LabVIEW-VI-Snippet

VI Snippet (.png) Import and Export Library for LabVIEW

Import or export a VI Snippet (.png) image programmatically using pure LabVIEW code (No external dlls or dependencies).

Getting Started

Refer to the /Examples/Example.vi to Import or Export a VI Snippet image.

What's a VI Snippet?

VI Snippets are PNG image (.png) embedded with LabVIEW code to solve the copy-and-paste (or drag-and-drop) dilemma with graphical programming. Introduced in 2014, VI Snippets provide a human readable view of code fragments, similar to what you see on stack exchange, that can be imported into the LabVIEW Development Environment.

VI Snippet images (like the one below) are dropped onto a VI's Block Diagram to copy the code snippet into the LabVIEW environment.

Over 9 years have passed and NI has yet to include an VI Snippet API so I built one myself...

Features

In addition to supporting the basic VI Snippet drag-and-drop capabilities, this library can also:

• Copy Front Panel objects to their original positions
• Wire the connector pane terminals
• Update the VI Icon
• Clone the VI Properties

Additional Information

VI Snippets are no more than PNG files with a custom PNG chunk type called niVI which embed the binary VI.

Note: This library uses VI Scripting to make a selection of all block diagram objects (i.e. decorations, nodes, sub VIs, wires, etc.) and copies the GObjects to the clipboard in the context of the block diagram. This is a workaround due to the inconsistent nature of the "Place object on cursor" IDE method.

VI Snippet PNG Chunks

Type	Description
IHDR	PNG header information
IDAT	PNG image data
niVI	LabVIEW VI code << this is the secret sauce E.g. RSRC...VI_NAME.vi
tEXt	LabVIEW VI Snippet help text E.g. National Instruments Software This image contains an embedded VI File. For more details visit ni.com/info and enter 'ex6a7h'
IEND	PNG end of file

Build

To rebuilt the VI Snippet Packed Library, open the VI-Snippet.lvproj, right-click the VI-Snippet packed library and select Build.

The Packed Library (.lvlibp) is output to Builds/VI-Snippet.lvlibp

Note: This library was built and tested with LabVIEW 2022.

Contribution

Feedback is welcome, submit a ticket for bug fixes or feature requests.

Cheers, Ryan