How to setup SVN or VSS source control for both LabView and TestStand

[Anne_Z]

Hi, I tried two source control software TortoiseSVN and MS VSS lately, run into different issues with either tool. The goal is to manage LV files, sequences and shared components all by one source control tool. Sequences are placed in a workspace.

Guided by NI documents about TortoiseSVN, I was able to check out/commit files, and comparing differences. Thanks to details offered in those documents. I like SVN's repository being flexible like a file directory. But couldn't find setup instructions about TestStand. Does SVN work with TestStand? If yes, then how to do it?

I later tried MS Visual SourceSafe 2005. It is nice that VSS can be easily setup from both LabView and TestStand's pull-down menu. But VSS does not recognize NI file types, and it simply displayed "Binary files differ". How to make VSS work with LabView and TestStand files?

Anne

[Elijah_K]

Yes, you can also setup TestStand Diff and Merge capabilities to be called for specific file types within SVN. Honestly, between VSS and SVN, I would strongly recommend SVN.  Perforce also has excellent integration with both and it's what we use here at NI.  Here's a recent survey that might be interesting: http://decibel.ni.com/content/polls/1050

As far as how to setup the integration, check out this passage from the TestStand Help.

"TestStand includes a shared launching application you can use with third-party source code control (SCC) providers that support launching an external application to perform two- and three-way file diff and merge operations. The launching application determines the active version of TestStand and launches the corresponding TestStand diff application that version of TestStand installs. Using the launching application alleviates the requirement to reconfigure the SCC provider each time you activate a different version of TestStand. Launch the application by running <National Instruments>\Shared\TestStand\FileDifferLauncher.exe."

[Elijah_K]

Command-Line Usage

You can also specify files to compare using command-line arguments for the application. You typically use the application to compare files in a source code control system. For example, use the following command-line syntax to specify file paths to a base file, two modified versions, and the resulting merged file to create:

FileDiffer.exe "C:\My Documents\File1.seq" "C:\My Documents\File2.seq" "C:\My Documents\File3.seq" "C:\My Documents\Merged.seq"

Use the following command-line syntax to launch a dialog box that lists all the command-line arguments you can use for the application.

FileDiffer.exe /?

or

FileDiffer.exe /help

[Anne_Z]

Thank you so much for the inputs!

With this guidance, I found the executable for seq comparison. It is associated with TestStand versions:

\National Instruments\TestStand 4.2\Bin\SequenceFileDiffer.exe

My command line setting for .seq type is similar to .vi:

"...\SequencefileDiffer.exe" %mine %base -nobdcosm -nobdpos

But when chose "Diff with previous version", TestStand "Select sequence file to diff" window poped up every time, default name in "Seuence File 2" was "-nobdpos". How can I modify the command line so that it automatically places files with selected versions (through either "Diff with previous version" or "Show log") like .vi type?

Anne