Build Steps for Distributions
Use the Build Steps dialog box to specify sets of actions to execute before and after you create a distribution. Click the Build Steps button in the Manage Distributions dialog box to open this dialog box.
You can specify the following actions:
- Pre-build actions—Actions that occur after LabWindows/CVI checks for dependencies and before it builds the distribution.
- Post-build actions—Actions that occur after the distribution is built. Post-build actions occur only when a distribution is successful and after you close the build progress dialog box.
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Note If your build actions fail, select Edit Build Steps in the dialog box that displays to update the build steps that failed. |
For both sets of actions, you can specify whether the working directory is the Workspace directory or the Distribution output directory.
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Note If any action changes the current working directory, LabWindows/CVI does not reset the current working directory for subsequent actions. The current working directory is reset for each step. |
Actions can be any command supported by a Windows batch file. You can pass arguments, either hard-coded or special LabWindows/CVI variables, to the action. If you specify a batch file as an action, you must use the CALL command.
LabWindows/CVI creates a batch file containing the actions for each step, and then runs the batch file. You can view the output of the build steps in the Build Output window.
You can specify the same special variables for distribution build steps that you specify for build steps for building a project. In addition, LabWindows/CVI supports the following special variables for distribution build steps:
| %name | Application name |
| %version | Version of the installer, specified in n.n.n format |
| %major | Major version of the installer |
| %minor | Minor version of the installer |
| %maint | Maintenance version of the installer |
| %lang | Installer dialog box language, such as English |
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Note Use an extra % symbol to prevent replacement of a variable. For example, use %%name if you want %name in the string instead of the application name. |
Batch files handle the % character as a special character. For more information about how batch files interpret the % character, refer to the Microsoft Web site.