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The NI Idea Exchange is a product feedback forum where NI R&D and users work together to submit ideas, collaborate on their development, and vote for the ones they like best. View all of the NI Idea Exchanges to post an idea or add your opinion on an existing one today!
New Idea

Currently, the only way to pass parameters from a subsequence to a caller is by reference.  It would be nice if you could also pass parameters to callers by value to prevent the callers from modifying them.

Using the stock reportgen_xml.seq file, the text value of the XML node shouldn't contain the characters < or >:

 

http://www.w3.org/TR/xml/#syntax

 

When using LabVIEW VI's to parse this, you (rightly) get errors, so it's incredibly difficult to just search and replace the offending characters with their XML escapes. 

 

Example node contents from the XML report:

 

<Prop Name='ReportText' Type='String' Flags='0x400000'>
                            <Value><![CDATA[{0} Locals.i = 0; Locals.i < 2; Locals.i += 1]]></Value>
                        </Prop>

Jean-Louis

Sequence adapter available for substeps

Status: New
by Member Jean-Louis ‎03-14-2013 02:48 PM - edited ‎03-14-2013 02:53 PM

When creating custom step types, it is highly recommended to use Post-Step for calling execution module instead of Default Module.

Thus, when instanciating a custom step type, parameters passing is not saved within the sequence but only in the step type definition.

This allows to change parameters passing without having to update all the step types instances.

 

In some big test benches, it is intersesting to have low-level step types and high step types based on low level step types.

High level step types execution modules are sequences using low level step types.

 

Since sequence adapter is not available for Post-Step, we are obliged to call the sequence through Default Module.

Thus it can generate problems when adding parameters in sequence call.

 

I suggess to allow Sequence Call in SubStep creation :

 

SequenceAdapterInPostStep.png

 

Jean-Louis Schricke, MESULOG

TestStand Architect

Al.B

Create a TestStand context help pane

Status: New
by Active Participant Al.B on ‎03-26-2013 03:19 PM

When using the TestStand API, I always find myself switching back and forth between TestStand and the TestStand reference help.  While the intellisense function help is usually enough, many times I like seeing the more detailed information in the help.  I would really like to have the option of displaying context specific help in a TestStand pane, similar to the context help window in LabVIEW.

 

This pane could dynamically update to display function information when using expressions, or show general information about the active pane or dialog (for newer users).  Much of the linking for the second case is already done, since the F1 key will pull up relevant help for the active pane currently.

 

TestStand context help pane.png

zyl7

Re-write LabVIEW code for Full UI and Simple UI

Status: New
by Active Participant zyl7 on ‎02-20-2013 05:01 AM

Often working with Full Featured UI and Simple UI codes to create custom interfaces for TS, I noticed that the versions shipped with LV2012 are full of deprecated functions.

Also, most of their implementation go against good LV coding rules.

 

Re-writing them could be a great idea !

warren_scott

edit substep supports multiple steps

Status: New
by Active Participant warren_scott on ‎05-03-2013 03:19 PM

Right now, custom substeps (edit substep in particular) only supports one step at a time.  (I can only invoke the edit substep if exactly one step is selected).  However, I have a case where I have a dozen or more steps in a row that are all the same custom step type, and I want to perform the custom edit event on all of them.  This means going through each one individually, which takes a while.  I'd love to be able to select all of them, and then invoke the edit substep call for all of them at once.  The "cheap" way to do this would be to just invoke the edit substep of the first one, and then once that is done to go to the next, and the next, and finally you are done (but this is still annoying to the user).  What would be nice is to be able to pass an array of sequence context values in (one for each step that is selected), and then your edit code could manage all of the steps however it sees fit.  If multiple different step types are selected, it could just default to not allowing a multi-step custom edit, but ideally if all of the steps selected shared a common edit substep entry (name and module) it would allow it.

