GOOP FAQ

Installation

Q: Do new versions of the toolkit overwrite old versions?

A: New versions of the toolkit overwrite old versions unless you choose to install them in parallel folders.

Q: Will a new installation affect the already generated code?

A: The already generated code is affected, since all classes will use the latest installed GOOP run-time, e. g. …\vi.lib\addons\_goop4.llb for GOOP 4.

Class template version of already created classes is however unchanged.
 

Q: How do I uninstall the GOOP Development Suite?

A: Open the Product Information dialog from: Tools->GOOP. In the lower left corner there is an uninstall button.

For manual uninstall, it depends on the GOOP version. Contact GOOP(at)symbio.com for advice. 

Q: What happens if I uninstall the GOOP Development Suite? 

A: Nothing, the code will continue to run. The native classes can be maintained by LabVIEW built-in features. The GOOP and OpenG classes will be harder to maintain without a tool. Method creation is OK; you can just copy and rename an existing method. But renaming a class or changing inheritance hierarchy is hardly feasible without the tool.

Using UML doesn't create any new code dependencies; it is just another way of creating the code.

Community Edition

Q: What are the limitations in the Community Edition?

A: The GOOP Development Suite - Community Edition is a limited version of the UML Architect Edition. These are the limitations:

• Max 5 classes in a UML class diagram
• Max 10 classes in project, 5 of these can be GOOP 4
  
• No update class to new template feature
• No support

The Community Edition license is not time limited and commercial usage is allowed.

Q: For how long can I use the Community Edition?

The Community Edition is not time limited so there is no limitation. A new license key is issued every year and it can be found at Symbio’s web site.

Compatibility

Q: Can I add or change attributes or methods generated by an old GOOP toolkit version?

A: Yes, just open them in LabVIEW and make the desired changes. The tool is mainly used to create new code so you really don’t need the tool to change methods and attributes.

To create new classes or methods, install the tool and then use the built-in features for method creation.

Q: Can I create normal LabVIEW classes with the GOOP Development Suite?

A: Sure, open the "Class Provider Options..." dialog by clicking on the green tools button or from the Tools->GOOP menu. Select “Symbio LabVIEW Native” as class provider. The next GOOP class you create will be a normal LabVIEW lvclass created from a class template so it has an Init method and a CleanUp method by default.

Q: What is the difference between GOOP 3 and GOOP 4?

A: Starting with GOOP 3, all GOOP classes are LabVIEW classes using the object-orientation that was introduced in LabVIEW 8.2. All classes are still by-reference as opposed to LVOOP classes that are by-value. LVOOP also provides functionalities like access scope and inheritance that is used by GOOP.

In GOOP 4, DVR (Data Value Reference) class attributes was introduced. This makes the GOOP 4 code more lightweight and easier to maintain as there is no kernel keeping track of the objects. As a consequence, all regular GOOP classes just use its own class VI’s for accessing their attributes.

If you need more detailed information about the differences between the GOOP versions, please contact GOOP(at)symbio.com.

Q: Will the GOOP classes work on future LabVIEW versions?

A: No one can guarantee that existing code will run on future LabVIEW versions. But Symbio has built in a way of maintaining GOOP classes (the native classes are no problem since no extras is added to them). The GOOP code that needs future maintenance due to bug fixes or LV compatibility is:

1.  The old GOOP kernels: …\vi.lib\addons\_goop2.llb and …\vi.lib\addons\_goop3.llb. These are run-time VIs used by all created GOOP 2 and GOOP 3 classes.

2.    The GOOP 4 kernel: …\vi.lib\addons\_goop4.llb. This kernel just contains functions for debugging and persistent classes.

3.     The GOOP 4 class templates: The class templates are used as template VIs when a new class is created. They therefore become a part of your code. If Symbio releases a new version of the class templates, this will cause all classes created thereafter to use the new class templates. However, your existing code is unchanged. Therefore, we included an Update Class Template feature. This feature allows you to update the class template for all existing classes to the latest installed class template. This feature saves you a huge bulk of manual labour and ensures that Symbio can keep the GOOP 4 classes compatible with future LabVIEW versions.

Q: Is there a LabVIEW Project "import tool" or any recommendations for importing pre-project GOOP into a LabVIEW Project?

A: Just place all files in the project, no special concerns. Since the tool doesn’t automatically add code to projects it may be convenient to use auto-populating project folders.

There is one thing to be aware of: All generated code and the tool depends on the naming scheme used (e.g. “ClassName_methodName.vi” etc), so don’t change this.