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6 Kudos
flaborde

Intelligent Variable Creation

Status: New Submitted by Member on 02-12-2013 10:49 AM Comment

The menu to create a new variable (right click on variable in an expression edit control and select Create "VariableName") contains all the data types you can use for the variable, however, in the LabVIEW Panel (and other similar panels or dialogs) there is enough context information about the variable to suggest a data type, for example, if the variable is in a control of type Double we know we should create a Numeric variable. TestStand should add the contextual suggestions to the top of the context menu and bold them so that I can more quickly select the data type I want most of the times, then have a separator and put the normal menu so if I don't want that data type for some reason I can still choose the other data types (see attached image).

6 Kudos
snowpunter

Standardize Closing Of Tabs

Status: Completed Submitted by Active Participant on 07-12-2012 02:59 PM 9 Comment

Current shortcuts for TestStand include Ctrl-D to close executions and Ctrl-F4 to close a sequence file. However, both of those windows show up as tabs in the current GUI layout.

 

Every modern internet browser allows the user to close a tab with Ctrl-W. This would also be a neat feature when only trying to close one report at a time when viewing the results from multiple UUTs, instead of closing all reports by closing all executions with Ctrl-D.

6 Kudos
Norbert_B

UI without GUI

Status: New Submitted by Proven Zealot on 05-06-2011 09:58 AM Comment

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.

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5 Kudos
Mr._Jim

Support TestStand Engine Events Using LabVIEW Dynamic Event Registration

Status: New Submitted by Active Participant on 08-03-2023 12:13 PM 1 Comment

Hi folks,

 

When writing TestStand UI components using LabVIEW, there are a lot of scenarios where using a callback VI to handle a TestStand event is the right move. As of writing this, that's the only way.

 

There have also been plenty of times when I would have preferred to handle a TestStand event directly within a LabVIEW event structure. In these kinds of scenarios my code would be less complicated if we had the ability to directly register TestStand engine events with LabVIEW's "Register for Events" node.

 

Years ago when learning TestStand, I tried to do this out of intuition and I was kind of surprised that it wasn't supported.

 

Below is an illustration of what I'm proposing.

 

TestStandDynamicEvents.png

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5 Kudos
bienieck

Add Tools to Custom Toolbars

Status: New Submitted by Active Participant on 11-25-2020 01:57 AM Comment

I would like to see the possibility to add Tools (Menu > Tools) to Toolbars. See the recording below:

tools.gif

 

As you can see from Tools section I can select only "Customize". It could be great to have the ability to use custom tools when customizing toolbars and menus.

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5 Kudos
Sam_Sharp

TestStand Expression Macros

Status: Duplicate Submitted by Trusted Enthusiast Trusted Enthusiast on 07-26-2016 09:09 AM 3 Comment

Let's say I'm building a fairly long compound expression that has some repeated parameters - I would like a way to specify (without creating additional locals) a variable/macro for use just within that expression.

 

For example, instead of:

Locals.CommandLine = "cmd /c C:\some path\that\is\reused"
Locals.CommandLine += " /path C:\some path\that\is\reused"

 

 

I could specify:

#pathmacro "C:\some path\that\is\reused"
Locals.CommandLine = "cmd /c " + pathmacro
Locals.CommandLine += " /path " + pathmacro

 

 

The idea being that with this I only need to update the macros in one place in a long expression.

 

This is a simple example, but hopefully you can see why this would be useful and why I wouldn't want to create lots of locals when the values are required only within the expression.

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5 Kudos
GarryG

different status for disabled socket

Status: New Submitted by Member on 04-21-2015 12:02 PM Comment

Can we have the UI show a different status for a disabled socket?  It shows the socket as "Completed [Passed]" if I disable a socket when running the batch model.  This seems misleading.  It should say "disabled" and maybe have a null symbol icon or something to signify that it didn't actually pass any test.

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5 Kudos
NIExpert

Include Bare bones operator interface example

Status: New Submitted by Member on 11-18-2013 08:43 AM 5 Comment

Even the "simple " operator interface is too complex for some applications.  It can also be somewhat intimidating to new developers,    

 

Many developers might benefit by having a "bare bones" (ie simplest possible) Operator Interface example to start with

 

 

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5 Kudos
MimiKLM

Make the property loader window resisable

Status: Completed Submitted by Active Participant on 08-17-2013 03:00 AM 1 Comment

Hi,

 

Exactly as in the subject.

 

Sometimes the names variables are long and could be deeply nested into containers.

 

Now it is difficult to use them as both windows: the main one and Selected are unresizable.

 

After proposed change the property loader would have all default features(behaviours) as you can expect from the window at this place.

 

Current situation presented on the picrure below.

 

850e24cef49a832f99913a8177a26e8e.png

 

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5 Kudos
Eugene12

Separate or Shared file global selection setting is not obvious

Status: Declined Submitted by Member on 06-14-2010 12:07 PM 3 Comment

 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

4 Kudos
--thatguy

Integrate Diff Merge Utility into Sequence Editor

Status: Under Consideration Submitted by Member on 03-14-2023 05:24 PM 1 Comment

TestStand File Diff and Merge Utility is not very useful for code reviews on its own.  It seems adequate for notifying the user that a sequence was added, however from the tool itself the user cannot actually review the newly added or removed sequence's contents.  Why is there no + on the item tree to go deeper.

 

Alternatively:

If I have to right-click a sequence and select "Go to location" then why bother with the separate tool to begin with?  Why isn't the diff utility integrated into TestStand's sequence editor itself?  Seems like a side-by-side comparison within Sequence Editor would allow a reviewer to poke and prod around all the hidden settings that are often missed using the existing utility.