Often times a sequence file ends up containing dozens (or even hundreds) of sequences.  Currently they all show up in the sequence editor Sequence Window as a flat list.  It sure would be nice to view them organized in folders so that, for instance, all my sequences dealing with Rs485 communications or whatever could be group together in a "folder" called "RS485".  Also it would be great if there was a displayable property for each sequence showing the date/time last modified.  Then you could sort the list on that and see which sequences have changed. (really helpful if you have multiple guys who might be making changes.)

Al.B

Update the Callbacks Dialog to use Checkboxes

Status: New
by Active Participant Al.B on ‎12-07-2012 04:49 PM

I think that this simple change to the sequence file callbacks dialog would make it far more simple and intuitive.

 

new:

 newcallbacks.png

 

current:

 

callbacksDialog.png

warren_scott

select case should support multiple values

Status: In Beta
by Active Participant warren_scott on ‎07-16-2012 05:45 PM

For some reason I was certain this was already in the idea exchange, but I couldn't find it -- so I'll post it.

 

Select Case structures are frustratingly difficult to use if you want one case to support multiple values.

 

In text languages you can often do something like

 

Switch (Foo) {

Case 1:

execute this code;

Case 2:

execute this code;

Case 3:

Case 4:

Case 5:

execute this code;

Case 6:

execute this code;

Default:

execute this code;

}

 

Notice that the case for 3,4,5 is all the same, and I just need to put it in place once.

TestStand can't do this.  You need to do something like this:

how to do select case on multiple values

which is horribly difficult to write, maintain, and understand what is happening.  It would be MUCH easier if select case on multiple values worked like this:

SelectCaseImplementA.png

where it looks just like other text based languages, although it takes up quite a bit of realestate on the screen.

or maybe something like this:

SelectCaseImplementB.png

where I can just type in a comma separated list of allowed values.  The similarity with text based languages disappears here, but it is much smaller on screen (but notice how it shows nicely in the description field) and lines up better with LabVIEW notation.

 

 

Note: LabVIEW already supports doing this, and also supports ranges of values (eg 3, 5..10, 12 for numerics) which would also be nice, and also supports case sensitive and insensitive comparison for cases. 

Status: In Beta
LVB

Add Result Recording Option "Enabled On Step Failure"

Status: New
by Member LVB on ‎11-07-2012 03:49 PM

When monitoring values within a loop in TestStand, it is often desired to only record step failure results.  It would be useful to have a "Result Recording Option" of "Enabled On Step Failure":

 

TestStand Idea Exchange - Enable Result Recording On Step Failure.png

 

This is possible through various means (SequenceFilePostResultListEntry callbacks and other custom code).  However, I believe this would simplify TestStand sequence development significantly.

The Sequence File Documentation Tool allows you to create documentation in the file formats HTML and text.

 

It would be nice if it could also create XML based documentation similar to report generation. Selecting a style sheet will ensure that the XML file is presented in a certain way using a browser.

 

Norbert

I think it would be a great idea to allow the sequence adapter to expand containers like the CVI and LabVIEW adapters do when you are editing the module for the step. 

 

 

See attachment.

flaborde

Intelligent Variable Creation

Status: New
by Member flaborde ‎02-12-2013 10:49 AM - edited ‎02-12-2013 11:06 AM

The menu to create a new variable (right click on variable in an expression edit control and select Create "VariableName") contains all the data types you can use for the variable, however, in the LabVIEW Panel (and other similar panels or dialogs) there is enough context information about the variable to suggest a data type, for example, if the variable is in a control of type Double we know we should create a Numeric variable. TestStand should add the contextual suggestions to the top of the context menu and bold them so that I can more quickly select the data type I want most of the times, then have a separator and put the normal menu so if I don't want that data type for some reason I can still choose the other data types (see attached image).

I'm taking a bunch of steps and trying to put a "If" flow control step around them. 

Kinda like this:

TS_StartIf.png

 

But what I end up with is just a If/End statement in the middle of the steps that I selected (well, after the first step in the selection)

 

TS_ResultsIf.png

 

What I would have liked to see is this:

 

TS_wantedIf.png

 

Whare the If/End wraps the steps that I selected.

