Home Community Idea Exchange TestStand Ideas : Top Ideas

NI TestStand Idea Exchange

Community Browser
cancel
Turn on suggestions
Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type.
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Post an idea
17 Kudos
Ray.R

Allow to edit parameter when prototype changes

Status: New Submitted by Knight of NI Knight of NI on 07-26-2013 10:54 AM 2 Comment

The MOST annoying part of working with TestStand is the fact that the developer has to re-enter e-v-e-r-y bloody value for a given parameter when the prototype changes in a LabVIEW VI.  I seem to recall that older versions of TestStand would allow the user to do that, but the more recent version don't.  Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me and this was never possible..

 

In any case... When dealing with two parameters which have over 300 (yes!! THREE HUNDRED) entries, this is a bloody nightmare!!  Doing it once is nightmareish.. Doing it multiple times is a death sentence!!!  Sidenote:  I inherited the code and cannot change its structure...

 

In this particular case, the valeus are all Locals.

 

The first idea on this subject is to allow editing the original parameters when making changes to a prototype (LabVIEW or any other source).  Or as the sister idea to this one, allow to Copy & Pate the contents of a container!  See this thread!

 

 

Labels:
View All (1)
17 Kudos
Manooch_H

Add Quick Drop to TestStand

Status: Completed Submitted by Active Participant on 06-22-2011 03:43 PM 4 Comment

How many of you would benefit from the addition of a feature similar to LabVIEW's Quick Drop?

The functionality that initially comes to mind would be typing to search for your desired step type or step template and dropping it into the sequence you are developing. Please add comments for any additional functionality you might like to see in a TestStand step Quick Drop (for example, you may want TestStand to automatically navigate to the Step Properties of a step after it is dropped from Quick Drop).

Please also add comments for any other situations/scenarios (outside of adding steps to a sequence) where you might benefit from a Quick Drop-like functionality. Thank you.

View All (1)
17 Kudos
AllenR

The ability to have line numbers for all steps in the left hand gutter.

Status: Under Consideration Submitted by on 05-25-2011 08:02 AM 5 Comment

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.

 

17 Kudos
Levic

Drag and drop from LabVIEW function palette

Status: New Submitted by Member on 04-29-2011 08:38 AM 6 Comment

For simple operations would be nice to have possibility to drag and drop functions from LV functions palette directly (default step type can be Action)

 

Match pattern insert.jpg

Labels:
View All (1)
15 Kudos
RyanWright

Add ability to search for instances of custom data types

Status: New Submitted by Member on 07-06-2015 10:54 AM 6 Comment

Sometimes it is useful to be able to search for instances of custom data types. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a way to do this in TestStand.  It would be really nice if you could search for instances of types in the Types window or perhaps through the Find/Replace utility:

 

Suggestion.png

 

Suggestion2.png

15 Kudos
warren_scott

Improve error checking when connecting LabVIEW Clusters and TestStand Types

Status: Completed Submitted by Active Participant on 06-20-2012 12:04 PM 3 Comment

Recently ran into a problem when I was configuring a LabVIEW module that passed in/out clusters/types.  I had a mistake in my code that the teststand data type was not configured to allow it to pass to LabVIEW clusters, but the problem was not as obvious as I thought it should be.

 

Here's what I had:

noconnectionproblems.png

 

And when I click on the red checkmark "check expression" for "Cluster", it shows up as "No Errors".  Everything looks great, right?  Well, it isn't. 

It's not until I expand "Cluster" to show the elements that I see that there are connectivity problems.

nowseeconnectionproblems.png

 

It would be nice if "Locals.mylocal" expression would turn RED and show a "check expression error" if any of it's children also had a connection problem (specifically in this case that the type in TestStand was not configured to allow passing to LabVIEW clusters).  This way it would be a lot easier to see.

 

Even worse, this problem is NOT found by sequence analyzer -- it's left to be found at runtime.

 

I know this is all because I had a bug/mistake in my code, but it would be a lot easier to track down and fix if these changes were made.

Labels:
14 Kudos
nclark

Highlight Broken Steps and Sequences with Errors

Status: New Submitted by Member on 10-01-2019 04:52 PM Comment

TestStand is in dire need of a way to quickly and effectively find broken steps in long sequences.

