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Eagerly awaiting Teststand 2024

I still use 2019 because I find the new UI too hard on the eyes. I hear TS 2024 may address this, I eagerly await the release which is expected soon! 

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Message 1 of 19
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NI Package Manager shows it in its drop down right now. You can't install it yet, as it errors out, but seems like it will be today or sometime this week.

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Message 2 of 19
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I must admit that I feel similarly. This is the first time I'm eagerly waiting for new software like a child waiting for Christmas! I hope that NI won't disappoint this time...

Michał Bieńkowski
CLA, CTA, CPI

  1. Did someone devote their time to help solve your problem? Appreciate it and give kudos.
  2. Problem solved? Accept as a solution so that others can find it faster in the future.
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Message 3 of 19
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Same here.

My traceability project is on hold because they still do not support dot net standard or net 8.0.

Hope they will update the GRPC project on theirs GitHub repos as well to Net8.0.

modify the app.config file to force the use of specific version is archaic and not acceptable to this kind of software...

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Message 4 of 19
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They did it !

jungledede_0-1728473321971.png

 

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Message 5 of 19
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Ok, the menu has a default dark mode now 😉

 

Oli_Wachno_0-1728477950179.png

Yet no release notes on the website though

 

Oli_Wachno_2-1728478102466.png

 

 

 

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Message 6 of 19
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Awesome!! My plan for this post was to get maximum chance of finding out immediately when it was available;) thank you!! You beat me! I'll install later and see what we have. Now race to be the first to report new release bugs 🙂 

Thanks again 

Michael.


 

Message 7 of 19
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@Oli_Wachno wrote:

Yet no release notes on the website though

 


You can use NI Offline Help Viewer.

 

Here it is:

 

TestStand 2024 Q4 Changes

Updated1-01-01

 

Learn about new features, behavior changes, and other updates in TestStand 2024 Q4.

.NET Adapter — .NET Assembly Execution Support

The .NET adapter now supports .NET 8 for .NET code module execution. You can still execute .NET Framework assemblies using .NET as long as the resources used in the .NET Framework assemblies are present in .NET 8.

Some items and resources are no longer supported. Consult the following list for some support changes and considerations users should take note of when developing with the .NET Adapter and TestStand 2024 Q4:
  • The IOConfig step type no longer works with the .NET Adapter. The device drivers are located in the .NET Framework GAC location, and .NET 8 does not support loading assemblies from the GAC.
  • Creating remote objects in the TestStand .NET step using the CreateRemoteObject method is no longer supported.
  • Calling into the following assemblies is no longer supported:
    • GAC assemblies
    • .NET assemblies with dependencies on GAC assemblies
    • C++/CLI assemblies
  • Consider the following when working with .NET assemblies and LabVIEW:
    • .NET assemblies called by a VI are not automatically added to TestStand deployments. You must manually add these dependencies to deployments they are used in.
    • NET Framework assembly dependencies called by LabVIEW during the execution of a TestStand .NET step must be placed next to these .NET Framework assemblies to prevent runtime execution errors. These dependencies can be found in the LabVIEW installation directory.
    • Passing .NET objects between LabVIEW and TestStand is no longer supported.
  • Sequence Editor layout files from previous TestStand versions are no longer supported.
  • Consider the following when handling TestStand objects in managed code:
    • Explicitly dispose of instances of classes implementing IDisposable.
    • Explicitly assign null to class member variables of TestStand types, like Engine, SequenceContext, and PropertyObject, when the class is no longer in use.
    • Explicitly assign null to static variables of TestStand types, like Engine, SequenceContext, and PropertyObject, before shutting the TestStand Engine down.

Support for Using Sequence Files Across Multiple Versions of TestStand

The TestStand Engine no longer updates to a new version with every new release of TestStand. This allows you to use sequence files in multiple versions of TestStand without needing to use Save As to save the file for each version of TestStand you want to use it in. Save As now only needs to be used to run sequence files in versions of TestStand with different engine versions than the version it was originally written in. The engine version of your version of TestStand can be determined by consulting the program information at Help » About TestStand.

Features from later versions of TestStand are not supported in earlier versions of TestStand, even if the versions run on the same engine version. The TestStand Analyzer can detect these support mismatches and notify the user.

