Scripting Plugins

The DQMH scripting tools (located in Tools > DQMH Consortium > DQMH) support the execution of custom scripting plugin VIs after completion of the standard scripting operations performed by the tool. Read below for more information about how to get started creating plugins and where to install them.

How To Create a Plugin

Create your plugin based on one of the templates in the following folder, depending on which scripting feature you want to augment:

[LabVIEW 20xx]\vi.lib\Delacor\Delacor QMH\Libraries\Scripting Plugin Templates

Some things to consider when writing your plugin:

  • Do not close any references that are passed into your plugin.

  • Close any Application, VI, Project, or ProjectItem references that you open within your plugin.

  • If your plugin modifies VIs or Libraries, make sure your plugin calls the 'Save' method on those modified files.

  • There are several utility VIs that ship with DQMH that may be useful when writing plugins. Those utility VIs are located here: [LabVIEW 20xx]\vi.lib\Delacor\Delacor QMH\Libraries\_Scripting Support

Where To Install Plugins

DQMH scripting plugins must be installed into one of the following folders, depending on which feature the plugin augments:

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\Add Helper Loop to DQMH Module

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\Add New DQMH Module

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\Convert DQMH Event

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\Create DQMH Module Template

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\Create New DQMH Event

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\Create RT Tester

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\Duplicate DQMH Event

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\New DQMH Unit Test

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\Remove DQMH Event

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\Rename DQMH Event

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\Rename DQMH Module

  • [LabVIEW Data]\DQMH Scripting Plugins\Duplicate DQMH Module

Some things to consider about these plugin folder locations:

  • Any plugin VI with a file name that starts with an underscore will not be executed.

  • Subfolders within these folders will not be searched for plugins.

  • To locate the [LabVIEW Data] folder on your system, go to Tools > Options > Paths > Default Data Directory in LabVIEW.

  • If you want a plugin to execute across multiple possible installations of LabVIEW on the machine, make sure the plugin VI is saved in the earliest LabVIEW version you wish to support.

When Plugins Execute

Plugins are always executed as the very last step in a DQMH scripting tool before the tool closes references and completes execution.

Some things to consider about the execution of DQMH scripting plugin VIs:

  • If a given DQMH scripting tool has multiple plugins installed, they will execute in alphabetical order based on plugin VI file name.

  • If a plugin VI generates an error, subsequent plugins will still execute. Only the first plugin error will be returned and displayed to the end user.

  • Plugins released by the DQMH Consortium may be prioritized to execute before other plugins.