NI TestStand Idea Exchange

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currently the behavior of the date function is (1) get a short ("MM/DD/YYYY") or long form date string ("Weekday, Month D, YYYY")with nice easy boolean input, (2) pass it N local variables to get all the discrete parts and assemble it myself with a bit of STR() and concatenation.

could we create a permutation on this date() function, (does one already exist) so that I can just pass it a %<> syntax string and have it format the current date to my desired format?

specifically, I'm looking for a non painful way of building a "YYYY-MM-DD" style string for a report (or even just DD/MM/YYY) without having to lug around 8 locals and a lengthly expression, or call into a LV VI.

We have basic string format symbols available for the STR and VAL functions, why not for date? if anything passing this 1 parameter might save alot of folks creating a bunch of locals because they can just ask for the time item they want directly, and then VAL() the output text to get the numeric data if they need it?

it'd be awesome if the function supported standard DB format tags such as (http://www.w3schools.com/sql/func_date_format.asp) or failing that, was consistent with what LabVIEW's time format strings were.

Just a thought. Has anyone worked around this in a reasonable way?

--Elaine R.

LV Primitives in TS

There is no way to programmatically clear the Output Window in TestStand. It would be beneficial to be able to clear it through the API and through an expression function. The only way to clear it right now is manually. This benefit would allow developer's to configure the system to only see messages from their current run, only show one message at a time so you could iteratively overwrite it to show measurements changing for example, or many other benefits.

The concept of TestStand Environments was introduced in TestStand 2016 and allows you to define multiple configurations on a single test station or development PC. It would be nice if there was an option to link a sequence file to a specific environment, similar to how you can set a sequence file to "Require Specific Model" In the Advanced tab of the Sequence File Properties. When a sequence file is loaded, the engine could check to see if the required environment matches the current environment and:

Automatically relaunch the app in the correct environment
Generate an error
Prompt the user for an action
Other??

It would be nice to choose the behavior when a required environment doesn't match.

If anyone has other thoughts or use cases, please share below.

-Trent

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Array Literal Support for Named Types

I would like to ask to add named types support for TestStand array literals. The current behavior is described as follows:

Declares a one-dimensional array of numbers, strings, Boolean values, object references, or containers. If all elements are of the same type, the result array is an array of elements of that type. If all elements are not of the same type, the result array is an array of containers.

I would like it to be more or less like this:

Declares a one-dimensional array of numbers, strings, Boolean values, object references, containers, or named type. If all elements are of the same type, the result array is an array of elements of that type. If all elements are not of the same type, the result array is an array of containers.

The problem with the current implementation can be seen on the screen.

It is not a bug (BUG 1828580 to be more precise), it is a feature.

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Select VI PPL View

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Improved Round Function

I have a bunch of times that I need to round a numeric variable in TestStand

example: Locals.A = round(Locals.B)

However, it's actually more complicated than that because I need to round it at the Nth position after the decimal point (for example). This means my expression becomes something like Locals.A = pow(10,-Locals.Digits) * round (Locals.A * pow(10,Locals.Digits) ) (for Locals.Digits == 3, this means that Locals=A becomes 0.123 when Locals.B is 0.1234)

This is a lot more code than I really want to write. If I am doing the same thing in MS Excel, I just say $B5 = round($B4,$A$1) or something like that. Notice how the digits of precision to round to is built into the round function. I'd love if TestStand round function could be expanded the same way

Round(Number, [option], [Digits])

Python adapter dict or json datatype

The output messages are a good way of sending status messages from the test solution to the end user. However the control is not available as one of the controls that can be added to user interfaces.

Can this control be made available to be quickly added to a UI and linked to the execution view manager.

Also adding some kind of API interface to be able to capture these messages to a log file would remove the need to implement any custom logging mechanisms. If possible ability to open multiple file logs within the engine at the same time with each file given some kind of filter rules (for example Severity=”error” or ExecutionId=5). If logs had to be attributed to an execution ID then they could automatically be closed when the execution ended, otherwise the user would have to manually close each file which could get forgotten and TestStand end up with lots of open file references.

Dear NI community,

let me, please, propose the following idea.

It would be great, if it is possible to open sequences of the sequence file in different tabs. Currently, only sequence files are opened in separate tab. But, if you need to go between sequences (or subsequences, depends how you name them) of the one sequence file (let's say, to copy-paste some steps from one sequence, to another), one has to click on the sequence in the Sequences tab, and it will be opened in the Sequence View tab, and, meanwhile, the another (previously selected) sequence is not seen. And, one has to click between them in the list there and back, and it's not possible to see two sequences one-to-one at the same time.

This is similar to MS Word feature "Open New Window", when one can see the same document but in two windows at the same time. It can increase usability of the sequence editor, and make development a little bit faster...

Thanks in advance.

Build .sql File button should work

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Add feature to allow commands and sequences created in Tools->Customize->Customize Tool Menu->Add Tools Menu Item.
When customer creates a command or sequence in this section he would like to put it in the toolbar for quick access , TestTand does not allow this task. TestStand allows the toolbar customization for items that are TS native basically

NI TestStand Idea Exchange

Date() / time() functions could allow for different desired formats as a parameter rather than returning N local variables

Allow subsequences to pass parameters to callers by value (instead of only by reference)

LV Primitives in TS

Beable to pass parameters with the Sequence used in Post Actions

Clear Output Window through API and Expression Function

Allow Users to Change Font Colors for Steps in the Sequence Editor

Set Password Protection and Lock Sequence Files from TestStand Deployment Utility

Provide ability to link a Sequence File to a specific Environment File

Array Literal Support for Named Types

Ignore Individual Sequence Analyzer Results in TestStand

Select VI PPL View

Drag and drop from LabVIEW function palette

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

Include diagrams in TestStand documentation showing execution order of process model callbacks

Improved Round Function

Python adapter dict or json datatype

Make Output panel available as UI ActiveX Control

Open sequences of the sequence file in new tabs

Build .sql File button should work

Add feature to allow commands and sequences created in Tools->Customize->Customize Tool Menu->Add Tools Menu Item