I don't quite know how best to handle the situation where the steps you have selected are not sequential (there's an unselected step in the middle), but that could probably just behave how it is now.

 

Status: In Beta

Hello,

 

Could we add an option to the context menu within TestStand that populates when one right clicks the tab for a *.seq file in the Sequence Editor?  I would like a feature that allows users to be able to close every window except for the selected window.  I've included a screen shot below for clarity.

 

CloseAllButThisFile.png

 

Cheers!

 

Shawn S.

Status: In Beta
~jiggawax~

ProcessModelFileLoad Engine Callback

Status: New
by Active Participant ~jiggawax~ on ‎12-10-2012 08:10 AM

Similar to the SequenceFileLoad Callback but for any sequence file using that process model.

 

One use case would be invoking a splash screen with company information.

Find yourself placing a Sequence Call step and trying to determine the appropriate value to enter for a numeric parameter called "Direction"?  Tired of creating sequences with numeric parameters named like the following: "Direction_0_Up_1_Down_2_Left_3_Right"?

 

The solution is to support the creation of variables with enumerated type within TestStand.  Enums could be created as custom variables and then used as wherever a self-documenting variable is required.

 

 

Enum type creation:

 24440i0A04C051A35273A4

 

 

 

As seen from a Sequence Call step to a subsequence that uses an Enum as a parameter: 

 

24442i5CDD825A78B161E5

 

Status: Under Consideration
Although we don't yet have the ability to create enum or ring datatypes in TestStand, TestStand 2012 now provides full integration for LabVIEW ring controls where the parameter list on a LabVIEW adapter step populates with the ring list. This is similar to the LabVIEW enum support that has been supported for a while now. For more details take a look at the LabVIEW Ring Control Support section in the What's New in TestStand 2012 document: http://www.ni.com/white-paper/14148/en#toc5
Teds

Message Box enhancement with Preview button.

Status: New
by Member Teds on ‎03-28-2012 11:56 AM

I would like to enhance the TestStand Message Box step to add a 'Preview' button.  When selected, it would show how the currently configured message box will look when run.

 

I find that I am often switching around the text, fonts, and other aspects and would like to get that straightened out before run time.  I know you can run the step individually by selecting 'Run Selected Step' but that is tedious, plus you have to take into account preconditions and other functionality.  Normally, I have to remove the precondition (if there is one) as often the step cannot be run by itself.

 

So here is my example with the button added.  Not exactly sure what tab it would belong on.

 

 Message Box with Preview


 

Thanks,

 

Paul

 

warren_scott

Show matching Parenthesis

Status: New
by Active Participant warren_scott on ‎05-17-2011 06:05 PM

Do you ever write an expression in TestStand with a bunch of parenthesis () and get lost halfway through trying to figure out which pairs are open and which are closed.  Well, I do.  Every Day.  And I spend accumulated hours a week just trying to keep track of which ) goes with which (.  If I'm lucky I can look for a little red item in the expression, or click on the check expression checkbox, but when I have a 'only runtime evaluatable' expression I'm out of luck (which is rather often) ).  Some languages/editors have a parenthesis matching, where the ) your cursor is on causes the matching ( to get bold or flash.  Others start coloring each pair a different color, so it's easy to see them all.  Why can't TestStand do something like this????

TSparenthesis.png

 

It is common to want to place a shortcut to a TestStand User Interface or even a TestStand sequence file on the Windows Desktop for each user of a computer.  This is done by placing a shortcut in the Windows All Users Desktop directory.  Currently, the TestStand Deployment Utility only allows you to create a shortcut on the current user's Desktop.  It would be really nice if the TestStand Deployment Utility allowed you to also create shortcuts on the Windows All Users Desktop so that everyone using the computer could see this shortcut on his or her Desktop.

About NI TestStand Idea Exchange

Do you have a feature idea for how to improve NI TestStand? Submit and vote on ideas now!

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