writing application using only TestStand Engine API

[cronosis]

Hi all,

I am writing application using VB.net to construct a software using the Engine API. I understand its easy to make use of the User Interface control and work from there, but it does not work the way we want it.

I am not able to find any good example explaining how does Engine API can be used solely. Can i kindly request for an working example on loading and executing of sequence with real time results displaying in a simple text control not using any binding of NI controls.

Thanks in advance.

[dowNow]

If you want to write a client/OI app without using the TestStand UI API, I would call NI and ask for the TestStand 2.0 OI examples. Maybe they're on NI.com somewhere. That is maybe pre .NET but they would be in CVI and VB. It might be a long project, the reason they created the TestStand UI API is that the OI code that used the API was complex. Another approach would be to start with the current TS 4.1 OI, maybe the simple OI, and sort of work around the OI objects. You could move them off screen, put them in parallel with your controls, and maybe gradually delete a few, so that you'd get the UI you wanted with less labor. If you want a text indicator with results, have you tried changing the report to ASCII and having the report indicator update as you execute?

cc

[James_Grey]

The API help section that corresponds to writing a 2.0 style application is located at in the help at NI TestStand API Reference Help>>Writing an Application with the TestStand Engine API.

However, I strongly suggest you go with dowNow's suggestion of starting with the example that uses the TestStand controls and deleting what you don't want.

Message Edited by James Grey on 04-09-2009 10:17 AM

[cronosis]

I totally agree with the views from both of you. I started off using the control UI API as suggested by you guys too, but soon realised the functions we need and the requirement for our production environment cannot be fulfilled by this API. Hence we need to code from Engine API. As we have invested resource into NI products, we hope to extract as much functions from teststand to deliver a test executive catering to our needs.

Before i posted the first message, i have already looked into the section on programming using Engine API. But the documentation is very limited and not comprehensive. I hope someone can provide me a clue where i can get the source code of a working program based on engine API.

Thanks.