin-tax on the license.

[LAVA 1.0 Content]

QUOTE (Aristos Queue @ May 29 2009, 06:50 PM)

http://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-4973#cf

After years of lobbying, National Instruments has now released scripting as a tool that our users are allowed to use. The Windows license and support files are now available for download from the above link. Mac and Linux download will be posted next week.

For those who are wondering, "What do we need to download on Mac/Linux since there's no licensing required?" ... there's a .zip file of useful information and instructions that will be posted.

OK AQ the guidelines of LAVA clearly state that 'CAPS ONLY' is forbidden, for once we let it pass through.

Now it is so wonderful, every Q ever asked can be replied with 'scripting will help you', 'let the LabVIEW API guide you', 'You could write a script that writes the code you need'.

Ton

[hooovahh]

<charming music>

Say you have a generic DAQ system which needs inputs and outputs.

There's a script for that.

And say you want to make your programming life easier by adding tools which automate wiring up controls and indicators.

There's a script for that.

And say you just want to impress your friends, by writing the fastest 'hello world' program in existance.

There's even a script for that.

There's a script for just about any thing.

Only on LabVIEW

</charming music>

[Michael Aivaliotis]

It's nice to see this finally come to fruition for sure. :thumbup:

Thank You NI.

I'd also like to see scripting discussions continue here on LAVA and hopefully y'all won't abandon us for the dark side. We have some excellent gurus on LAVA that were able to do cool things even with scripting locked. I can only imagine the possibilities now that it's been unleashed.

As far as complaining... of course we'll still complain. Let's not forget XNodes and project environment integration.

[vugie]

Something has irrevocably ended...

I don't have 8.6 so I cannot check it directly, but I read help file and realized that not so many properties were released, not so many... So my T-shirt design is still actual. Maybe I have to change property. Any candidates?

[Aristos Queue]

QUOTE (Ton @ May 29 2009, 03:36 PM)

OK AQ the guidelines of LAVA clearly state that 'CAPS ONLY' is forbidden, for once we let it pass through.

Believe it or not, I typed the headline and deleted it twice as I considered and reconsidered whether or not this post warranted the all caps. I decided that with this much pent up demand, the requirements for shouting were met.

[LAVA 1.0 Content]

QUOTE (Michael Aivaliotis @ May 29 2009, 05:28 PM)

Let's not forget XNodes and project environment integration.

I second that!

Dany

[Aristos Queue]

QUOTE (Michael Aivaliotis @ May 29 2009, 04:28 PM)

Let's not forget XNodes and project environment integration.

Opening up the project integration to just two non-NI groups has produced maintenance headaches. There is no interest at all from the NI side in maintaining binary compatibility of project plugins across versions of LV, and many reasons against maintaining such... witness the mess that XNode interfaces have become for those of you who have dug into them. Various conversations are in play around NI about ways to open up the project integration -- the two that have been done thus far are trial runs for opening it up wider, but no one is ready to flip that switch at this time.

[AdamRofer]

ABOUT FRIGGING TIME.

That is all.

Also, XNodes would be good to "release," like other people have said. Even if they need to be "cleaned up" for the "public."

- Adam

[LAVA 1.0 Content]

QUOTE (Aristos Queue @ May 30 2009, 01:25 AM)

Believe it or not, I typed the headline and deleted it twice as I considered and reconsidered whether or not this post warranted the all caps. I decided that with this much pent up demand, the requirements for shouting were met.

Yes I can understand, but now if I look at my RSS reader, it is quite annoying.

Strange how such little things distract you.

QUOTE (Aristos Queue @ May 30 2009, 04:04 AM)

Opening up the project integration to just two non-NI groups has produced maintenance headaches. There is no interest at all from the NI side in maintaining binary compatibility of project plugins across versions of

LV

.

OK, what have JKI and Endevo (I assume you mean those two) done?

Ton

[i2dx]

a big "Thank You" to NI and AQ! ... this makes me really happy

[David Wisti]

Now that scripting is legal, should it be moved out of Rusty Nails?