Support mismatches can also occur in custom types used between versions of TestStand. Users can update their custom types according to the recommendations in Modifying Types Without Altering the Version Number to allow the TestStand Analyzer to detect and report support mismatches in custom data types.

Python Adapter — Support for Python virtual environments created using 'venv'

The TestStand Python Adapter now supports Python virtual environments created using the venv tool, in addition to virtual environments created using the earlier virtualenv tool.

LabVIEW Adapter — Source-Only VI Execution Support Through the Version-Independent Runtime Engine Support Feature

Users can use the Version Independent Runtime Engine Support feature in the LabVIEW Adapter as an option to avoid potential issues when executing source-only VIs using the LabVIEW Runtime Engine through the LabVIEW adapter. These issues can occur if the LabVIEW version the source-only VI was saved or mass-compiled in does not match the LabVIEW Runtime engine version, as VI version no longer gets updated during a save or mass-compile.

Auto Login for TestStand Default User

The default TestStand user account, administrator, no longer launches the login dialog prompting users to log in when TestStand is launched. The login dialog only launches if at least one of the following is true:
  • A user clicks on the Login option
  • The administrator account has a configured password
  • Additional user accounts other than administrator are present

TestStand Sequence Editor Visual Design Updates

TestStand 2024 Q4 introduces visual changes to the TestStand Sequence Editor designed to provide better contrast in the Sequence Editor, provide relief in the menu and tool bars, and reduce the background colour of Sequence Editor panes.

New Help Delivery Experience

TestStand 2024 Q4 help links now direct you to the online TestStand help documentation on the NI documentation portal, ni.com/docs, when your system is connected to the internet. If your system is not connected to the internet, these links launch the NI Offline Help Viewer that is installed with TestStand to connect you with help documentation. You can also use the NI Offline Help Viewer to launch TestStand help documentation from outside of TestStand.
 
Note: Use the NI Help Preferences application to set the default method for accessing NI product help to online or offline.
Note: TestStand 2024 Q4 removes offline help documentation sourced in the Microsoft Compiled HTML Help File (.chm) format.
 

API and UI Control Additions and Changes

TestStand 2024 Q4 includes the following new enumeration values, constant values, properties, and methods.
  • Enumeration and Constant Values
    • StepType_If
    • StepType_Else
    • StepType_ElseIf
    • StepType_For
    • StepType_ForEach
    • StepType_While
    • StepType_DoWhile
    • StepType_Break
    • StepType_Continue
    • StepType_Select
    • StepType_Case
    • StepType_End
    • StepType_StreamLoop
    • StepType_SweepLoop
    • StepType_Wait
    • VisualStudioDTEVersion_2022
  • Properties
    • EngineVersionString
    • ChildExecutionIds
    • ParentExecutionId
  • Methods
    • DisplayHelpTopicEx
    • GetExecution
Note: Although some TestStand components, such as the TestStand Sequence Editor, expose .NET assemblies, TestStand does not support the use of undocumented .NET APIs.
Michał Bieńkowski
CLA, CTA, CPI

  1. Did someone devote their time to help solve your problem? Appreciate it and give kudos.
  2. Problem solved? Accept as a solution so that others can find it faster in the future.
  3. Contribute to the development of TestStand by voting on the TestStand Idea Exchange.
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Message 8 of 19
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Alright, so .NET 8 has been added (but only for code module execution; for the UI, it remains as before). GAC is no longer available, you can't transfer .NET objects from LV to TS, and you need to watch out for IDispose.

 

Python venv support checked.

 

NI promised a "Modern Operator Interface" and even checked it off the list of delivered features, but to be honest, I don’t really feel like it has been delivered.

 

I'm waiting for the official release notes – maybe there will be some other interesting details, but it seems that .NET 8 is the most we can expect this year.

 

PS: Maybe I’m being paranoid, but it seems to me that if I don’t have the 32-bit version installed, I shouldn’t see an active "Launch" button for it in the version selector. Yet, I see it now. First bug?

Michał Bieńkowski
CLA, CTA, CPI

  1. Did someone devote their time to help solve your problem? Appreciate it and give kudos.
  2. Problem solved? Accept as a solution so that others can find it faster in the future.
  3. Contribute to the development of TestStand by voting on the TestStand Idea Exchange.
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Message 9 of 19
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Looks like they also removed the dependency that you couldn't install 64-bit, without also having the TestStand Runtime (32-bit) installed.

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Message 10 of 19
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