A file path control, shown as follows, is a LabVIEW data type that identifies the location of a file on disk.
A file path describes the volume that contains the file, the directories between the top-level of the file system and the file, and the name of the file. Enter or display a path using the standard syntax for a given platform with the path control or indicator.
The following table includes information about the different types of file paths you can use in LabVIEW.
| Type | Description | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| absolute path | An absolute path describes the location of a file or directory starting from the top level of the file system. For example, E:\Temp\test.txt. | Use an absolute path to point to the same location in a file system, regardless of the current working directory. |
| relative path | A relative path describes the location of a file or directory relative to an arbitrary location in the file system. For example, ..\test.txt. | Use a relative path to point to a location that might change with the current working directory. Use relative paths in VIs to avoid having to rework the paths if you build an application or run the VI on a different computer. |
| symbolic path or pseudopath | A symbolic path or pseudopath is a predefined short form of a path that you can use in LabVIEW. For example, the <vilib> symbolic path represents the <vi.lib> directory in the labview directory. At run time, LabVIEW interprets the <vilib> symbolic path as an absolute path, such as C:\Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\LabVIEW 2009\vi.lib or D:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 2009\vi.lib, depending on where LabVIEW is installed. | Use a symbolic path to point to a location that changes with the execution environment, such as where on disk LabVIEW is installed or which user is logged in. |