The VIs on the File I/O palette you use depend on the format of the files. You can read data from or write data to files in the following formats:
Text�If you want to make your data available to other applications, such as Microsoft Notepad, use text files because they are the most common and the most portable. In LabVIEW, the following types of files belong to text files:
Note��Although you cannot open an Excel file (.xlsx) directly in a text editor, the file is a zipped file consisting of multiple XML files. Each XML file is in text file format.
Binary�If you need to perform random access file reads or writes or if speed and compact disk space are crucial, use binary files because they are more efficient than text files in disk space and in speed. In LabVIEW, the following types of files belong to binary files:
Datalog�If you want to manipulate complex records of data or different data types in LabVIEW, use datalog files because they are the best way to store data if you intend to access the data only from LabVIEW and you need to store complex data structures.
(Windows) If you want to use LabVIEW to access data in a file format other than those listed above, you can use DataPlugins. DataPlugins provide a unified method to access data with LabVIEW, regardless of the file format.
