NI TestStand Idea Exchange

Since our projects involve several developers working in tandem, we manage all project relevant data under SCM (Source Code Management). This way sharing and exchange of data between developers is much easier. To ensure that all developers can access and use the same TestStand Components – especially the language directory – the TestStand configuration directory is also under SCM control.

During the development process if a developer checks out the project folder, for example to „C:\ProjectX“, then the language folder is available under „C:\ProjectX\TestStand\Components\Language“.

In Teststand there is an option to point the configuration directory to a custom directory. To do this, go under the Station Options – Preferences – Configuration Directory,  and change the default path to our custom checkout path.

However, even changing this setting, the language files are still get loaded from the default configuration path. In other words, assigning new custom path (which is „C:\ProjectX\TestStand\Components\Language“) seems to have no effect and the older default location (which is „C:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\TestStand“) keeps getting selected instead.

This means, every developer has to copy the ProjectX TestStand folder into the default location manually a SCM update.

Suggested solution: make the whole default location directory changeable, to point to a custom directory. Thus during development of different projects, it is much easier to switch between the projects and to have the possibility to check out the code from a SCM to only one directory (and continue working with them).

Let's say we have a parameter to a subsequence of a named type, and we want to create a so-named Local or FileGlobal with the same type.

One way to do this with our current workflow is to:

• Type the same property name in the parameter value
• Right-click the parameter
• Click on "Create Locals.whatever"
• mouse over the types menu
• Glance through most of the types, select the custom type

I'm proposing a simpler workflow for cases when you just want to duplicate or "clone" the property with the same name and type in Locals or FileGlobals:

• Right-click the empty parameter value
• Select "Create Locals.whatever" or "Create FileGlobals.whatever"

The respective menu options would appear if the so-named variable does not already exist.

The subproperty is created in the Locals or FileGlobals with the same type as the parameter.

Can we have the UI show a different status for a disabled socket?  It shows the socket as "Completed [Passed]" if I disable a socket when running the batch model.  This seems misleading.  It should say "disabled" and maybe have a null symbol icon or something to signify that it didn't actually pass any test.