This chapter will show you how to use some more advanced data structures related to LabVIEW. First we'll briefly look at polymorphic VIs and why they are useful. Then we'll spend some time with advanced file I/O, seeing how to work with both text and binary files. We'll look at a special kind of file common to LabVIEW applications: the configuration file (sometimes called an INI file), and the functions LabVIEW provides for configuration files. In addition, this chapter will show you how LabVIEW can make system calls to the computer, how to import and export external code in the form of DLLs or Shared Libraries, and some more information on converting data types in LabVIEW. We'll introduce the Variant data type. Finally, you'll take a look at advanced data conversions and why you might need them.
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