 

I'm working on large sequence files which often call and utilize other long sequences. Needless to say, I often need to address steps which have become broken due to code rework. As of now (TS 2017), there are only two ways for me to know if a step will not run.

  1. Text is red within the Step Settings window.
  2. Sequence Analyzer reports an Error.

I would like to suggest a third option, one that would be more readily available than either of the other two options. If the step itself was highlighted, text reddened, or somehow otherwise flagged as an error, then the operator won't have to hunt through each of the step settings windows or the sequence analyzer results. All the operator would have to do is open the sequence file and notice that a step appears out of place.

 

It would be nice if sequences could also show if they have broken steps.

 

Included is an example of how this might look.

 

TS_errors_are_highlighted.png

Download All
View All (6)
14 Kudos
alex_bauer

Option to store an independent TestStand configuration with workspace

Status: Completed Submitted by Member on 06-29-2012 04:51 AM 2 Comment

It would be great to have the ability to create an independent TestStand configuration that is valid in a workspace context. That would allow project specific search directories, StationGlobals an several other configuration items you normally don't want to share across projects on the same test station.

14 Kudos
RayFarmer

Find / Replace Dialog popup the Variable Dialog to auto complete names

Status: New Submitted by Trusted Enthusiast on 11-02-2011 11:15 AM Comment

It would be nice when entering in the Find: control to beable to pop open the Variable dialog (as in the expression editor) to select variable names. It could be linked to the Limit Search to: control. Like wise on the Replace control when that window appears. 

 

I know you have that drop down facility on this control but that only remembers what you have previously entered.

 

Find_Replace.png

View All (1)
13 Kudos
bienieck

Update Custom Data Type from Cluster Force Exact Match - update items order

Status: New Submitted by Active Participant on 05-14-2020 05:07 AM Comment

Hi,
I would like to show the following problem with the Update Custom Data Type from Cluster tool when updating TestStand container type definition based on LabVIEW cluster.

 

TestStand creates new container type definition according to the LabVIEW cluster items order. The problem apears after you create the TestStand type definition and then reaorder LabVIEW cluster. After this change in LabVIEW, TestStand will not properlly reorder items in its definition. So for example:

  1. We have LabVIEW cluster { 1My String, 2My Numeric, 3My Boolean },
  2. Then we create TestStand type from it and we have { 1My_String, 2My_Numeric, 3My_Boolean},
  3. Now, we change order in LabVIEW { 3My Boolean, 1My String, 2My Numeric },
  4. TestStand do not see change,
  5. Then we add new item in LabVIEW { 3My Boolean, This is new, 1My String, 2My Numeric },
  6. Update in TestStand will be { This_is_new, 1My_String, 2My_Numeric, 3My_Boolean}.

 

So at the end we have:

  • in LabVIEW : { 3My Boolean, This is new, 1My String, 2My Numeric },
  • in TestStand : { This_is_new, 1My_String, 2My_Numeric, 3My_Boolean}.

 

IMO items order can be sometimes (if not always) important part of good style. That's why I would like to suggest to update also items order if you select Force Exact Match.

13 Kudos
adambro

TestStand API LabVIEW VIs should be automatically mass compiled when copied into \vi.lib\AddOns

Status: New Submitted by Member on 02-08-2018 11:40 AM 4 Comment

When TestStand launches, it determines the active LabVIEW version and copies the TestStand API VIs into <LabVIEW>\vi.lib\AddOns if not already present. (SOURCE)

 

I suggest there should be an additional step here and TestStand should call that LabVIEW version to mass compile these VIs.


Currently, the VI version remains unchanged which means when you open a LabVIEW code module which uses these, you'll sometimes find you have a 'dirty dot' due to unsaved changes because of the recompilation. It also means that you wouldn't be able to run a sequence using the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine until you've switched to Development and converted the VIs.

This is a minor annoyance but it would be nice if TestStand could cut out the additional version conversion step.

 

I do wonder whether the transfer of the TestStand API VIs into the vi.lib could actually occur when LabVIEW is installed if a TestStand installation is detected. Perhaps this might be relevant for other addons which existing LabVIEW installations have.

