How to commit an existing application to source control?

[paulio]

I'm an admitted newbie to TestStand. I've inherited a bunch of working LabView VI's, and they've been packaged into a number of different working TestStand sequence files. We'd now like to take the 'bold leap' into the world of source control (tool of choice here is ClearCase).

So, I'm trying to figure out the steps required to commit both the working sequence files and associated vi's to CC. It seems that the sequence file may have absolute linkages that will be broken when moved to a different physical location.

I'd appreciate any tips, experiences, and pointers to relevant documentation.

Thanks!

[Al.B]

Hi Paulio,

There is a lot of good information on using source control in TestStand in the TestStand help:

TestStand Help: Source Control Menu

As far as I know, implementing source control does not necessarily require you to move your files, so the pathing should not be a problem.  Hope this helps!

[Believer]

Paulio,

Let me encourage you. I have our entire TestStand project in TFS (Team Foundation Server) source control.

This includes the LabVIEW VIs, C# source, and TestStand sequences.

Recently I was able to move the whole project without any problems (except for TestStand thinking that some LabVIEW prototypes had changed).

I did a lot of reading before beginning on the development to work out a good structure, and this is what is working for us:

1. Basically keep everything you do under a single project directory

2. Use subdirectories for the various parts (LV_TestPanels, TS_Seqs, Utilities etc.)

3. Configure the TestStand Search Directories to search your top level project directory (and all sub directories)

e.g. c:\projects\dev\THE_PROJECT

4. Make sure you use relative paths (not absolute) for the step modules. That means include enough of the path to make it unique and easy for the TestStand search process to find it, but not just the file name - in case there are multiple modules with the same name.

So instead of c:\projects\dev\THE_PROJECT\Source\LV\InstControl\Initialize.vi (the absolute path) or Initialize.vi (just the filename)

you would have: Source\LV\InstControl\Initialize.vi

If you have the TestStand Search Directories set to c:\projects\THE_PROJECT then it will quickly find the module.

You can also move the project, and the relative paths will remain intact.

Hope this helps,

Ronnie