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If you have lot of code between an if, else, end statement steps (and other flow control structures for, foreach, while, and etc.), it would be nice to roll all that up so you can see more of the flow of the sequence.  This will also help to know what steps are in those structures in large sequences.  TestStand already has some code folding in the sequence, so this is an expansion of this.  Many text and code editors have this feature and it would be a great feature for TestStand.

 

 

Having the ability to have line numbers for all steps in the left hand gutter would help in troubleshooting, code reviews, and any time when communicating about a sequence.  There seems to be a gutter there already, so adding there seems to be a place for them already.  Error messages can also post the line number too.

 

When putting values into an array of number local variable, there is little documentation specifying the correct way to input values in an array. The documentation needs to be improve and/or the error message that pops when evaluating your statement should be fixed to better demonstrate the problem. The current error states "Variable or property types do not match or are not compatible. This value will cause a run-time error." A getting started documentation that addresses variable syntax would also be helpful, these ideas will improve ease of use for people working in TestStand. The typical syntax when working with arrays is the use of a bracket [] and the error that appears when using a bracket for arrays is even less helpful. Attached is an image of an example of the fixed error that would demonstrate this problem more thoroughly (The red highlighted section would be a potential change to the errors).

 

Capture.PNG

Sometimes, it is useful to have "access to TestStand applications" without showing a GUI.

So it would be nice, if there were an additional example in the User Interfaces folder (in addition to Full-Featured and Simple) which does not display an UI during execution. The control over "which sequence is to be executed" should be primarily done by command line parameters, popup panels as alternative.

Currently you can right click the insertion palette and change the position / menu items that are shown / hidden in the insertion palette from a context based dialog box. (can also be done from the same box in the type palettes view).

It would be useful to be able to modify this programatically.

Currently you can only programatically play with the typepalettefilelist from the engine property object and insert new ones or remove old ones.

If a sequence file is loaded that has a step type in it that is not currently loaded by a type palette file, then it shows up in the insertion palette (as it should do), but if the testexec.ini file says this should be set to "hide" then it is hidden.

 

Thoughts

Thanks
Sacha

So we have the setup, main and cleanup step groups in the sequence view which is fine, and they're collapsable which means if you're working in Main you don't get a screenfull of Setup above you.

We also have block sections that you can associate with step types to provide indentations making navigation easier.

What I'd like to see is the ability to create a collapsible section (so a sub sequence call is NOT what I'm talking about).

For times when a sub sequence call is not necessary, we should be able to insert a block section that is collapsable purely for visual appeal.

It makes long sequences easier to navigate. This would be a visual implementation modification on how we show block sections (so collapse versus indent).

 

Thoughts?

Thanks
Sacha

Hi,

 

I came up with a suggestion to improve the TestStand software ( currently using 4.2.1)- may be in the forthcoming versions.

 

1.Is it possible to slightly dim ( or grey) the steps that are skipped while creating the sequence file? This can help the user to know by looking at the sequence as to what steps have been skipped.

 

2. Ability to assign a color to the steps with particular settings: ex: 'preconditions'.

 

Would this help the user for a quick analysis of the sequence file during sequence creation? I am not totally sure but was just a suggestion for improvement. Any expert comments please?

 

Thanks,

 

Yogesh

Currently, when you rename a variable, you have to rename all the places where you are using the variable manually. It would be helpful to have a "smart rename" option which, after renaming the variable will update its uses.

 

smart_rename.png

It would be nice to have an option to resize an array and have the new elements contain the same properties/variables as the first element. The resize array dialog box has a checkbox for "Empty". How about one for "Auto populate from first index" or something?

 

I currently do a copy and paste into each new element, which is no fun.

 

resize array dialog box.jpg

This idea mostly goes along with this idea.  I use type def all the time in LabVIEW, especially with enums.  TestStand can interact with my VIs with enums, but they are handled as a number.  Furthermore, if the enum gets changed, the wrong value of the enum is often used.  I really like the idea of custom data type of an enum.  The ultimate would be if I only had to alter the enum once (in ctl file) and TestStand would automatically update its data type.  This should be the same for clusters.

TESTSTAND is capable of interfacing so many devices & instrument to a UUT.

 

Incase of ATE(Automatic test equipment), where lot of resources are made available to test the UUT, not all the resources or instruments will be used through out the test for a particular UNIT. Hence there should be facility to select the resources required for particular test, which will be then only initialized & used.

 

For example a simple power device requires only POWER SUPPLY, LOAD & DMM. Where as a data acquisition system requires POWER SUPPLY, DIO & AIO cards & so on.

