ActiveX automation adapter

[jerry_gold@my-deja.com]

Hi,

I've just developed an Automation server using MSVC++ 6.0 for use with
Test Stand 1.01, and I've got a few questions.

Firstly, when I execute my Automation server from MSVC, with /RegServer
as an argument, it seems to register OK (according to the Microsoft
COM/OLE Object Viewer), but it doesn't show up in the Automation server
drop down list in the Test Stand Edit Automation Call dialog... I've
found that I can work around this by browsing for the executable, but I
had hoped that Automation would remove the need for this... Any ideas
where I might have gone wrong???

Secondly, I've found that debugging Automation servers seems to be a
bit more difficult than debugging DLLs.

When I want to debug a DLL that is called from Test S
tand, I can simply
specify seqedit.exe as the executable for debug from MSVC.

For an Automation Server, I can only debug by setting a breakpoint in
my Test Stand sequence after my Server has been created (by the
sequence), and attaching to the process for my server... Each time I do
this I'm left thinking 'there must be a better way...'

Any help is much appreciated,

Thanks in advance,

Jerry


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Before you buy.

[Paul Mueller]

Jerry,

When TestStand 1.0 displays Automation Servers under the Automation Server
ring, it looks for the helpstring in the type libary.
You may need to manually add this to your IDL file. Look at the Benchmarks
automation server which ships with TestStand at the following location: TestStand\examples\benchmarks\ActiveX\

That IDL file contains this line:
helpstring("Benchmark 1.0 Type Library")

The next major release of TestStand will display the type library name in
the Automation Server ring if it can't find the helpstring in the type library.

I don't know of an easier way to debug automation servers with VC++. VB
has a special mode of running automation servers called, "Wait for object
creation" or something like this. It allows you to set breakpoints in the
server and they are honored automatically. I'm not sure if a future version
of VC++ will allow this.

We are also exploring ways to make debugging into VC++ DLLs and (maybe automation
servers) easier from TestStand. However, this will be in a distant future
version of TestStand if it is possible at all.

Hope this helps,
Paul Mueller
NI


jerry_gold@my-deja.com wrote:
>Hi,>>I've just developed an Automation server using MSVC++ 6.0 for use with>Test
Stand 1.01, and I've got a few questions.>>Firstly, when I execute my Automation
server from MSVC, with /RegServer>as an argument, it seems to register OK
(according to the Microsoft>COM/OLE Object Viewer), but it doesn't show up
in the Automation server>drop down list in the Test Stand Edit Automation
Call dialog... I've>found that I can work around this by browsing for the
executable, but I>had hoped that Automation would remove the need for this...
Any ideas>where I might have gone wrong???>>Secondly, I've found that debugging
Automation servers seems to be a>bit more difficult than debugging DLLs.>>When
I want to debug a DLL that is called from Test Stand, I can simply>specify
seqedit.exe as the executable for debug from MSVC.>>For an Automation Server,
I can only debug by setting a breakpoint in>my Test Stand sequence after
my Server has been created (by the>sequence), and attaching to the process
for my server... Each time I do>this I'm left thinking 'there must be a better
way...'>>Any help is much appreciated,>>Thanks in advance,>>Jerry>>>Sent
via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/>Before you buy.