check/uncheck record results on more than one step at a time

[Kevin_Houston]

I have one hundred plus sequence files and several thousand steps total. Checking and un-checking record results one step at a time takes a long time. I'd like to be able to select several steps at a time then check or un check the "Record Results" option for all those steps at once. How do I do this? I'm using TestStand 2.0

[RayFarmer]

Hi Kevin,

The only way you are going to achieve this is to write a routine that runs through all your sequences and changes that property for you.

Regards
Ray Farmer

[Kevin_Houston]

Has anybody done this already? As an experiment I tried exporting all the step properties of a sequence file to an excel spreadsheet via Tools,Import/Export Properties and then converted the result to a tab delimited text file. I then changed a couple of the step's "record results" settings and exported all the step properties of the changed sequence file to another tab delimited text file. I did a file compare on both files and there was no difference. It doesn't appear that the "record results" is a step property that can be accessed in the normal way. Someone point me in the right direction. Thanks.

[David Mc]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for contacting National Instruments.

Do you want to disable result recording for ALL sequences on this station? If so, you can turn on this option in the TestStand sequence editor (Configure >> Station Options, turn ON checkbox "Disable result recording for all sequences").

However, if you only want to do this for selected sequence files, then Ray is correct - you would need to write an external routine that will automate this for you. Attached is a zipfile containing a VBScript that will iterate through one sequence file ("c:\test.seq") and change all steps (all sequences, including Main/Setup/Cleanup) to turn off "Record Results". It first saves a backup copy of the sequence file, makes the changes, then save
s the modified sequence file. You can enhance this script to work for more than one sequence file by using Microsoft's FileSystemObject.

The VBScript uses a DLL I created, which exposes the TestStand 2.0 Engine object as an ActiveX DLL. Before you can run the VBScript, you will need to register this DLL:

regsvr32 TSEngine.dll


Then, the VBScript can be executed just by double-clicking it. Hopefully this helps get you started toward creating an automated way of solving this problem!

David Mc.
National Instruments

[Scott_Richardson]

Kevin -
I just created and attached a TestStand 2.0 sequence file that you can use as tool menu items. The menu items operate on the selected steps in a sequence. To add it to the Tools menu you just have to select Tools>>Customize. In the
Customize Tools Menu dialog box, select Add to display the Add Tools Menu Item dialog box. Select "Sequence File" as the Item Type and the select the attached sequence file as the Sequence File. Select OK twice to close the dialogs. You will now notice that there is a new menu item called "Tools>>ProcessSelectedSteps>>Change Result Recording".

If you open a different sequence file and multi-select steps and then select this new tool menu item mentioned above, the tool will display a dial
og to ask you whether you want to turn off or on results for the selected steps. It will then proceed to change the setting if not cancelled.

You can use the "Tools>>ProcessSelectedSteps>>Display Result Collection Settings" menu item to display the current settings for the selected steps in a dialog box.

Scott Richardson (NI)

[Kevin_Houston]

Scott,
Thanks for the work you did. I was in a time crunch so I stayed late and manually changed all the "record results" option in all the steps. I did this before you and David McClelland replied. When I get a chance I'll try your utility. Sorry I couldn't try it this time but I'm sure this will be useful in the future.

[Kevin_Houston]

Scott,

I just tried your new utility. It is very useful. Thanks. I was able to find and use "Tools>>ProcessSelectedSteps>>Change Result Recording". But, I was unable to find "Tools>>ProcessSelectedSteps>>Display Result Collection Settings".

[Scott_Richardson]

Sorry about that, here is the sequence file that has both sequences in the file. Just replace the other one.

The sequence that I gave you shows that you can really do anything to multiple steps using this as a template.

Scott Richardson (NI)

[Kevin_Houston]

Scott,

Your ProcessSelectedSteps sequence has been very helpful.  I have modified my version of it to access and change other properties besides RecordResults.  Do you (or anyone else reading this) know how to read and change limits of several selected sequence steps all at once.  I have not been able to find the limits property within the TestStand ActiveX object. My reason for wanting to do this is the following: I have several sequences that do not use the property loader but instead have the limits hardcoded in them.  My plan is to export the limits to a spreadsheet and then use the property loader to load those limits.  Then I would like to change the hard coded limits to something that is guaranteed not to pass (e.g. 1 < x < -1).  That way we'll know for sure that all those steps are using the spreadsheet limits as the steps would fail otherwise.  

[Kevin_Houston]

I figured out the answer to my own question.  I've attached the Sequence.  To install see reply 5 of this thread.  I make no guarantees about this utility but it works for me.  This is for TestStand 2.