[LAVA 1.0 Content]

QUOTE (David Wisti @ May 30 2009, 05:04 PM)

Now that scripting is legal, should it be moved out of Rusty Nails?

Well legal and supported are two very different things...

I think we still will see the occasional crash when we 'script'.

Shouldn't we come up with a better name than script?

Meta-Programming for instance?

Ton

[Aristos Queue]

QUOTE (i2dx @ May 30 2009, 09:06 AM)

a big "Thank You" to NI and AQ! ... this makes me really happy

I had very little to do with it other than saying, "Yes I think its a good idea" when asked.

NOTE: Someone else mentioned that it has been made public and we should go further and remove the licensing from it. I would be stunned if that ever happens. We do NOT want this in the regular product. Scripting is a powerful dangerous tool. It has the ability to put your VI into inconsistent states. It is not consistent between LV versions. And it is very rarely the right option for the vast majority of LV users in the world. Requiring interested parties to come to the NI website and download a separate component in order to turn it on keeps it out of the common LV interface. Please remember that serving programmers is a secondary priority for LabVIEW as a language. Our primary goal is serving non-programmers in some key domains. We are trying to balance power vs security, and making it a separate install serves that balance nicely.

QUOTE (David Wisti @ May 30 2009, 10:04 AM)

Now that scripting is legal, should it be moved out of Rusty Nails?

Legal and rusty are very different things. Scripting is no longer in the attic, but that just means that now that it is sitting in sunlight in the backyard, you can see the nails easier.

[Jim Kring]

QUOTE (Ton @ May 30 2009, 01:38 AM)

OK, what have JKI and Endevo (I assume you mean those two) done?

JKI has integrated VI Tester and VIPM into the project (the VIPM part is "coming soon"). We did this via a "secondary provider" which doesn't have any "binary compatibility" issues, based on what I know. Also, there were really no headaches on our side -- we basically got it up and running in about a day. Of course, we still have lots of feature requests

[Val Brown]

QUOTE (Aristos Queue @ May 29 2009, 09:50 AM)

http://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-4973#cf

After years of lobbying, National Instruments has now released scripting as a tool that our users are allowed to use. The Windows license and support files are now available for download from the above link. Mac and Linux download will be posted next week.

For those who are wondering, "What do we need to download on Mac/Linux since there's no licensing required?" ... there's a .zip file of useful information and instructions that will be posted.

Nicely done AQ et al to have gotten this released. Perhaps an event/presentation at NI Week on how to use scripting would be a good idea?

I do hope it doesn't create too many support headaches for NI. That will make it more likely that NI would decide to release other "features" on a "need to know" and "at your own risk" basis.

[Black Pearl]

QUOTE (Aristos Queue @ May 30 2009, 06:26 PM)

NOTE: Someone else mentioned that it has been made public and we should go further and remove the licensing from it. I would be stunned if that ever happens. We do NOT want this in the regular product. Scripting is a powerful dangerous tool. It has the ability to put your VI into inconsistent states. It is not consistent between LV versions. And it is very rarely the right option for the vast majority of LV users in the world. Requiring interested parties to come to the NI website and download a separate component in order to turn it on keeps it out of the common LV interface. Please remember that serving programmers is a secondary priority for LabVIEW as a language. Our primary goal is serving non-programmers in some key domains. We are trying to balance power vs security, and making it a separate install serves that balance nicely.

What I actually like with the old ini keys is, that when I want to use scripting for some internal tools, I switch them on. Normally I have them of, because I don't need it for developing software, so I can browse faster through the properties.

Felix

[ShaunR]

QUOTE (Aristos Queue @ May 30 2009, 05:26 PM)

Please remember that serving programmers is a secondary priority for LabVIEW as a language.

This in an horrific statement.

[Val Brown]

QUOTE (ShaunR @ May 30 2009, 01:50 PM)

This in an horrific statement.

Why do you think it's so horrific? It makes a great deal of sense to me -- for what THAT's worth -- and it is an honest reflection of the nature of NIs products and orientation.