PAtools provides control variables that you can use to control the user interface from the test. This section summarizes the control variables that you can use to control the main window.

Table 36. UI Control Variables
Variable Name Functionality
Status display Sets the text that is displayed in the status bar.
PActl.TestStateIndicator Sets the color of the title and status bar.
PActl.Workspace Sets the workspace.
PActl.Dashboard Sets the active dashboard.
PActl.WindowState Sets the state of the main window and, if necessary, the opened Userboxes.

Control the Window State of the Main Window

Introduced in PAtools 8.2 upgrade 04/2020

The test can control the window state of the PAcontroller main window by setting the value of the variable PActl.WindowState as follows:

Table 37. Window State Control Variables
Value Functionality
0 Display as normal window.
1 Minimize the window.
2 Maximize the window.

When maximizing the window, the change in size affects only the PAcontroller main window; all other windows retain their normal window size.

The following windows are affected by minimize and restore:

  • The PAcontroller main window
  • All undocked system windows
  • All undocked dashboards
  • All userboxes if the Show Userboxes foregrounded setting is disabled
Note

If Show Userboxes foregrounded is enabled, the userboxes retain their window position when the PActl.WindowState=1 variable is set. These can then be individually minimized by setting the variable Userbox<n>Show=1.

Changes to the PActl.WindowState variable do not affect the message box, file box, parameter box, or manual input dialog box.