 

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4 Kudos
Mr._Jim

Order Types Alphabetically in Type Selection Context Menu

Status: New Submitted by Active Participant on 08-06-2021 10:09 AM 3 Comment

When assigning a type to a property, the list of types is in an unordered pile. In the next release, can someone please alphabetize it?

 

(PS. Do not ask about the context of this image. It's not pretty. 😏 )

 

PileOTypes.png

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4 Kudos
nclark

Add LabVIEW Class Objects in Get Property Value.vi and Set Property Value.vi

Status: New Submitted by Member on 12-12-2019 03:15 PM 1 Comment

TestStand's LabVIEW interface could benefit by being able to programmatically get and set LabVIEW Class Objects using the Get Property Value.vi and the Set Property Value.vi.

 

After much toil with this subject, I've finally come to the conclusion that I cannot get a LabVIEW Class Object from TestStand using LabVIEW. I've tried both the Get Property Value.vi and a combination of property and invoke nodes to no avail.

 

Capture.PNG

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4 Kudos
Stryker_Software_Engineer

Double Clicking on Sequence Call Step in Custom UI

Status: New Submitted by Member on 04-18-2019 12:08 PM Comment

Custom TestStand UI suggestion.

 

I would like the same functionality as with Sequence Editor when double clicking on Sequence Call step (already configured) and it goes into the Subsequence directly and you can view the SubSequence.

 

I would like to see that functionality in the TestStand Custom UI when double clicking on the Sequence Call step with Sequence View Manager and it goes into the Subsequence so it can it viewed. 

 

This would come in handy when debugging a subsequence and setting break points in the subsequence and then viewing variables during execution.

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4 Kudos
Sam_Sharp

Allow embedding of 'Edit' UI into step settings panel for custom step types

Status: Duplicate Submitted by Trusted Enthusiast Trusted Enthusiast on 06-16-2016 06:52 AM 4 Comment

I was pretty surprised that this isn't already possible or that there wasn't an idea in the ideas exchange for it. The idea is to allow custom step types to embed their 'edit' dialogue into the configuration tab for the step settings. At the moment you have to click a generic 'edit <step type>' button to launch a dialogue.

 

Instead of:

Embed Dialogue.PNG

 

Have:

Embed Dialogue 2.png

 

This would make custom step types much more user friendly and save unnecessary clicks/steps required to custom and bring the experience of configuring steps more in line with the built-in step types.

 

I appreciate that it might require a little more effort on the developers part (e.g. posting new values on value change instead of on 'ok'/'cancel') but it could also help to avoid some issues like 'hanging' TestStand when the dialogue is closed and the panel close isn't disabled/handled.

4 Kudos
Al.B

Support Expressions for Custom Step Type Icons

Status: New Submitted by on 03-04-2016 02:56 PM 1 Comment

Currently, the step icon for a custom step type is defined statically:

 

2016-03-04_144812.png

 

 It would be nice if the step icon could also be specitied via expression.  This would allow step types where the step icon changes based on the configuration.  For example, the lock step could be made more intuitive:

 

Current static icon:

2016-03-04_142247.png

 

With dynamic icons:

lockIconExample.png

 

To accomplish this currently, you need to update the icon for the step via the API in the edit substep, which is cumbersome and adds coupling between the edit substep code and the icon names.

4 Kudos
warren_scott

Easier to analyze items that are not sequence files

Status: New Submitted by Active Participant on 07-19-2013 11:15 AM Comment

Imagine the scenario where you have some custom types files and you want to validate those types are in good shape.  So you want to run the TestStand "Sequence" Analyzer utlity on them.

To do this, I need to create an arbitrary analyzer project, make sure it is configured to analyze the type palettes, and then run that analyzer project. 

 

If I were doing a 1-off sequence file, I can just open the sequence file and click the Start Analysis button (don't need to create an analyzer project if I just want to accept all the normal defaults).  However, if I open the types palette I can't select the types file I am interested in and just hit the Start Analysis button (it's disabled). 

 

I'd love to be able to have the "start Analysis" button enabled and work if I am in the types palette, and have it just analyze the types file I have selected.  Or analyze StationGlobals if I am in the station globals window.  Or users configuration if I am in the user manager.

4 Kudos
Al.B

Better expose the option to customize the TestStand menus and toolbar

Status: New Submitted by on 09-18-2012 04:33 PM 5 Comment

I have noticed that many TestStand users are not aware that the sequence editor menu bar and tool bar are fully customizable.  This option is fairly well hidden: You have to right click the toolbar (not a common operation) to access the "customize..." option.  There should be a way to access the Customize dialog from the TestStand Menus, perhaps in Configure:

 

customizeMenus.png

 

It would also be nice if this was accessible from the UI configuration tab in the Sequence Editor options.

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4 Kudos
CyGa

Update step fields after using an Edit Step

Status: Declined Submitted by Active Participant Active Participant on 10-26-2011 10:07 AM 11 Comment

When you use an edit step to modifiy the values contained in your step inputs/outputs, the fields are not updated with the new values. You have to close the step tree branch and reopen it to see the updated values. A good idea would be to refresh the step section after the execution of an edit step !

Update step val after Edit Step

3 Kudos
--thatguy

Integrate Package Managers into Sequence Editor

Status: New Submitted by Member on 04-23-2025 07:03 PM 1 Comment

With the removal of the GAC from TestStand, it's now the user's responsibility to include common .NET assemblies in their source to be leveraged in TestStand.  It would be great if I could go the menu, launch the Nuget Package Manager, download packages from nuget.org (and my local Artifactory repo), and unpack these assemblies into a specified target folder. 

 

While I'm primarily focused on .NET and nuget, the same thing could and should be provided for VI Package Manager and lvlibs, lls, vis, etc.