Step List customization warning

[mrbean]

I'm customizing the TestStand4.0 Operator Interface, and in the Execution View, I wanted to remove the Description and Settings fields.  The attached file shows the warning message I received.  It talks about a configuration file.  I'm not sure what its referring to.  What exactly is this warning telling me?

[James_Grey]

Run a full UI example and right click on the step list. Notice that there is a Step List Configurations sub-menu in the context menu. This menu lets you create and select different configurations of all the properties of the step list control, except for the border properties. When you select a configuration, the application saves which selection you made in the application configuration file (see ApplicationMgr.ConfigFile) so that the step list configuration you selected can be used again the next time you run the application.

Because the selected configuration is loaded when the application starts, it will overwrite any changes you make to the same step list properties in the designer, except in the case when the application configuration file hasn't been created or doesn't have a selected step list configuration saved.

If you don't want your application to allow the user configure the step list, set ApplicationMgr.UseStepListConfigurations to False. Then, no configurations will be loaded and your designer settings will alway be used.

[mrbean]

I'm looking at the StepList (if that's what it's called) in the Execution View, and I don't see either (1) a Step List Configurations sub-menu or (2) context menu.  I did look up ApplicationMgr.ConfigFile, but it doesn't say much, like where this file/info is stored.  Is this config file something I need to concern myself with as far as configuration management?

[James_Grey]

1) In 4.0, it is there in the step list context menu for the Full UI examples and the sequence editor. Run an unmodified Full UI example.

2) The help for ApplicationMgr.ConfigFile has a link to the ApplicationMgr.ConfigFilePath property, which controls the location of the file. You do not need to worry about configuration management for this file unless you want to distribute a UI with some of the settings in the file preset to certain values.

If you are curious, you can find the template for the default configuration file (the one that is automatically created if you don't already have one) in C:\Program Files\National Instruments\TestStand 4.x\Bin\DefaultUIConfigurationFile.xml. Note that 99% of the file is the storage of step list configurations. At the end of the file, some other things are stored, such as the settings for:

• BreakOnFirstStep
• EditReadOnlyFiles
• MakeStepNamesUnique
• SaveOnClose
• PromptForOverwrite
• MaxMRUFiles
• MostRecentUsedList
• The size and position of the application window and the pane splitters for UIs.

Note that a developer of a custom UI can add anything they want to the config file.

[mrbean]

On my office PC, I found the UserInterface.xml file.  It was in the C:\Documents and Settings\mylogin\Local Settings\Application Data\National Instruments\TestStand 4.0.  However, I cannot find this file anywhere on the lab PC where I'm trying to get this working.  I've searched the entire c-drive, d-drive, and portions of a network drive.  Would it be called something else?  Is there a way to see where it thinks it's writing?

[James_Grey]

The property ApplicationMgr.ConfigFilePath contains the path to the config file.

I've attached a sequence that displays this property. Note that the path might have a %directoryName% macro in it. Look at the help for the ConfigFilePath property for the definition of the possible macros.

[mrbean]

Similar to the StepLIst problem I had above, I'm trying to remove the Comment field from the SequencesList.  When I run my OI, though, I don't see the ability to configure this.  Does this not behave the same way?

[James_Grey]

The sequence list has far fewer options and is not interactively configurable like the step list.

In the C# UI, the line of code that enables the comments column is:

this.axSequenceFileViewMgr.ConnectSequenceList(this.axSequencesList).SetColumnVisible(SeqListConnectionColumns.SeqListConnectionColumn_Comments, true);

So, look for a call to SequenceListConnection.SetColumnVisible

[mrbean]

I looked all over the place for SetColumnVisible within the properties/methods of the SequencesList control.  I just can't find anything that gives me access to this property.  The attached code is a snippet of code I tried (unsuccessfully) to add to Full UI - Hide Editor Only Controls.vi.  Any ideas?

[James_Grey]

It is a method on SequenceListConnection which is returned by SequenceFileViewMgr.ConnectSequenceList.

I located it in the full UI example for you. See attachment.