NI TestStand Idea Exchange

Hello,

I had recentlty to modify the public interface of one of my custom step.

The automatic type conflict detection diden't work ! I had to modify all my sequence file manually, by only launch the "reload prototype" !

(All versions of my custom step has been upgraded in order to generate a conflict !)

So, i thaught, i could use the "sequence file converter tool" to upgrade existing sequence files ...

But no ! 

The sequence file converter only converts the properties which cannot be modified by the final user. (The one who write sequences)

=> The NI Answer is : All properties that could be modified on a step instance, will not be upgraded by the sequence file converter.

So, neither the default action will never be upgraded, nor all properties ....

AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE !  What can i do for my customer hundred of sequenceFiles .... 

So, I had customized my custom step in order to lock all properties for the end user (Disable properties) ...

I thaught the Sequence file converter will detect that the step instances could not be modified ... and then it will do the right work !

Even with this lock, the sequence converter don't upgrade my existing sequences !

The NI answer to my problem is : You should do it right from the begining !

It is well known that the projects need didn't change during the software life cycle !!!!!!

So i decide to do my own sequence file converter for my application ... and it works fine ... but i think this need is general ... and could be integrated into TestStand.

I would like, in the sequenceFileConverter, to be abble to :

1. Select a path which contains recursively many sequences
2. Select a or multiple CustomSteps to upgrade
3. And launch an automatic "Force upgrade"

The tool could ask other options like ...

• Keep properties or apply default
• Updgrade action interface or not
• keep existing parameters, and initialize default parameters with default values
• Apply default parameters

I know very well that the behaviour of such a tool would need many parameters in order to handle all needs.

But, this could be done in many times ...

The first need is something like an automatic prototype reload, with existing parameters reusing, and default values for type mismatch, or new parameters.

Thanks for help.

Manu.

Professional Development package should include source code control (SCC) and Requirements Gateway right out of the box.

I know that bundled SCC was a problem in the past that NI wants to avoid, but I feel that a "Professional" development system isn't very professional without it and Requirements Gateway. However, It is very difficult and painful for me to get separate funds approved for important items that really needs to be already there right out of the box.

I already use free SVN, but TestStand does not recognize it, so it is not "integrated".

Eugene

When developing custom TS sequence analyzer methods, it would be beneficial to be able to control how the message gets reported.  Specifically sometimes I would like to automatically add the message into the "ignored" list. 

Reasoning -- I have determined that there is a problem with the code, but based on other stuff I think the user really intended and needs the code written this way, so I still want to flag that I found it, but have it in the ignores list so that the user won't by default see the reported message, but if they go to the ignored list they can see it.

Example: If I were doing the #NoValidation directive from scratch, I would have written the rule such that if the "expression validates correctly" rule would check the expression validity regardless of any #NoValidation directives.  Then it would report the message (assuming it has a validation error).  If the expression contained #NoValidation it would be automatically put into the "ignore" list.  This way we have the ability to see that the expression did not validate properly, but recognize that the user has included a flag in their code to specify "this is OK and I want to ignore it" so it goes into the ignored list. -- All done automatically by the analyzer code module without the user having to manually click on the ignore menu item in the Analysis Results window.