Why does my MATLAB-compiled library (DLL) fail to initialize when deploying a driver application built with LabWindows/CVI?

I have compiled a C shared library (DLL) using the MATLAB Compiler. I am using the DLL in a project I am developing with the National Instruments LabWindows/CVI IDE.

In debug mode, I am able to successfully initialize the MATLAB Compiler Runtime along with my DLL, and use the DLL functions from the application. I then create a Distribution via a .cds file configuration and build my application in Release mode. This creates an installation package for my application.

I then run the installer and install my application on a deployment machine. My MATLAB-compiled DLL is also installed by the package, as it was detected as a file dependency. When I run the deployed application, however, the MATLAB-compiled DLL fails to initialize; that is, the <libname>Initialize() routine returns as failure.

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

When building an installer package with a Distribution in LabWindows/CVI, two default behaviors occur in the program that will prevent the MATLAB-compiled DLL from initializing properly when deployed alongside your application. These behaviors are listed below, along with ways to work around them:

(1) If you are using a pre-R2008a version of the MATLAB Compiler, or if you are compiling your DLL using the R2008a version with the -C flag to override the default CTF embedding behavior, the LabWindows/CVI Build tool will not pick up the dependency between the DLL and its corresponding CTF-file.

You will need to manually specify in the Distribution configuration that the CTF-file be installed in the same directory as the DLL.

(2) The LabWindows/CVI Build tool, by default, makes a copy of MATLAB's mclmcrrt7x.dll in your application's installation directory in the deployment machine. If this file is picked up from this directory instead of mcr_root\version\runtime\win32, it cannot properly load other necessary MATLAB Compiler Runtime libraries.

You will need to configure your Distribution such that it does not install this library to your application's installation directory.