Single Engine Multiple UIs

[kent.wedeking]

Seemingly straightforward question.  Is it possible (notice I didn't say recommended) to have a single TestStand Engine instance communicating with two different UIs via the sequence engine callbacks (PostUIMessage for example)?

Now some background.  My company has an establish custom UI for TestStand with a custom Process model for our testing.  I'm working solely with Single Slot "ATP" style tests right now.  I'm developing an add-on UI for higher level functionality for my customer.  Because of the requirements of our test architecture, I cannot replace our existing UI.  I have my new UI being launched from an asynchronous DLL within my TestStand code.

I'd like to be able to register to receive the same UI messages that primary UI is receiving.

I'm sure this is NOT recommended, but all I want to know is "will I break TestStand if I do this?"

Oh, for kicks and giggles, our existing UI is written in LabWindows/CVI.  Our new UI is written in C#/WPF.

[~jiggawax~]

The problem won't be the engine.  It will be the manager controls.  Because the Application Manager Control "owns" the engine how can you have 2 of those "own" the same engine.  I would think that you could get the Application Manager by using the GetInternalOption method on the engine.  Then pass that to your second "UI".  I would be very hesitant to create any events for it though.  If it were me I would just simply connect visible UI controls.

Here's an interesting thread discussing this:

https://forums.ni.com/t5/NI-TestStand/Teststand-Manager-Controls-in-Code-Modules/td-p/820828

Regards,