For 20 years, scientists and engineers have been using LabVIEW to build automated data acquisition and instrument control solutions for their design labs, validation labs, and production floors. Over this time, LabVIEW has evolved and improved through many new releases and extensions based on active user feedback and experimentation, to the point that LabVIEW has become a de facto industry standard for these application areas (see Figure1). At its core, the LabVIEW graphical programming language has enabled technical professionals with no formal programming training or background to build advanced automated measurement and control systems very quickly. But LabVIEW has evolved into much more than just a programming language. LabVIEW has a widespread collection of tools that make up a graphical development platform for design, control, and test. This paper outlines the core technical components of the LabVIEW platform that has enabled it to deliver unprecedented productivity to so many users over the past two decades, and reviews the breadth of application tools and libraries that are driving the LabVIEW platform into new industries and markets.Download whitepaper