NI TestStand Idea Exchange

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The settings field can easily become too long to see every active option and there's not necesarily any consistency between steps if they have differing options. What I mean by that is if you only set the "Do Not Record Result" (my favorite) option in one step, it will be on the left of the settings field. But if you now set several options on another step, the settings are not lined up so that it becomes hard to see at a quick glance which steps I forgot to not record (because TS still doesn't default to not recording steps). You have to analyze the settings line for each step.

I propose something more graphical and ordered. Here's my idea of at least ordered. The text could be replaced with icons representing each setting.

Then it would be graphical, ordered, and concise. What more can you ask for?

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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 :

Jean-Louis Schricke, MESULOG

TestStand Architect

Support Unicode

Right now, you really can't reliably use anything other than a basic ASCII character set in TestStand, which means that some SI units (such as ohms) cannot be represented in their preferred way (with an omega). It also means that you can't put non-english characters in your sequence file and reliably have them show up if your sequence file is opened on a different computer with a different language localization (which causes a huge problem if your customer demands support for non-English languages, and has more than one site -- that speaks a different language -- around the world).

Make TestStand support Unicode, so we can use the full greek character set for things like units, and so we can type characters from any language in our sequence files, and not have them change to a different character if we open them on a computer with a different localization.

Create a TestStand context help pane

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.

Simplify exporting arrays of properties

Currently, to export properties which are part of an array, such as the limits of a multiple numeric limit test, you have to specify each index of the array separately, like in the first screen shot, or else you get all of the raw XML, which is difficult to interpret and use.

This is both labor intensive and unituitive. . If instead we had the option to export the array with the "?" and have it parse the information out like in picture 1, it would be much simpler to use.

Regards,

Kyle Mozdzyn

Applications Engineering

National Instruments

Define Variables as Constant

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User Defined Expression Functions

Since not every path on the hard drive can be in the drop down list, and some may be higher up in the tree from paths that are in the drop down list (and some may not be there at all) it would be great if we could specify relative paths and/or environment variables.

For example:

TestStand Application Data (for Windows 7) = "C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\TestStand". But, I want to install a file structure starting at "C:\ProgramData". Currently, my only options are to write a custom command to copy the files over after install to some other directory that's in the combo box. But this isn't great because things can be easily left behind on uninstall.

With a relative path, I could specify the subdirectory of to be "..\.." and with Windows environment variable support, I could specify %ALLUSERSPROFILE%. Either would take me to "C:\ProgramData".

Having tried both of these in TS2010sp1 installer builds, neither of these seem to be supported, and it would be awesome if they were in the future.

Thanks!

Expression Variables

I was in the middle of creating an ugly expression that was parsing a string and building a file path from other standard file paths and realized that I can clean up the expressing by creating a few local variables. But then I thought do I really want to create these local variables in my sequence that only exist for the purpose of this one expression. Then I thought, what if I can define a variable within the expression itself, kind of how a variable is defined in C or something similar. It only exists during the evaluation of the expression.

Step highlighting or tagging

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Hello,

For the moment the runtime error handling can be managed by using ...

Runtime error options
Ignore runtime error flags
Manually, for action steps, by handling actions returns

It should be nice to add such a kind TRY CATCH block, in order to modify the error handling in a local section of a sequence.

TRY

Steps ...

CATCH

case 35 // Error code = 35

end

case default // All other error codes

end

End

Doing so, could be a way to handle runtime errors, in an other way that the global configured way.

Manu.

Create Custom Data Type from Variable Pane

In some cases it could be handy, if you were able to convert a container you've constructed in the variable pane into a type directly from the variables pane.

One case could be, if you chose to store some settings in the sequence file, but the settings are dependent upon fx equipment or the product variant. It can be handy to have a variable with the settings, and an array of settings specific to various configurations from which you can choose. But the 'settings' container and the type in the array of settings containers, of course have to align. And this is best achieved by a custom data type.

Often sequences start out for one configuration only, and later on the need for multiple configurations occurs - and that's why I think it could be handy - if you were able to convert a container, already in the variable pane, into a custom data type.

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Enable mouse button navigation

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Hi there,

This post is just in order to know why there is a user interface available in LabVIEW language (simple or full-featured) suitable for sequential model and NOT for Batch and Parallel models, while these are available in CVI language ?

The customer, who is an allaince member and a famous TestStand user (MESULOG) submitted this idea because he had to translate code from CVI to LabVIEW, and thnik this would be a great thing to add to the next release.

Cheers,

Mathieu,

The MOST annoying part of working with TestStand is the fact that the developer has to re-enter e-v-e-r-y bloody value for a given parameter when the prototype changes in a LabVIEW VI. I seem to recall that older versions of TestStand would allow the user to do that, but the more recent version don't. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me and this was never possible..

In any case... When dealing with two parameters which have over 300 (yes!! THREE HUNDRED) entries, this is a bloody nightmare!! Doing it once is nightmareish.. Doing it multiple times is a death sentence!!! Sidenote: I inherited the code and cannot change its structure...

In this particular case, the valeus are all Locals.

The first idea on this subject is to allow editing the original parameters when making changes to a prototype (LabVIEW or any other source). Or as the sister idea to this one, allow to Copy & Pate the contents of a container! See this thread!

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LV Primitives in TS

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NI TestStand Idea Exchange

Visual settings in the steps pane instead of a (sometimes) mile-long text list

Sequence adapter available for substeps

Support Unicode

Create a TestStand context help pane

Simplify exporting arrays of properties

Add a native DateTime data type to the TestStand Engine

Define Variables as Constant

Native support for maps or dictionaries in TestStand

User Defined Expression Functions

Add support for relative paths and Environment Variables in the Installation Destination for Installers

Expression Variables

Beable to pass parameters with the Sequence used in Post Actions

Step highlighting or tagging

Try Catch block to handle runtime errors ...

Allow Users to Change Font Colors for Steps in the Sequence Editor

Create Custom Data Type from Variable Pane

Enable mouse button navigation

User Interfaces available in LabVIEW : Why Sequential model and not Batch or Parallel ?

Allow to edit parameter when prototype changes

LV Primitives in TS