How do I extract the Test Results from a TestStand 4.0 execution in a C-Sharp Application?

[dug9000]

1) A TestReport callback sequence is a sequence you create in your sequence file that overrides the corresponding sequence in the process model sequence file. Since you don't want to modify your sequence files, what you should probably do instead is customize the process model to use your report generation code rather than the code it currently uses. Just incase you don't know, a process model is a special kind of sequence file that takes care of many issues that revolve around running a test sequence such as UUT serial number acquisition, database logging, and report generation. Also, I recommend trying out the "Test UUTs" and "Single Pass" menu items in the sequence editor along with the Report Options configuration settings to get more familiar with the kinds of things a process model does and the sort of things the current process model report generation code does. You can open up the process model sequence file by double-clicking on the process model file path on the status bar. Since you are new to TestStand I recommend you become more familiar with the architecture before trying to customize it. The reference manual and these webpages are probably good places to start:

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/7022

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/8289

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/7958

 

2) I'm not sure if there is a list, but you can add steps of each type that you care about (use the none adapter to avoid having to specify a module), set a breakpoint at the end of the sequence and look at what's put in the resultlist for each step type by looking at Locals.ResultList in the variables tab in the execution window while you are at the breakpoint.

There are many ways to do things in TestStand that will work, but if you want to get the most out of TestStand, I recommend trying to customize it in ways which best fit into its architecture. That way you can take advantage of as many features of TestStand as possible and get maximum code reuse.

Hope this helps,

-Doug

Message Edited by dug9000 on 04-28-2010 04:10 PM

[Snowman 6008]

Is it possible to modify the requirements of your report? There are many easier ways to customize reports using callback overrides and modifying the header, footer, or to a certain extent the body. The bennifit of TestStand is that you can focus on writing your tests and production code and leave the majority of the TestExecutive backend up to TestStand. That way you don't spend weeks and months debugging and validating your tester.

[RayFarmer]

[Snowman 6008 comments] Exactly my point.

Maybe as a novice it would have been better to spend a bit of time understand the architecture of TestStand either by attending a course or working through the various tutorials rather than diving in to try make TestStand fit into the architecture of your old system.

Regards

Ray Farmer

[tlaford]

To Snowman 6008 and Ray Farmer:

You are correct.  But how often do employers do what is best rather what looks least expensive.  I was put on a task to make TestStand work in our existing application in the same fashion that TestStudio currently works.  And that is what I have to do.  We can talk about formal training, and the best way is to change the SEQ files, and alternate paths, but those just don't fit the restrictions.  I have no choice.  I have to extract the data from TestStand and pump it through our existing processing to produce the reports and data files the same as it was done previously.

[dug9000]

The documents I pointed you to should hopefully help. All of the source code for the process models and its report generation code is included with TestStand, so looking at that would probably help too. Most of the code involved with the process model is under <Program Files>\National Instruments\TestStand x.x\Components\Models\. You should copy these files to the corresponding directory in the teststand public directory (on Windows XP this is generally something like: Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\National Instruments\TestStand x.x\Components\Models) and modify them there and leave the originals untouched. The files in the public directory will override the files in the main TestStand directory since the public directory is earlier in the search paths. When you build a deployment it should include these customized files in the public directory in order to get your process model changes.

Hope this helps,

-Doug