Getting Started with VI Package Manager (VIPM)

You Might Already Have the Power – Let's Check!

Here's something that might surprise you: if you've installed LabVIEW recently, there's a good chance you already have VI Package Manager (VIPM) installed! VIPM is available as an optional component in the LabVIEW installer, so you might already be just a few clicks away from transforming how you build LabVIEW applications. Even if you don't have it installed yet, adding VIPM is straightforward and will immediately unlock a world of community-driven solutions.

Check your start menu now.

If it’s not there, download VIPM from VIPM.io

VIPM is included in the LabVIEW installer:

VIPM download page on VIPM.io:

Ever Wondered How to Add Custom Palettes in LabVIEW?

Picture this: you're halfway through a project and need a decent messaging framework. You could spend the next three days building one from scratch (again), or you could grab DQMH from VIPM in about 30 seconds.

That's the real power of VIPM, thousands of packages from developers who've already solved the problems you're facing. Need better string manipulation? Someone's built it. Want a proper state machine template? It's there. And here's the clever bit: when you install these packages, they show up right in your LabVIEW palettes, exactly where you'd expect them. No digging through folders, no copy-pasting VIs around. They just work.

It's like having the entire LabVIEW community's toolkit at your fingertips, properly organised and ready to use.

Real-World Game Changers

Let's look at two packages that exemplify the power of community-driven development:

Hidden Gems in vi.lib by Darren Nattenger (National Instruments) allow you to utilize helpful VIs and libraries that ship with LabVIEW. Browse useful VIs in categories such as Variant data type parsing, string parsing, file manipulation, project/library manipulation, and much more.

Install it now:

1. Open VIPM
2. Search for `Hidden Gems`
3. Press install.

You’ll then see it in your LabVIEW functions palette (no need to restart LabVIEW!).

Once it’s installed, you have access to hidden LabVIEW APIs like this easy to use progress bar.

DQMH (Delacor Queued Message Handler) has revolutionized how LabVIEW developers approach application architecture. Instead of wrestling with complex messaging between different parts of your application, DQMH provides a proven framework that handles communication elegantly. Thousands of developers rely on DQMH for everything from simple test applications to complex measurement systems. What would have taken weeks to architect from scratch is now available in minutes.

OpenG represents the collective wisdom of the LabVIEW community in package form. This collection of utility functions covers everything from advanced string manipulation to file operations that extend LabVIEW's built-in capabilities. Rather than writing custom functions for common tasks, OpenG provides battle-tested solutions that have been refined through years of community use.

Your First Steps with VIPM

Browsing Packages:

1. Launch VIPM from your Start menu or desktop (it's already installed!)
2. Click the "Browse Packages" tab to explore the local catalog
3. Use the search function to find packages related to your current challenges
4. For the full experience, visit vipm.io in your browser to explore all 4000+ available packages with detailed descriptions and community ratings

Installing Your First Package:

1. Find a package that interests you (try searching for "OpenG" to start)
2. Click "Install" – VIPM handles all the complexity behind the scenes
3. Restart LabVIEW to see your new palette additions
4. Start using your new functions immediately in any project

Creating Your First Package:

1. In VIPM, click "New Package" to launch the Package Builder
2. Add your VIs, documentation, and examples
3. Configure your palette structure to make functions easy to find
4. Build your package and test it locally
5. Consider sharing it on vipm.io to help other developers

When You Need Help

The VIPM community is incredibly supportive. Visit the forums at forums.vipm.io for searchable discussions covering everything from basic usage to advanced package development. For real-time help, join the VIPM Discord server where experienced developers are usually happy to share their knowledge and help newcomers get started.

Your Next Challenge Awaits

What tricky challenges does your current project have? Before you start coding from scratch, head over to vipm.io and search for existing solutions. Whether you need data logging frameworks, instrument drivers, mathematical functions, or UI components, there's a good chance someone in the community has already solved a similar problem.

The LabVIEW ecosystem becomes stronger when we build on each other's work rather than starting from zero every time. VIPM makes this collaboration effortless, turning the collective knowledge of thousands of developers into tools you can use today.

Ready to get started? Launch VIPM, browse some packages, and discover how the community can accelerate your next project. And remember – when you solve an interesting problem, consider packaging it up and sharing it back. The developer you help might just return the favor when you need it most!