Labels:
13 Kudos
warren_scott

TestStand Sequence Analyzer able to anlyze subset of a sequence file

Status: Under Consideration Submitted by Active Participant on 09-26-2017 04:50 PM 4 Comment

right now with TestStand Sequence Analyzer utility, it is limited to analyzing a whole sequence file at once (or as much of it as you analyze before you hit the stop button).

However, if I have a long sequence file this can take quite a while, and I don't really want to wait.

Add a feature where I can select areas to analyze and have sequence analyzer just analyze those areas (for example -- select a few (sub)sequences in my sequence file, or a few steps within a sequence).  This way I can limit the area of my analysis to where I know I made changes (or where I know my biggest problems are) and focus on those and not waste time analyzing everything else. 

View All (2)
12 Kudos
MaximeR

Review all idea Exchange and Update status

Status: Under Consideration Submitted by Active Participant Active Participant on 07-11-2023 08:11 AM 11 Comment

I think it can a be a really good idea to review and give feedback on all Idea exchange.

 

You ask us to give feedback but you don't finish the loop.

 

Some idea are mark as new for many years now...

12 Kudos
vrv

Select enumeration value directly in SequenceCall

Status: New Submitted by Member on 07-30-2020 03:11 AM 1 Comment

Static enumeration value in a sequence call must be stated as <Enum(String enumType, [String/Number value])>. Please make it possible to select the enumeration directly.

 

 
 
View All (2)
12 Kudos
Ludwig72

Expression Numeric Functions

Status: New Submitted by Member on 07-01-2015 01:14 AM 1 Comment

Expressions offer the following exponential and logarithmic functions:

 

   Exp()    -> Exponential (base e)

   Log()    -> Logarithm (base e)

   Log10()  -> Logarithm (base 10)

 

Computers always calculating digital. I have to handle binary values very often. Please add the following functions for calculating with binary values:

 

   Exp2()   -> Exponential (base 2)

   Log2()   -> Logarithm (base 2)

 

Labels:
View All (3)
12 Kudos
LU_SDRON

Extend the Multi-Numeric Step type to the Multi-Measurement with string and Boolean comparisons.

Status: New Submitted by Member on 10-26-2011 11:53 AM 1 Comment

I have extended the multi-numeric step type to use the string and Boolean comparisons.  We have several tests that require string verification to match the exact string and to verify the string format. Therefore I have added the ability for the multi-numeric step type to use string comparisons, including regular expression for string testing. 

 

 

  Multi-Measurement.JPG

MultiMeasurement 2.JPG

 

12 Kudos
SachaE

API for the insertion palette for step types

Status: New Submitted by Active Participant on 04-19-2011 07:09 PM Comment

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

View All (3)
12 Kudos
j_dodek

Add Debugging feature: Execute to cursor

Status: New Submitted by Active Participant on 07-27-2010 06:03 AM Comment

 

It would be nice to have the same debug feature like in Visual Studio

There is a possibility to run/execute to cursor's position.   

At the monent there is only "set next step to cursor" but this is not compareable with this feature.

 

suggest.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I know could set another breakpoint and resume to it. But most times i will forget to delete it....

So why not this stuff ?

 

Regards

 

Juergen

 

 

Labels:
11 Kudos
Mr._Jim

Clickable Links for Cross Referencing Steps or Sequences from an Expression Comment

Status: New Submitted by Active Participant on 05-18-2018 12:19 PM Comment

Hi all,

 

At times when I am filling out an expression, I'd like to be able to refer other developers to a specific sequence or step within the file.

 

I think it'd be useful to be able to add clickable "hyperlinks" to other steps or sequences within the same file.

ExpressionCommentLink.png

Would anyone else use this if it were a feature?

 

Thanks as always,

Mr. Jim

View All (4)
11 Kudos
LabBEAN

Build .sql File button should work

Status: New Submitted by Active Participant on 06-26-2014 01:45 PM 2 Comment

As NI has acknowledged (here, here) for more than 5 years, the Build .sql File button creates schemas with errors.  This is even true for the default schemas in the left of the dialog.  Would be great if NI would go ahead and correct this.  BTW - to create default tables in the meantime, a developer should use a SQL file located here:  <TestStand>\Components\Models\TestStandModels\Database

 

 

TestStand Database Options Dialog.png

View All (7)