 

Thus one should only select the resources required for test & hence no need to have init function separately for each sequence. This may sound a bit complicated but It really helps for LARGE ATEs, where optimization is KEY. Same thing can be implemented for TERMINATING resources once test is done.

When loading large sequence files, TestStand does not display progress and appears to "lock up" both TestStand and the LabVIEW OI.  Sequences with hundreds of steps can take minutes to load.  Operators often incorrectly conclude the application has stopped respoding during long pre-loads.

 

I am suggesting to implement a responsive progress display, allowing the LabVIEW OI to proceed execution, and post the following UI Messages during step pre-load.

 

UIMessageCodes

  1. UIMsg_ProgressPercent–(Value: 11) TestStand step modules post this message to the user interface to notify it to update its progress indicator associated with an execution.
  2. UIMsg_ProgressText–(Value: 12) TestStand step modules post this message to the user interface to notify it to update its progress message associated with an execution.

 

20869i87D31F1755A9EB9F

Even though we already have an About box for TestStand, it would also be nice to have one for the active TestSequence file as well. The Help menu would have a new item called "About MySequenceFile ...".

 

MySequenceFile About box splash screen:

19679i37712516107E8A41

 

The information in this screen should be loaded directly from a single FileGlobal string whenever a sequence file is made active. This can probably be done already by those that know how, but it should be already part of TestStand by default.

 

 

Eugene

I've encountered on several occassions, especially with complex testing, customers who are frustrated by the inherent 'flicker' that happens when stepping into and out of subsequences of logic. This leads to people opting to not use sub sequences, or creating complex replacements for the execution view that has a more persistant way of presenting the executed step data.

 

I'd like to see an optional setting for execution viewing that allows for sub sequences to be shown as expandable nodes (perhaps defaulted to 'collapsed') so that low level test operators can see the overview results at the sequence-call level, but so advanced users can expand for details if they're interested without added pulldowns or tabs for additional information.  this could be one more API property similiar to showing one-stepgroup or showing all, so that developers can chose whether to be more efficient, or display-heavy....

 

expanded results on sequenceView

 

In scenarios with dynamic sequence loading, the display might simply show a 'no pre-loading possible' sort of message until the execution actually gets to that portion of the sequence.

 

Cheers, 

 

Elaine R.

Almost all of our analog measurements are specified in %: example

 

a Power Supply DMM measurement limit is 24.00Vdc +/- 5%

 

We typically have 100+ measurements like this in a project

 

 

Why not include it in the default step types as an optional selection?

I sure would use it, so would my team.

 

I agree that it should not alter existing programs using the default step, but I believe that this feature should have been in Teststand when it was first released.

 

I have run across this in both analog measurements, and the results from an ADC

Think a limit of 0x234 +3%, -7%

 

 

Everyone should be familiar with the Sequences pane. In it, we get fancy icons for certain callbacks, but I'd also like each sequence reveal more information about the sequence's settings, and my first thought was to use helpful overlays for the icon. If you take a peek in the Sequence Properties dialog, you'll see there's three different tickboxes there that (can) radically change how a sequence executes. Unfortunately, I don't have any awesome ideas on how these could be presented (especially all at once) - it'd be pretty tough to fit all that discernably into a 16x16 icon. Both Comments and Requirements are visualized clearly, but I would just as soon trade the Comment column for a way to display these settings.

 

sequenceicons.png

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I'd be even more thrilled if the SequenceCall step type could also find some visual way to display this information, but I guess we should probably take this a step at a time 😉

How many times have you found yourself typing double backslashes "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe" or even worse, going through a copied path to change every backslash to a double backslash (and inevitably missing one), just so you can pass a file or directory as a constant to a code module or another sequence?

 

string issue.png

 

I'd like to see a symbol for 'explicit string' in the TestStand expression language, much like C# does with the @ symbol.

So if we typed @"C:\windows\temp" we would actually get the string "C:\Windows\temp" instead of "C:\Windows<tab>emp".

 

To really go the extra mile on this:

  • Drag and drop could be enabled, so that any file dragged from another window into an expression box would automatically paste the filename.
  • A browse button could be added to the expression browse dialog which would bring up the usual file open dialog and insert the selected filename.
Message Edited by Josh W on 06-14-2010 12:57 PM
Message Edited by Josh W on 06-14-2010 12:58 PM

 The Separate or Shared file global selection setting is not obvious on the user interface in TestStand. This is a very important setting that must be located in the "Edit/Sequence file properties" menu:

 

Sequence File Globals.JPG

 

Maybe this selection should also be available directly in the "variables" tab:

Variables tab.JPG